Taco Tuesday Side - Vegetarian Crockpot Black Beans

Happy Taco Tuesday! Today's post is all about the side - homemade black beans! It's so easy to just open up a can of beans come taco time, but after my success making pinto beans, I thought I'd give homemade black beans a whirl. I used the same method as I did with the pinto beans (aka the slow cooker, my BFF). Here's what you'll need:

You won't actually use all that garlic, just three or four cloves from the bunch ;) 

Add everything to the slow cooker, turn it on low, and leave it for a good 10 hours (I gave it a stir every so often to mix). Bam. Tons o' beans. Black beans are fantastic as a side, of course, but they are awesome to have on hand in the fridge to add to salads or scrambles. I also love making these black bean burgers, and recently found this recipe for Southwestern Pasta Salad. It's perfect for using up Taco Tuesday leftovers (like these black beans!). I just add in whatever meat we used, the beans, and since it's summer, I use fresh corn and tomatoes since we can get them locally.

Vegetarian Crockpot Black Beans

Ingredients

3 cups black beans, rinsed

1 diced onion

3-4 whole cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 jalapeño, slit down the side

2 quarts vegetable stock 

Directions
Place all items in a slow cooker. Simmer on low for 10-12 hours. Transfer beans and desired amount of cooking liquid to a large bowl (mash if desired). Serve with a squeeze of lime. Try not to eat entire bowl ;)