Name: Frijoles de la Olla
Yield: Makes about 3 quarts
Ingredients: 3 spring onions or scallions, trimmed, or ¼ medium onion; 2 sprigs hardy herbs (such as avocado leaves, rosemary, thyme, or bay); 3 small sprigs tender herbs (such as epazote, cilantro, basil, or mint); 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 lb. dried beans (such as pinto, black, cannellini, or kidney), rinsed, picked through; 2 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

two bowls of beans topped with radish and avocado served with lime wedges

Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou

In Mexico beans are cooked from dry without presoaking. Because beans are present in every meal, they don’t tend to sit around on market shelves getting old and brittle, and fresher beans tend to cook more quickly. The cooking liquid is usually a savory combination of herbs, alliums, and chiles, with salt added right from the start. A good rule of thumb is to check for tenderness every hour to make sure they don’t overcook and start breaking apart. But if they do, it’s a great excuse to refry them—no one will ever know!

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Recipe notes

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