Food Recipes Side Dishes Frijoles Negros de la Olla con Nopalitos (Black Beans with Cactus Paddles) Be the first to rate & review! Creamy black beans are cooked with tender cactus and epazote and finished with a sprinkling of salty queso fresco. By Bricia Lopez Updated on July 20, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Carrie Purcell / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 35 mins Servings: 8 servings Creamy black beans, simply seasoned with onion, garlic, and epazote, are a delicious match for meaty, lightly cooked nopal (also called prickly pear) cactus paddles. Bricia Lopez tosses nopales with salt to reduce the clear, jelly-like liquid that the vegetable releases. Epazote, commonly used in Mexican cooking, is a fragrant herb native to Central America and Mexico. It’s commonly cooked with a pot of beans and is said to have carminative, or gas-relieving, properties. Epazote also imparts the dish with a pungent lemony, medicinal flavor. Find it at Latin American grocery stores, or for a substitute with a similar flavor, tie together one sprig each of oregano, mint, and basil. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 pound dried black beans (about 2 1/2 cups) 4 cups water 1 small white onion, quartered 3 garlic cloves, smashed 3 medium nopales (cactus paddles), spines scraped, cut into 1- x 1/2-inch pieces 1 1/2 tablespoons fine sea salt, divided 1 (8-inch) epazote sprig (see Note) Crumbled queso fresco and warm tortillas, for serving Directions Rinse beans well under cold water; drain. Place beans in a large pot; add water to cover beans by at least 2 inches. Cover and let soak at room temperature at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. Drain beans; discard soaking liquid. Return beans to pot; stir in 4 cups water, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Toss together nopales and 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl. Let stand until nopales soften and release a clear, jelly-like liquid, about 20 minutes. Rinse well; set aside. Remove and discard onion and garlic from beans. Stir in nopales, epazote, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered, until nopales are tender, about 20 minutes. To serve, divide beans evenly among bowls. Sprinkle with crumbled queso fresco, and serve with warm tortillas. To make ahead Beans can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator. Reheat over medium-low before serving. Note Epazote is a fragrant herb with a pungent lemony, medicinal flavor. Find it at Latin American grocery stores, or for a substitute, tie together 1 sprig each of oregano, mint, and basil. Note This recipe is adapted from Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling by Bricia Lopez with Javier Cabral Rate It Print