Mexican Olla Beans

A community recipe by gibralto

Not tested or verified by Nigella.com

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Introduction

This is a traditional Mexican boiled bean recipe. It's nearest cousin as far as "comfort food" is mashed potatoes. I was raised in a working class suburb of Los Angeles, California and this is the recipe that the "grandmas" used to make. It is a wonderful first course as a soup (with the broth)...with a spoonfull of fresh tomato salsa or by itself...

Ingredients

Serves: 4

For the Main Ingredients

1 pound dried pinto beans (or pink beans)
1 onion (sliced in half)
6 cloves garlic
6 slices bacon (omit if doing vegetarian)
3 carrots
2 sticks celery
water

For the Salsa

3 tomatoes
cilantro
1 lime (or lemon - juice of)
salt (to taste)
⅓ cup red onions
4 fresh green chiles
1 splash of water
extra virgin olive oil

Method

Mexican Olla Beans is a community recipe submitted by gibralto and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

add all ingredients into a big soup pot and enough water to cover beans and veggies...cook and simmer for 1 hour till beans are tender...add salt to taste in the last 15 minutes...

when beans "mash" between your fingers they are done. Once the beans are cooked through...you fish out the veggies (i.e, carrots, onions, garlic cloves, etc...) and just leave the beans in their broth...

serve as a soup course with a dollop of "salsa"...and enjoy a true taste of Mexico..so simple, so sweet.