- Pour the beans onto a clean surface or into a large bowl. Look for and remove any small stones, dirt clumps, broken beans, or debris. This step is essential—tiny rocks sometimes make their way into packaged beans.
- Place the sorted beans in a colander or fine-mesh sieve. Rinse them thoroughly under cool running water, rubbing them gently with your hands to remove dust and surface residue. For quicker cooking and improved digestion, soak them in water overnight or for at least 6–8 hours. Drain before cooking. (You can skip this step if needed; just expect a longer cook time of 4 to 5 hours and more water.)
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the beans, 8 cups of water, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and olive oil. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. Cover partially and simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until beans are tender. After the 1st hour, check the beans every 30 minutes adding in and additional 1 cup of hot water to keep beans submerged.
- Once the beans are tender, stir in the salt. Simmer for another 10–15 minutes to allow the beans to absorb the flavor.
- Discard bay leaves. Serve the beans in their broth as a side dish.
TIPS:
- White onion is traditional in Mexican cooking and ideal for frijoles de la olla. Cooking beans with white onion adds depth of flavor when left in large chunk, the onion gently infuses the broth without overpowering it, resulting in a more aromatic dish.
- These beans keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days and freeze beautifully.
- The olive oil adds richness to the broth and keeps the beans silky.