Black Beans in the Instant Pot (un-soaked!)

Name: Black Beans in the Instant Pot (un-soaked!)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Costa Rican
Ingredients: 2 cups dried black beans; 3 cups water; 2 cups vegetable broth (or more water); 1 small-medium Yellow Onion, roughly chopped; 5 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped; 2 tsp Salt (add to-taste); 3 tsp Chili Powder; 1 tsp Paprika; 2 tsp Cumin; 1 tsp Oregano or Italian Seasoning; 1 tsp Rosemary

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 5 from 2 reviews

There are two foods that, if I go a few days without eating, I start to crave something fierce. It’s not pizza or fried foods or chocolate or even (veggie) burgers, it’s beans and tofu. Beans and tofu, of all things! I never tire of either one no matter how often I eat them!

Beans still hard after cooking?

This could be due to old beans and/or hard water. Reseal Instant Pot and cook for 10-20 minutes longer, 10 minutes at a time, until beans are soft. Make a note of how long it takes so you know for next time, otherwise it’s easy to forget! If your beans are old, resupply with fresh!

Do you have to add all of the spices?

For this recipe, you can make it as basic or flavorful as you’d like. Sometimes I’m just looking for plain beans for a recipe, similar to popping open a can, so I keep my additives to a minimum. Other times I want beans that are packed with flavor and so I add everything. Choose your own bean adventure!

Beans, beans, the musical fruit. . .

Beans are known as a musical fruit but they have so many health benefits that I like to think of them as magical! Black Beans are incredibly nutritious and loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals!

1 cup (172 grams) of cooked black beans contain:

Calories: 227
Protein: 15 grams
Fat: 1 gram
Carbs: 41 grams
Fiber: 15 grams

(% of the daily value)

Folate: 64%
Copper: 40%
Thiamine: 35%
Manganese: 33%
Magnesium: 29%
Iron: 20%
Phosphorus: 19%
Potassium: 13% ¹

Black beans also contain calcium, zinc, copper, selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin E, and vitamin K.

Eat beans, save lives

Heart Disease. Eat for your heart! Beans and other legumes lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol while raising your HDL (good) cholesterol, resulting in lower blood pressure and inflammation, while reducing your risk for heart disease.²

The second leading cause of death in the U.S. is cancer. But, there is strong evidence that eating beans and plant based foods can protect you against not only diabetes and obesity, but also cancer!

The American Institute for Cancer Research published a detailed analysis of diet and cancer, which was reviewed by 21 of the top cancer researchers. One of the recommendations for cancer prevention is to eat whole grains and/or legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc) with every meal. Not just once a day, but with every single meal!³⁴

Eat with your eyes

Black beans are rich in color and rich in antioxidants! A study published in December 31, 2003 in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemical Society” tested the antioxidant activity of the common varieties of beans, finding that the darker colored seeds were associated with higher levels of flavonoids. Black beans came out on top, packing the most antioxidant content, followed by red, brown, yellow and white beans.⁵

Wanting to lose weight?

Beans contribute to weight loss since they are low in fat and calories and high in fiber – which keeps you feeling full longer!

Why do beans cause gas?

Beans, as well as other legumes, grains, and cruciferous vegetables, all contain a complex sugars called RFOs, or raffinose family oligosaccharides. Humans lack an enzyme in the stomach and small intestine called alpha-galactosidase which is required for breaking down these complex sugars into simple sugars that our cells can use for energy. It’s not that we don’t have Alpha-galactosidase, because we do, just not in upper GI tract! Instead, alpha-galactosidase is created by our good gut bacteria and is present in the large intestine.

These complex sugars end up in the large intestine mostly undigested, but that’s when the alpha-galactosidase starts getting to work breaking them down, a process that causes the sugars to ferment — and that’s where the gas comes from.⁶ But RFOs aren’t the bad guy! RFOs are considered prebiotics that help feed and promote growth of beneficial gut bacteria including Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.⁷