A Big Pot of Simmered Pintos

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated March 9, 2026

A Big Pot of Simmered Pintos
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes (includes 2 hours unsupervised simmering)
Rating
5(1,216)
Comments
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This pot of beans was Step 1 for the other Recipes for Health this week. If I know that I’m going to use these beans for a Mexican dinner I season them with cilantro and, if I can find it, epazote. If I want Italian or Provençal flavors I make a bouquet garni with bay leaf, thyme, parsley, maybe sage, and most definitely a Parmesan rind. This week, since I am using my beans as a starting off point for other dishes, I season them only with onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt. The dishes that will follow throughout the week will introduce more flavors: pasta e fagioli, vegetarian chili, bruschetta with beans and kale, and tostadas.

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6
  • 1pound (about 2¼ cups) pinto beans, washed and picked over for stones, soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight in 2 quarts water
  • 1medium onion, cut in half
  • 2 to 4large garlic cloves (to taste), minced
  • 1bay leaf
  • Salt to taste (I think beans need a lot, at least 1 teaspoon per quart of water used)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

274 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 224 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place beans and soaking water in a large, heavy pot. Add halved onion and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam that rises, then add garlic and bay leaf, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add salt and continue to simmer another 1 to 1½ hours, until beans are quite soft and broth is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust salt. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove and discard onion and bay leaf. For the best flavor refrigerate overnight.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: The cooked beans will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and freeze well.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,216 user ratings
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Comments

Lena C.

Thanks for adding this recipe. Although I already cook beans this way, but I've noticed that a lot of cookbooks and recipe sites don't provide a basic way to cook beans from scratch that are simply flavored. I learned this method from a Mexican cookbook.

The only thing I would recommend is adding a some olive or vegetable oil to the pot.

Regarding the salt, I generally add 1.5 tsp.

Metrically Speaking

For refrigeration and freezing, is it better to store the beans in the cooking water or drained?

Anne

1 pound dried beans = 3 to 4 - 15oz cans or 57 ounces

Elin

Absolutely delicious!! Followed the recipe to a “T.” Thank you!!

EHS

These did not thicken at all and barely had any flavor. What am I doing wrong??

ANNEINMAINE

Standard advice for cooking dried beans is to discard the soaking liquid.???????

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