Description
Pressure Cooker Vaquero Beans - beans in broth as a side dish. Simple, delicious, and done in about an hour thanks to the pressure cooker.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound dried Vaquero beans, sorted and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups water
- (Optional) Chopped scallions (green onions) for garnish
Instructions
- Sort and rinse the beans: Sort the vaquero beans, removing any broken beans, stones, and dirt clods. Rinse the beans in a strainer under running water.
- Pressure cook the beans for 35 minutes with a Natural Release: Put the beans in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, sprinkle with the salt, and add the onion and bay leaves to the top. Pour in the 6 cups of water, stir, and then lock the pressure cooker lid. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes in an electric pressure cooker ("Manual" or "Pressure Cook" mode in an Instant Pot), or for 30 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes if you are in a hurry).
- Serve: Remove the pressure cooker lid - open it away from you to protect yourself from the hot steam. Discard the bay leaf and onion. If you want a thicker bean broth, puree a cup of beans and broth, then stir back into the pot. (I use a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup and my stick blender to do this.) Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve…or freeze in 2-cup containers for up to 6 months.
Notes
Soaked beans: In a hurry? Soak the dried beans overnight. The night before cooking, sort the beans, then cover in 8 cups of water. Add a tablespoon of kosher salt if you want to brine them. Let the beans soak overnight, then drain the beans and rinse them right before cooking. Follow the recipe as written, but reduce the pressure cooking time to 15 minutes in an electric PC, and 12 minutes in a stovetop PC, with a natural pressure release.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Southwestern