Simple Black Beans - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2-3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 lb dried black beans, picked through, rinsed, soaked overnight and drained
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Preparation

In a large pot, saute onion in oil over medium-high heat until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and thyme; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add the drained beans, bay leaves and enough water to cover beans; bring to a boil over high heat, reduce temperature to simmer, cover and cook for 40 to 50 minutes or until beans are tender but not mushy.
Check often and add from 1 to 2 cups additional water if beans start to cook dry.
Drain beans, remove the bay leaves and fresh thyme springs, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Please note: Do not salt before the beans are cooked. If they are salted before they will not soften.
When cool, divide into 1 cup servings and freeze in rigid container or vacuum pack in small bags.