Sofrito Black Beans with Baked Sweet Plantains

Easy sofrito black beans using fresh homemade sofrito ingredients. Served with baked sweet plantains for a nourishing and easy to make weeknight dinner.

When I was younger my Tio Daniel would always send us home with a fresh jar of sofrito. Even through the bottle you could smell the freshness. And if this is your first time hearing the word sofrito, you’re in for a treat!

Whether premade or making it fresh to add to a meal, it is bursting with flavor and you will fall in love with using it to make your meals extra delicious.

What is Sofrito?

Sofrito is a combination or blend of aromatics, typically including things like onion, garlic, herbs, and pepper. Many variations of this recipe exist and are used in Spanish and Latin American cuisine. When blended in batches it is a short cut to really flavorful dishes. The flavor really comes through when you sauté the sofrito up in oil, which makes sense considering that “frito” means to fry.

You can add these base ingredients to soups and stews, but it’s also great for marinating proteins in. The version I’m sharing is homemade for single dishes and inspired by my mother’s Dominican version.

Why You’ll Love Sofrito Black Beans

• Some of the tastiest beans you will ever make!
• A great way to use up leftover herbs and other aromatics.
• Easy to make and no special equipment needed.
• Budget friendly and uses simple ingredients you likely have at home.
• Provides good protein, fiber and antioxidants.
• This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Peppers: Optional, but I like that it adds more flavor. You can use regular bell pepper or opt for some spicy peppers.
• Onions: Yellow onion works best, but you can also make this with red onion if that is what you have on hand.
• Herbs: I always like to use a combination of cilantro and parsley. If you are lucky enough to live near a Latin supermarket, check to see if they have culantro. This is a close cousin of cilantro and provides a very unique and authentic taste to the sofrito.
• Garlic: The more garlic, the better as it really helps to make the beans super flavorful.
• Bouillon: I love adding a little sopita (bouillon base) to my dishes and often include it in the sofrito I make.
• Tomatoes: I used fresh cherry tomatoes, but you can also make this dish with some crushed canned tomatoes.
• Vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar or even a small splash of white vinegar. A little goes a long way in this dish. If not a fan of vinegars, you can add that tang with some freshly squeezed lime juice.
• Black Beans: Use canned beans to make this super easy. Feel free to choose pinto beans or even chickpeas for this.
• Plantains: I used ripe plantains, the variety that are yellow and starting to blacken. You can also try making platanos frito, but you can also leave this out if desired.

How to Make Sofrito Black Beans with Baked Sweet Plantains

Preheat your oven, then peel and slice your plantains into 1/2 inch pieces. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray with oil. Place the plantains in the oven to cook for 15 minutes, then flip and roast for another 10 minutes to evenly roast them.

As the plantains roast, prepare the beans. Heat up a skillet and warm your oil before adding in the cherry tomatoes. Occasionally stir until the cherry tomatoes start to split and burst open.

Add in the onions, parsley and cilantro along with a pinch of salt and allow to sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant then add in the pepper and continue to sauté until the pepper starts to soften. Add in the black beans, vinegar and 1 cup of water with your bouillon cube.

Bring everything to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the beans start to thicken. Serve the beans with rice, the plantains and avocado, then feel free to add any additional vegetables with it as desired.

Expert Tips

• If you want this recipe to go even faster, place all the sofrito ingredients in a blender or food processor to mince the ingredients.
• Change up the beans you use. This goes great with any beans you like, so if you want to use pinto beans, kidney beans or even chickpeas, go ahead!
• Do not cut the plantains too thin. This will make the edges burn easier when roasting in the oven.
• If the beans are still soupy, lightly mash a few beans and stir. The mashed beans will act as a thickening agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Serve

There is a great balance of nutrition when combining both the antioxidant rich sofrito and the black beans. If you want to fill up on a little more fiber and vegetables, I love to serve this bowl with some roasted vegetables like broccoli or a simple cucumber and tomato salad.

If I’m making beans and plantains, I always include sliced avocado or this Cilantro Lime Dressing that has avocado in it.

More Vegan Latin Recipes to Try

• Moro de Guandules
• Dominican Spiced Mashed Chickpea Salad
• Mango Pico de Gallo
• Dominican Bulgar Salad
• Tostadas with Refried Beans
• Vegan Pastelitos
• Air Fryer Plantains

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★ Catherine

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