Optional, for serving: hot sauce, grated cheese, sliced jalapeno, sour cream, sliced green onion, chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, a splash of vinegar
Instructions
Rinse beans. Place in a large pot and cover with 7 cups of water. Let stand 6-8 hours, or overnight. Drain and return beans to pot.
Add 1 quart (4 cups) of fresh water to the pot with the beans. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours (or until beans are tender).
Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1-1 ½ hours longer (until beans are tender and gravy is thick). Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
ALTERNATIVE SLOW COOKER METHOD:
You do not need to soak the beans. Simply place the dry beans, onion, garlic, tomato paste, and seasonings in the slow cooker. Add 7 cups of water and stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or until the beans are tender. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. If you don't want as much broth in the pot, just strain off some of the liquid or serve the beans with a slotted spoon.
Notes
Adjust the seasoning to suit your family's taste. As written, these are fairly mild beans. You can add as much cayenne or hot sauce as you like to increase the heat! Oregano is a nice addition to the seasoning blend, and you'll also want to season well with plenty of salt and pepper.
For even more flavor, cook the beans in unsalted or low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth instead of water.