I think of black beans in Mexican cuisine as an almost upscale replacement for pinto beans, but in actual fact, they have been part of the meso-American culinary repertoire for thousands of years. This is a simple, flavorful, nutritious one-pot meal.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　2 cups dried black beans

　　8 cups water

　　1 white onion, finely diced

　　Salt to taste (smoked, if possible)

　　1/2 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco or feta cheese

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

　　4 corn tortillas, sliced into 1/8-inch-wide strips and fried until crisp, or 1/3 cup corn chips, crumbled into large pieces, for garnish

　　

Step 1

Thoroughly wash the beans and place them, along with the water and onion, in the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until the beans are tender.

　　

Step 2

Using a handheld immersion blender, purée some of the beans to thicken the soup. (How much you purée depends on how much texture you’d like remaining in the soup.)

　　

Step 3

Add salt to taste, then ladle into bowls. Top each serving with some crumbled cheese, a sprinkle of cilantro, and some tortilla strips.

　　

Suggested Beverage

Step 4

This is a relatively mild dish, so I’d choose a chilled, medium-bodied white wine, perhaps with a little spice. A Gewürztraminer or even an off-dry Muscat Canelli would work well. A beer would do nicely, too.

　　Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker