Spicy Vegan Refried Beans

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pinto beans
• Kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 medium onions, one split in half, one chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced on a microplane grater
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, optional

Directions

1. Put the beans in a large bowl, cover them with 1 gallon water, and mix in 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Leave them at room temperature overnight. The next day, pour off the soaking water and rinse the beans well. Move them to a large Dutch oven, then add the bay leaf, the halved onion, and 3 quarts water. Set the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to the gentlest simmer, cover, and cook until the beans are fully tender and the skins have loosened, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove and discard the onion and bay leaf. Strain the beans, saving the cooking liquid.
2. Warm the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeño, if using, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture has softened without browning, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beans and chipotle, if using, folding everything together with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. Pour in 2 cups of the reserved bean liquid. Mash with a potato masher until the beans are as smooth or chunky as you like, working in more cooking liquid as needed to reach the texture you want. For a silkier result, blend the beans with a hand blender or process them in a food processor until they reach your preferred consistency. Add salt to taste. Serve. Store any leftover beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.