HC, we cook lots of beans. The only canned beans we use are pork and beans. All others are dried beans.
My recipe: Dried black beans.
1# dried black beans
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
Bacon or pork jowl for seasoning.
Beans can be soaked over night or not, I don't soak.
If used, cut meat into small pieces cook in bean pot to brown.
Add onion and garlic cook until clear.
Add dry beans and cover with water.
Boil beans until tender.
The longer the beans cook the thicker the juice becomes. Or sometime I will mix flour or masa with a small amount of water to add as a thickener.
Add salt and pepper to taste. I always add the salt after cooking.
One other thing I do. When beans are cooked tender, remove some of the beans. Maybe a cup at a time, mash them real good and add back to the beans. This will make a thicker soup. CF