Make taco night even better with these homemade refried beans! Wrap them up in a burrito, spread them in a quesadilla, or pair them with Spanish rice for a vegetarian fiesta.
Put dry beans in a large pot and add enough water to cover the beans by 4-5" or so. Soak eight hours or overnight. Drain beans then add onions and garlic to the pot. Add fresh water to cover beans by 3".
Cover the pot, but tilt the lid so that air can escape. This prevents boil overs. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over medium heat for about an hour and a half or until beans are tender.
Drain the beans, retaining some of the cooking liquid.
Whir beans in a food processor until beans are a creamy consistency. (I like to leave some beans whole and toss them in at the end.) If the beans are too thick for you, add some of the cooking liquid until you're happy with the consistency.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder
Refrigerate or freeze for later use, or serve immediately.
Notes
Makes approximately the equivalent of 10 - 16oz cans of refried beans.
There's no need to chop the onion and garlic; they'll end up cooked and mashed in the end, saving you precious time.
If you have a small food processor, you may need to do this in batches. If you don't have a food processor, get out your potato masher - that'll work, too. So will an immersion blender.