Argentinian Baked Black Beans with Roasted Onions and Potatoes

About This Recipe

Hearty bean and vegetable bakes, similar in spirit to locro, Argentina's slow-cooked stew of beans, corn and squash, are common cold-weather comfort food across the country. This tray-baked version simplifies the format, roasting onions and potatoes until deeply caramelized, then folding in black beans just long enough to warm through and take on the pan flavors. Roasting the onion wedges hard, rather than sautéing them, lets their edges char and turn almost sweet, which is what gives this dish its depth despite the short cook time. Adding the beans only in the last 10 minutes keeps them from turning mushy on the tray. Finished with a spoonful of bright chimichurri, this makes a satisfying vegetarian dinner or a hearty side to grilled meats in the Argentine style.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cansblack beans(drained and rinsed)
• 2 largeonions(cut into wedges)
• 2 cupspotatoes(cubed)
• 4 tbspolive oil(divided)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspfine sea salt(divided)
• 0.5 cupparsley(chopped)
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar

Instructions

1. 1

   Roast onions and potatoes

   Toss onion wedges and potatoes with 3 tablespoons oil, paprika and half the salt. Spread on a tray and roast at 220C (425F) for 25 minutes, turning once.

2. 2

   Add the beans

   Toss black beans and garlic with the roasted vegetables on the tray. Return to the oven for 10 minutes until everything is heated through and the beans are lightly crisped at the edges.

3. 3

   Make the chimichurri

   While the tray finishes, combine parsley, remaining oil, vinegar, oregano and remaining salt.

4. 4

   Finish and serve

   Remove the tray from the oven and spoon the chimichurri generously over the top before serving.

Variations

• •

  Add corn: stir in a cup of corn kernels with the beans for a nod to Argentine locro.

• •

  Add meat: toss in cooked chorizo slices with the beans for a heartier, non-vegetarian version.

• •

  Spicier: add a pinch of chili flakes to the chimichurri.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 4 days. Reheat in a 180C oven for 10 minutes to restore some of the roasted texture rather than microwaving.

Frequently Asked Questions