Saucy chipotle black beans: insanely simple and delicious

Saucy chipotle black beans is the insanely simple and delicious recipe you’ve been looking for (even if you haven’t been looking). Make big bowls of spicy and creamy black beans for a full flavor, plant-based dinner in 30 minutes or less and get ready for rave reviews and immediate requests for a repeat performance.

Everything you need for saucy chipotle black beans

I can honestly report that this recipe takes just a few, simple ingredients that you may already have on hand. We’re talking 2 cans of black beans (unless you make your own), a chopped onion, maple syrup and your choice of chipotle salsa, jarred and chopped chipotle peppers. My favorite salsa molcajete tops off the easy ingredient list, but as always, I’ve got you covered with options.

Options, always options

I used a combination of ½ cup of salsa molcajete with 2 tablespoons of jarred and diced chipotle peppers. This is my preference for this recipe. That said, I’ve got you covered if you want other solutions. However, before I dive in, let’s discuss the flavor destination we're aiming for with respect to the tomato/pepper combination.

What you want meets what you have

The first flavor for chipotle black beans is of course, chipotle. I used diced chipotle peppers that I buy in the jar. Other options include chipotle peppers in adobo sauce , chipotle salsa or in a pinch, a few teaspoons of dried chipotle peppers.

The other flavors include some combination of tomato and garlic. That’s might well get covered one-stop if you use a chipotle salsa. Good to go. You can also use regular salsa and add the chipotle peppers. Be mindful of the heat here, so you don’t make your final dish too spicy. Garlic will get covered in the salsa (usually), but you can also add a clove of minced garlic or a teaspoon of garlic powder. Options abound!

Thoughts on amounts

1. ½ cup salsa molcajete with 1-2 tablespoons of jarred chipotle pepper puree (or dice)
2. ½ cup of chipotle salsa (you can then eliminate the diced chipotle peppers unless you want more of that flavor)
3. Use ½ cup of regular salsa with 1-2 tablespoons of diced chipotle peppers (or 1-2 tablespoons of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
4. Dice a small tomato and use that to replace the salsa along with jarred chipotle salsa. You can also use just diced chipotle peppers with 1 clove of minced garlic.

Saucy!

I used an entire can of coconut milk (the lite version) to create a creamy, saucy texture and to cool down the spice of the chipotle. I like this combination with curry dishes like Chana Masala or veggie Thai curry, so when I took a Mexican spin with the black beans, I decided coconut was ideal. It was. I sweetened it slightly with just a teaspoon of maple syrup. You can use another liquid sweetener such as agave syrup or date paste if you prefer.

Full o’beans

After adding the coconut milk and maple syrup, move directly to black beans and allow everything to simmer for about 10 minutes. I am stressing ‘about’ here, because you have, you guess it – options. If you want a saucy dinner that you want to serve in bowls topped off with yummy garnishes, you are probably done at this point.

Other ideas for this recipe, is to keep the pot simmering until most of the coconut milk is absorbed. The longer you simmer and the more the sauce is reduced, the more intense your flavor (remember the balsamic example I did the other week?). You can even allow this to reduce to the point that you have created a great bean dip or even a new filler for tacos. Just follow your cravings.

Lead the way

My intention for chipotle black beans was to create a quick dinner that we’d be enjoying by the bowl. Part of the reason I got the result I wanted was because I had a vision of where I was headed. I know this sounds ‘duh’, but it’s why I kept is on the saucy side. Here’s the great news – even if you decide the first night that you want big, saucy bowls of chipotle black beans, you can reheat you leftovers (if you have them), simmer and reduce them further and oh yes, it’s taco or nacho night.

Taking a basic recipe like this one and then turning it into yet another, unique meal is one of those meal prep strategies that doesn’t take much more effort than possibly making a double batch (in the case of black beans, at least). If you don’t fancy the same flavor so frequently, you always have the option of freezing them. They are quite happy to oblige.

Final thoughts

We humans are always in choice. Even though it may not feel like it at times, we have as many options as we allow ourselves. I’m not opposed to options, but finding the best one, shouldn’t be left to chance or other factors outside your sphere of influence. It's before you lay out your options that you determine your final destination.

I identified just a few for our saucy chipotle black beans – ingredients and cooking time. But before I looked in the cupboard or started cooking so dinner would be done on time, I decided where I wanted to land. Bowls of saucy chipotle black beans. Destination confirmed, now for the map. Cooking is like planning a trip – decide where you want to go and then figure out all the ways to get there and which one works best for you. And no, you can’t wiggle your nose and just land there, so keep it real folks. Peace.

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