A Brazilian take on this affordable, nutrient-packed meal! These beans got everything: seasoning galore, vitamins and nutrients that you and your kids need, sausage that makes it extra yummy… plus, it will fill you up for hours!
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To me, there’s nothing better than a bowl of pressure cooker black beans and sausage for dinner. Yes, it’s a “heavy” meal to have for dinner, but growing up in Brazil that’s what we’ve always done, so it feels familiar.
If I’m eating it earlier in the day, I will pair it with some seasoned rice, a piece of chicken with onions, and a side salad of just lettuce and tomatoes (seasoned with fresh limes and salt). It makes me drool just thinking about it!
My take on the pressure cooker black beans
Everyone has their own way of cooking black beans. I, personally, like to make it into a soup, full of seasoning and meat. Sometimes, it’s sausage. Other times, it’s bacon. And often, it’s both!
It’s also a super affordable meal that kids love! Not to mention, it’s full of nutrients and keeps them very full for a long time.
Now, here is the thing: it can cause gas or stomach discomfort. It’s true. But there’s a trick to reduce those chances!
To soak or not to soak?
When I was looking online to see some different ways people cook their beans just out of curiosity, I was shocked to see a heated discussion over soaking or not soaking your beans prior to cooking.
First of all… that was a silly argument!
You don’t NEED to soak your beans prior to cooking if you are doing it in the pressure cooker. However, it does help get rid of toxins and non-nutritional components that can cause discomfort or gases.
It also hydrates the beans and breaks down the amino acids, which helps your organism absorb all the good stuff much better!
I personally always soak my beans prior to cooking, from 6-10 hours depending on how my day is going, changing the water every 3 hours or so. In my opinion, it really does make a difference!
What I use when I make pressure cooker black beans
As I said, everyone has their own take on how to make black beans. I, sometimes, will change my “additions” to it, but the base is always the same.
I use regular dry black beans, sausages and/or bacon, fresh bay leaves, onions, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Those are basically all my ingredients from start to finish.
To top it off, I always, ALWAYS, add “farofa” to my bowl of beans.
“Farofa” is a Brazilian corn “flour”. It’s one of the most delicious things in the universe!
If you want to try it, you can easily find it at any Brazilian store or market. I’ve found that there is almost always one available within a 30-mile radius of wherever you are!
If you don’t have a Brazilian store near you (or don’t feel like driving for miles) and want to try farofa, Amazon has it! I think you will be shocked at just how DELICIOUS it is with black beans!
I guarantee you will not regret having farofa with your black beans!
Now… to the good part, shall we?
The best thing about this post is that I made the black beans… you know, for pictures and all. Working hard or hardly working amiright? Let’s just say it was a happy day at this household!
PRESSURE COOKER BLACK BEANS AND SAUSAGE
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker (or Instant Pot)
- Potato Masher
- Deep Cooking Pan
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Dry Black Beans
- 4 Sausages (and/or bacon)
- 5 fresh Bay Leaves
- 1 medium Onion (white or yellow)
- 3 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Start early in the day. Sort your beans, taking out any bad grains. Put them in a bowl, wash it twice and fill the bowl with water.
- You can choose how long you want them to soak (if at all). I usually soak them for 6 hours, changing the water once.
- Now, it's time to cook! Drain your beans (no need to rinse), and add them to your pressure cooker.
- Add the sausage chopped into small pieces, add the bay leaves, and fill it with water. The water should be over your beans by about 1 inch, giving them room to expand.
- Most automatic pressure cookers come with pre-set time and temperature. If you are using a manual pressure cooker, it should be over medium heat, and it should cook for about 30-40 minutes.
- CAUTION: BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH THE PRESSURE COOKER, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS A MANUAL ONE.
- Once your beans are cooked, turn off the pressure cooker (or turn off heat) and don't touch it for about 20-30 minutes until the pressure comes off. If you are familiar with a pressure cooker and feel comfortable with letting the pressure off, then go for it.
- While that is happening, it's time to prepare your seasoning! In a deep pan over medium heat, add the olive oil.
- Add the onions finely chopped and saute until it's soft. Before it starts goldening, add your garlic and saute together.
- Once the onions and garlic are golden brown, add your cumin, salt and pepper.
- After the pressure is off and your safety pin is down, it's safe to open the pressure cooker. Carefully, start scooping out your beans and transferring them from the pressure cooker into your deep pan.
- Once all your beans are in with the seasoning, stir well.
- Using the potato masher, mash the beans together for a few minutes, until most of your beans have been squished. Stir well and watch it transform into an amazing, creamy bean soup.
- Turn off the heat and voila!
- Serve with farofa for optimal gastronomical experience. Be careful: the explosion of flavors may overwhelm you! 😉
I really, really hope you love this dish as much as I do! My toddlers live for it and celebrate every time I make it! And my husband… let’s just say I can basically make him extremely happy whenever this is our dinner!
If you want to see a video, head over to my Instagram! I have posted a fast-paced step-by-step IGT V of this recipe to help you navigate!
CHECK THE VIDEO FOR THE PRESSURE COOKER BLACK BEANS RECIPE HERE
Tag me if you make this! And happy dining!