Black Beans in Chipotle Sauce...without the Black Beans

I've had to cook from pantry goods the past few days, which makes it pretty challenging to make meals from my cookbooks.  Fortunately I was able to find a recipe I can use today -- with one exception.  Black Beans in Chipotle Sauce from Recipes from the Root Cellar will become Pinto Beans in Chipotle Sauce, and that's fine by me because I love pinto beans!

I followed the recipe as written, but I think next time I'll make some minor changes to the cooking instructions.  I prefer to saute onions and garlic in a bit of oil until they are soft and sweet before adding liquid, and I think that's what I'll do next time.  And I'll leave out the adobo sauce -- the chilies provided enough heat and smoky flavor to the dish for me!  The addition of apple cider vinegar to the beans was a new spin for me, and I loved the little kick it gave to the dish.  

These beans can be served by themselves with a dollop of sour cream, on a bed of rice, or inside a tortilla.  Actually my favorite would be beans and rice rolled in a tortilla with a dollop of sour cream!

Black Beans in Chipotle Sauce
Recipes from the Root Cellar
Yield:  4 to 6 Servings

2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight and drained
6 cups water
1 large onion, diced
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups unseasoned tomato sauce or puree (or one 15 ounce can)
2 chipotles canned in adobo sauce, minced.
2 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can of chilies)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

     Combine the beans, water, onion, and bay leaves in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are completely tender but not mushy, 1 to 2 hours.
     Check the water level in the saucepan.  The beans should be just barely covered by water.  If there is more water than a slight covering, drain off the excess water and reserve.  Remove the bay leaves.  Add the tomato sauce, chipotles, adobo sauce, garlic and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.
     Simmer until the liquid is reduced to a saucy consistency and the flavors have blended, about 30 minutes.  Add some of the reserved cooking liquid if the beans become dry.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve hot.