Nothing like some Cuban cuisine for a delicious meal. Instant Pot Cuban black beans recipe can be your family’s introduction to Cuban food. This hearty meatless dish borrows elements from authentic Cuban black beans recipe, such as the oregano, dried cumin, and bay leaf. However, it isn’t intended as a classic authentic recipe.
There are of course many different ways to cook Cuban black bean soup, or “frijoles negros”. Our focus here is an easy recipe with under one hour of cooking time to provide a healthy meal, with some Cuban style. You will not need to go to a specialty grocery stores for this instant pot recipe. Enjoy this as your main dish or make it the perfect side dish over some white or brown rice.
What is an Instant Pot?
An Instant Pot is a kitchen appliance that functions as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and steamer. It has a number of preset cooking programs, as well as the ability to be programmed manually. It’s so versatile it will quickly become one of your most useful kitchen appliances!
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Ingredients
- 1 cup dry black beans, rinsed and picked over
- 1 medium red pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces
- ½ medium white onion, cut into large pieces
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon dried cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 whole lime, cut into wedges (optional)
- 3 cups cooked white rice or yellow rice
Equipment
- Instant Pot®
- Cutting board and knife
- Blender or food processor
Instructions
- Add the dried beans, red pepper, onion, oregano, dried cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves to Instant Pot®.
- Pour broth on top and add the lid. Set the pressure valve to “sealing” and select the “Manual” cooking option on the “High” setting. Set cook time to 32 minutes.
- When done cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, and then do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
- Turn the unit off and carefully remove lid. Transfer red pepper, onion, and ½ cup broth to a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth.
- Pour pureed vegetable mixture back into the Instant Pot® and add red wine vinegar.
- Season with additional salt and black pepper, as desired, and stir to combine. Serve immediately over a bed of cooked rice, topped with chopped red pepper, avocado, and cilantro. Offer lime wedges, if desired. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips
- Although not featured here, a tablespoon of tomato paste added prior to cooking would be a nice addition to the flavor profile of this recipe, especially if served as leftovers the next day.
- This recipe was tested at 30 minutes active cook time. Although the recipe works at that time, the beans were a little firm. Add an additional two minutes to the active cook time for less firm results.
Serving
Reserve the red portion of the pepper top for garnish.
Storage Instructions
The best part is that this Cuban black bean recipe can be stored easily. Refrigerate the instant pot black beans in an air-tight container. It should last for 3 days, or freeze it for another meal. Unthaw it in a small pan on the stove top on medium heat.
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Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans
Nothing like some Cuban cuisine for a delicious meal. Instant pot Cuban black beans recipe can be your family's introduction to Cuban food. This hearty meatless dish borrows elements from authentic Cuban black beans recipe, such as the oregano, dried cumin, and bay leaf. However, it isn’t intended as a classic authentic recipe.
There are of course many different ways to cook Cuban black bean soup, or "frijoles negros". Our focus here is an easy recipe with under one hour of cooking time to provide a healthy meal, with some Cuban style. You will not need to go to a specialty grocery stores for this instant pot recipe. Enjoy this as your main dish or make it the perfect side dish over some white or brown rice.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry black beans, rinsed and picked over
- 1 medium red pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces
- ½ medium white onion, cut into large pieces
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon dried cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced
- 3 tablespoons avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 whole lime, cut into wedges (optional)
- 3 cups cooked white rice or yellow rice
Instructions
- Add the dried beans, red pepper, onion, oregano, dried cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves to Instant Pot®.
- Pour broth on top and add the lid. Set the pressure valve to “sealing” and select the “Manual” cooking option on the “High” setting. Set cook time to 32 minutes.
- When done cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, and then do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
- Turn the unit off and carefully remove lid. Transfer red pepper, onion, and ½ cup broth to a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth.
- Pour pureed vegetable mixture back into the Instant Pot® and add red wine vinegar.
- Season with additional salt and black pepper, as desired, and stir to combine. Serve immediately over a bed of cooked rice, topped with chopped red pepper, avocado, and cilantro. Offer lime wedges, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Reserve the red portion of the pepper top for garnish.
This recipe was tested at 30 minutes active cook time. Although the recipe works at that time, the beans were a little firm. Add an additional two minutes to the active cook time for less firm results.