I really love black beans as an ingredient, and I had to try this recipe when I saw it in the Simply Nigella cookbook as it looked completely delicious and also very easy. I also loved the idea of being able to cook the dried beans from scratch in the slow cooker, as they can be quite pricey to buy canned, but are really reasonable if you buy the dry ones. Black beans (also known as turtle beans) are very filling but low in calories, so they are great for filling you up without being heavily laden with calories. They are full of protein and fibre and low in fat. 

This dish is gorgeous either as a main or as a side, I have had them just with brown rice and fajita spiced veg, but also with a few other Mexican style dishes as part of a Mexican feast – with chicken mole (click here), and with fajita spiced peppers and onions (click here for my fajita spice mix). Throw in some brown rice, jalapenos and low fat creme fraiche and you can’t go wrong!

You can buy the Simply Nigella cookbook by clicking here- there are some brilliant recipes in here.

More delicious black bean recipes:

Slow cooked Mexican black bean and shredded salsa chicken

Black bean brownies