Black Beans with Spinach and Rice

To accompany the chimichurri steak that I made on Saturday, I decided to stick close to authentic Argentinean fare and serve black beans and rice as a side. I personally think that black beans and rice alone are delicious, but with a few extra ingredients, they can be truly outstanding. There is wonderful Argentinean/Cuban restaurant in Raleigh called Oakwood Café that serves sides of spinach and rice with their grilled meats. I honestly devour it every time we go! Inspired by a black beans and rice recipe and method from Cookthink.com (a wonderful cooking resource) and my favorite spinach and rice dish from Oakwood, I have come up with my personal favorite!

Black Beans with Spinach and Rice
Adapted from Cookthink.com
Serves 4

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups canned (or cooked) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups low-sodium broth (vegetable or chicken) or 2 cups of the cooking liquid if you've cooked dried beans
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups fresh baby spinach

Prep the ingredients. For less chile heat, slice the serrano open, and remove and discard the chile’s white ribs and seeds.

Preheat the oven to 350F and put the rack in the middle position. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot and shimmering, add the onions, salt, pepper, garlic and serrano. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and soft, 6-8 minutes.

Add the rice and beans to the Dutch oven and stir. Cook, stirring often, until the rice toasts a little, 3-5 minutes. Pour in the broth. Add the marjoram and ground cumin and stir to combine. Cover and cook the dish in the oven until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, 20-30 minutes.

Immediately add the baby spinach to the rice and beans, stir and recover for 3-5 minutes.

Serve immediately.