Cuban Black Bean Stew
Submitted by Charline
Cuban black bean stew with ham, rum, and oregano served over rice. Dried beans soaked overnight and simmered until creamy, thickened by mashing a cup of beans back in.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
120 minREADY
610 minThis is the real deal: dried black beans soaked overnight, simmered with chunks of ham, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano until they’re creamy and falling apart. Then a splash of dark rum goes in at the end, because that’s how they do it in Havana.
The thickening trick is pure Cuban home cooking. Pull out a cup of beans, mash them with a fork or potato masher, and stir the paste back into the pot. It gives the stew a velvety body without any flour or cornstarch muddying the flavor. The broth goes from thin and soupy to rich and saucy in one step.
Ham simmers with the beans from the start, releasing smoky, salty flavor into the broth as it cooks. Then it gets pulled out, diced smaller, and returned with the green pepper and rum for a final 15-minute simmer. That rum adds a warm, slightly sweet depth that rounds out the earthy beans.
Serve this ladled over white rice with a dollop of sour cream on top. The cool cream against the warm, spiced beans is what makes this dish.
Pro Tips
- Don’t skip the overnight soak. It cuts the cooking time significantly and gives the beans a more even texture
- Discard the soaking water. It contains some of the compounds that cause digestive discomfort
- Add salt after the beans are mostly tender. Salting too early can toughen the skins
- The stew thickens as it sits. Add a splash of water when reheating leftovers
Variations
- Go vegetarian by replacing the ham and beef bouillon with smoked paprika and vegetable broth
- Add a few dashes of hot sauce or diced jalapeño for a spicier version
- Stir in a squeeze of lime juice just before serving for brightness
Ingredients
Directions
Sort and soak beans overnight; drain and discard soaked water.
In a 4-quart pot, sauté onion in butter until tender but not browned.
Add soaked beans, 4 cups water, bouillon cube, ham (cut into chunks), bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat.
Cover and simmer until beans are tender, 1 to 1½ hours.
Remove 1 cup of beans from pot and mash with a potato masher or fork.
Add mashed beans back into pot and stir to thicken.
Remove ham chunks and dice.
Remove bay leaves and red pepper, if used and discard.
Add diced ham, green pepper and rum to beans.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve beans over rice and top with sour cream if desired.
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