Add onion, garlic and spices to beans and mash with a potato masher. Simmer another 15 minutes to have flavors blend. Can freeze in zip-lock baggies. Don't drain the water after soaking, it adds flavor. Beans cook more evenly in cast iron and don't use too large of pan.
Beans steam better in smaller pot.
Add a small amount of olive or grape seed oil to beans if too dry. Soup Healthier 1. Switch from white rice to brown rice to add more vitamin B6. Try brown rice or corn pasta. Add more vitamin E by saut ing aromatic vegetables in soybean, olive or canola oil before adding the broth.