Frijoles (Colombian Beans)

Frijoles. What would a person, especially a vegetarian, do without them in Colombia. A bowl of frijoles is filling and comforting. Besides that, they are healthy: high in protein, high in nutrients, and low in fat. This recipe is an all-time favorite that you need in your kitchen.

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Esta receta también está disponible en Español.

Types of beans

All throughout Latin America beans are a staple. There are many different kinds of beans: black, kidney, pinto, and black-eyed peas are amongst the most popular ones. Besides that other legumes, such as lentils, chickpeas, and green and yellow peas, are eaten frequently in Colombia. A plate of frijoles, Colombian beans, are generally made with some kind of red bean. Pictured below are three of the most commonly found red beans in Colombia. When making beans outside Colombia, any red bean such as kidney beans or pinto beans would be perfect.

Meal ideas

Rice, beans, and vegetables for lunch

The most common way to eat frijoles in Colombia, is the world-famous rice-and-beans. Rice and beans are eaten all around Latin America, and Africa for that matter. Traditionally, a protein is added, such as beef, chicken, or pork. Besides that generally some more carbs such as potato, yuca (cassava), or plantain. And maybe a little side salad. Any combination of ingredients will form a  traditional lunch.

Bandeja Paisa

In the Antioquia region in Colombia, they go all out with a protein-heavy dish including frijoles, rice, ground beef, chicharron, morcilla, chorizo, a fried egg, arepa, ripe plantain, and avocado. This dish is called a bandeja paisa, and you can create a delicious vegan bandeja paisa in your own home!

How to cook vegetarian/vegan beans

Preparing these beans costs some preparation and cooking time.

• Soak the beans in water for at least 12 hours.
• After soaking rinse them, and place them in a pot with clean water. Add grated green plantain (or carrot) for a creamy texture.
• Cooking in a regular pot will take about 1-3 hours. If you use a pressure cooker the cooking time is reduced to a maximum of 1 hour (approx. 30 minutes from the moment the pot starts to release steam). Please see the notes about cooking time below the recipe.
• When the beans are cooked, add hogao (tomato-onion sauce) and season well. Cook for 10-15 minutes more to allow all flavors to mix and ready are your beans!

Ingredients

Frijoles are meant to be a liquid dish. There are basically four main components, and within the components, you can vary.

1. The bean. As written before, red beans are frequently eaten. What exact type of red bean varies.
2. The addition of a vegetable for a creamy consistency. Most often used is green plantain or carrot.
3. Something to add flavor like hogao (guiso), a cooked tomato-onion sauce. 
4. Water.

The best creamy beans

The secret to getting the creamy consistency that is so important for Colombian beans is to add grated green plantain. The reason behind that is that the plantain will almost entirely dissolve into the cooking liquid, giving it a nice and starchy consistency. Just grate or finely chop the green plantain and add to the beans in the water. When the beans are cooked, add the hogao (tomato-onion sauce) and season. The dish will be creamy, soft, and liquid, just as we like it. 

Variations

When plantain is not available to you, a good substitute is carrot. Carrot can be added grated, in the beginning together with the beans. Or you can add carrot as a whole. When the beans are tender you take the whole carrot out, blend it in a mixer and stir the pulp through the beans. Another way of getting creamy frijoles is by blending one cup of beans into a creme and mixing it with the rest of the beans.

Canned beans for a quick and easy version

If you don’t have the time to make these beans from scratch you can use canned beans. In this case, you can leave out the plantain or carrot. Simply warm up the beans in a pot with some water. Take some beans out and mix them, using a blender or food processor into a creme. Add again to the rest of the beans. Add hogao and cook for a few minutes more. Not exactly the same, but will for sure do in days that time is just not on your side 🙂

You might also love:

Arroz Blanco (White Rice) (to serve with the beans)

Hogao (the tomato-onion sauce to add to the beans for extra flavor)

Vegetarian Loaded Patacones (idea to make when having leftover beans)

Vegan Bandeja Paisa (crazy good, big and festive lunch idea with beans)

Vegan Colombian Breakfast Calentado (the best breakfast when you have leftover beans)

Red Bean Dip with Avocado Salsa (great with chips and drinks)

Colombian Chickpea Stew (another legume dish)

Do you love Colombian food? Find more recipes of vegetarian Colombian food here!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make the best and tastiest Colombian red beans? By adding hogao, a sauce made of tomato, scallions, garlic, and cumin you make these beans extra flavorful. Because of the addition of grated green plantain, the beans will be deliciously creamy.

How do I get the creamy Colombian-style beans? Add grated green plantain to the dish, or carrot if plantain is not available to you, to get a thick and creamy texture. Another way is to take some of the beans out after they are cooked and blend them into a creme using a mixer or food processor. Add blended beans to the rest of the beans and stir, the consistency will be heavier and creamy now. 

I don’t have a lot of time to prepare these beans. What do I do? The fastest option would be to use canned red beans. The second option would be to use a pressure cooker or an instant pot. 

I want to make frijoles, but I’m unsure which dishes I can combine them with. An easy lunch or dinner is eating the frijoles with rice, vegetables or a salad, and a fried egg. A big and festive lunch or dinner would be a vegan bandeja paisa. If you have leftovers, make a vegan Colombian breakfast calentado for breakfast the day after, you will not regret it!

Do you love this recipe? Give it a 5-star rating below and leave me a comment! Or tag @vecinavegetariana on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe now and make it later.

Frijoles (Colombian Beans)

This is a traditional recipe to make frijoles, Colombian beans, in a vegetarian and vegan way. Frijoles are one of the most comforting and satisfying dishes from Colombian cuisine.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Colombian

Servings 6

Equipment

• a pressure cooker or a regular cooking pot

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 500 g dried red beans (kidney, pinto or another kind of red bean)
• 1/2 green plantain, grated (or replace with grated carrot)
• 4-6 tbsp hogao, see link to recipe in blogpost
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cube of vegetable stock (optional)
• water for soaking and for cooking

Instructions

 

• Soak the beans

  Place the beans in a pot, add water so that the beans are a few centimeters under water. Let soak for at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours
• Place the beans in a cooking pot

  When ready to cook the beans, drain them and wash them well. Place them in a boiling pot or in the pressure cooker.

  When using a regular boiling pot, add twice as much water. When using a pressure cooker ensure that the beans are 3 cm under water (this depends on the size of your pressure cooker as well; don't overfill)
• Add the grated green plantain

  Add the grated green plantain (or carrot when not using plantain). Do not add salt at this stage
• Cook the beans (see notes about cooking times below the recipe)

  When using a regular boiling pot: cover and bring to a boil. Turn low and let simmer for about 1-3 hours. Check regularly, some beans cook faster. You want them to be soft and tender, but not mushy. Stir every now and then to prevent them from sticking to the bottom.

  When using a pressure cooker: cook for about 55 minutes from the moment you turn on the stove (approx. 30 minutes from the moment the cooker starts releasing steam).

  Be sure you release the pressure in a safe manner before continuing to the next step
• Add hogao

  When beans are soft, add the hogao, season with salt and pepper and add 1/2 cube of vegetable stock (optional). Cook for 10-15 minutes more, until the flavor of the hogao is mixed well with the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning
• Serve

  Serve as a side dish, or as a main course together with cooked white rice, salad, and a fried egg.

Notes

Notes about the cooking times:

The cooking times listed for the pressure cooker and a regular boiling pot are estimates. Multiple factors influence the cooking time, most important being the type of bean, the hours that the beans have soaked, and the altitude of where you live (this last one might seem strange but is important because I live in Bogotá, where you need to boil food a bit longer than at sea level. I try to adjust for that in my recipes, but it's always wise to check and adjust yourself). 

Pressure cooker

When I soak my beans for 16 h, I need 55 minutes in the pressure cooker from when I turn on the stove and about 30 minutes from when the steam starts to release. If you are afraid you might overcook them, check them at around 25 minutes after the pot begins to release steam. If they are not ready, cook them for 5-10 minutes more. 

Cooking pot

I cook beans that have soaked in water for 16 h, about 3 hours in a regular cooking pot. In EU countries 1-2 h is enough. Please check them regularly to see what works best for you.

Other tips

Because of the starches in the plantain, the mixture might stick to the bottom of the pot when using a regular boiling pot. Be sure to stir every now and then. 

These beans keep well up to 3 days in a closed container in the refrigerator. 

Keyword beans, colombian beans, dinner, frijoles, gluten-free, lunch, red beans, side-dish, vegan, vegan beans, vegetarian, vegetarian beans

Do you love this recipe?Give it a 5-star rating and leave me a comment! Or tag @vecinavegetariana on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe now and make it later!