I've always wanted to cook beans from scratch.
I know, I'm culinarily weird, and a lot of other things probably top your cooking bucket list before slow-cooking beans: maybe baking a beautiful loaf of bread, cooking a whole chicken, perfecting a Thanksgiving dinner spread, or finally nailing a macaron recipe (this is still at the top of mine, after several failed attempts). But slow-cooked beans are perfect for many reasons: they are an insanely healthy source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals; they are one of the cheapest foods you can buy, especially in bagged form; and they can take on any flavor you throw at them.
I also have a cute little 1.5 quart slow cooker that I've been wanting to try out, and couldn't find a great use for it. It seems like any good slow-cooker meal creates a big batch of leftovers (isn't that kind of the point?) so a small slow cooker has always sounded like a contradiction to me. For this recipe, I used half a bag of black beans, which is more than enough servings for a meal plus leftovers. The beans taste equally well thawed and reheated from the freezer. If you have a large slow cooker, go ahead and use an entire bag!
I flavored these beans with chipotle, so they are a bit smoky and spicy. Feel free to add less, but don't skip it altogether, because it gives the dish a nice depth of flavor. Chipotle in adobo sauce is one of those ingredients that is often the secret flavor in Mexican food that will make you say, "what is in this that makes it so good?" Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeños, and adobo sauce is a slightly sweet and tangy red sauce made from tomatoes and spices. I like the La Costeña version in a jar rather than a can because you're always left with extra, and it's nice to keep in the back of the fridge. When you get out a tablespoon for this recipe (or any), make sure you get both some pepper and some of the sauce; the pepper is the spicy part so if you want less heat use less pepper and more sauce.
Capsaicin is the chemical compound responsible for heat, and it is concentrated in the ribs and pith of a pepper: the white parts on the inside. This is collectively known as the placenta, and it is much hotter than the seeds or flesh of the pepper. Capsaicin is a physiologically beneficial ingredient: there is evidence that eating capsaicin causes a release of endorphin in the body (ostensibly the body's reaction to deal with the intense pain-like heat), and this can be effective as a pain reliever or a remedy for other medical conditions. Some evidence also suggests capsaicin can reduce hunger and therefore is good for weight loss.
If you're not sure what to do with a bunch of black beans, I'm including a recipe from Cooking Light that I loved: a whole-grain veggie burrito bowl. Please, go make this recipe. It seems like a lot of ingredients, but each piece of the burrito bowl only has a few, and they taste amazing together (even without the cheese, which I couldn't find and left out). I've made this multiple times since one of my best friends shared it with me, and I promise you won't be disappointed. (And after this easy slow cooker beans recipe, the black beans will already be done! Don't add anything else to them like it says in the recipe.) Keep in mind that this black bean recipe requires both soaking for 8 hours and slow cooking for 8-10 hours, so you'll need to prepare to make them a day in advance.
Slow Cooker Black Beans
Ingredients
1/2 1lb bag of dried black beans
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Empty beans into slow cooker and rinse through a few times with water. Move the beans around with your fingers to make sure there aren't any pebble in the mix.
2. Cover the beans with about 2 inches of water and let soak overnight, or at least 8 hours. If you check on them and the water level seems low, refill it so they are always covered.
3. After the beans soak, pour out any remaining water. Refill the slow cooker so that again, there is about 2 inches of water covering the beans. Turn slow cooker on low and cook for 8 to 10 hours (depending on if you like your beans more "al dente" or mushy).
4. When beans are almost ready, pour out any excess water (but not all of it; you want to keep a little bit of the liquid). Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.