This recipe for creamy, savory, yummy homemade Vegan Refried Black Beans is where it is at! Perfect as a side to go with your favorite tacos, a filling for burritos, or something to serve with tortilla chips.
In some ways this recipe is sort of a repeat if you have made my recipe for How To Make Black Beans From Scratch. Afterall, refried beans are literally just cooked beans that have been smashed or pureed. But the experience of eating the two is different enough that I felt this vegan refried black beans recipe deserved its very own post.
After having spent 5 months in Mexico and making refried beans weekly, I've got my recipe down! And I've gotta say that in making beans so often these last few months I have realized that I'm not so into the overly seasoned with extras Tex-Mex style refried beans.
I keep my recipe pretty simple and rely on the delicious flavors that I achieve from cooking my beans slowly with the perfect amount of spices and aromatics. And I use a food processor or immersion blender to get a creamy consistency that I can make totally smooth or leave in a few chunks for texture.
Often times, when I make a pot of black beans, I turn half into refried beans to go with tacos and save the other half for Mexican inspired burrito bowls. We eat a lot of Mexican food!
How To Make Vegan Refried Black Beans
This recipe is really easy to make and takes little to no effort! It only requires a few basic ingredients and a little bit of time.
To begin, you need to soak the beans covered in 3 inches of water overnight in the fridge. You can also use the quick soak method noted in the recipe below if you don't have time or forget this step.
Then the next day, you will drain the soaked beans and add them to a large deep pot along with the vegetable stock, water, bay leaf, onion, and garlic. Now, bring the beans to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour until the beans are tender but not fully cooked.
Next, add the cumin, cayenne, and ½ tsp salt. Then simmer the beans for another 20-30 minutes to let the them finish cooking. The beans should be nice and soft when done, but not mush.
Once the beans are done, remove the bay leaf and drain saving the broth. Then put the cooked beans, onion, and garlic into the bowl of a food processor along with the olive oil and 1 Tbsp of fresh lime juice. Now pulse to puree the beans to your desired texture. An immersion blender can also be used for this step. You can puree them until smooth or leave in some chunks for texture. If the beans seem dry just add some of the reserved bean broth. You want the beans to be creamy but not soupy.
Now, taste your finished beans and season with more salt and fresh lime juice to your liking. And done! Delicious homemade vegan refried black beans.
To serve, top the beans with chopped fresh cilantro and use as a side or filling. They go great with tacos or taquitos and make a fantastic burrito with rice and vegan cheese.
This vegan refried black beans recipe is so good because it's...
- Creamy and comforting
- Filling and full of protein
- Easy to make and freezes well
- Can be used with a variety of meals
I hope you love this recipe! Refried black beans are super versatile making them one of my weekly regulars. And if you have leftovers that you don't know what to do with you can always make my recipe for Vegan Salvadoran Pupusas, which is what I often do!
More Mexican Inspired Recipe
- Vegan Ceviche with Hearts of Palm
- Tasty Jackfruit Carnitas Recipe
- The Best How To Make Guacamole Recipe
If you try this recipe please let me know how it turns out by leaving a comment and rating. You can also hashtag #danceswithknives with a photo of your creation on Instagram where you can find me @dances_with_knives.
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Homemade Vegan Refried Black Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried black beans
- 3 cup vegetable stock
- 4 cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 large onion, quartered (cut in four pieces)
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne
- ½ tsp salt (more at the end to season)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 to 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- Fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the beans the day before by covering them with 3 inches of water and soaking them in the fridge overnight. If you don't have time to soak your beans or forget you can also follow the quick soak directions here.
- To begin the recipe the beans need to be cooked. In a large deep pot, add the drained soaked beans, vegetable stock, water, bay leaf, quartered onion, and smashed garlic cloves.
- Now, bring the pot of beans up to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check at 45 minutes. You want the beans to be tender but not overly soft. Add more water as needed if it begins to get low.
- Once the beans are tender but not yet fully cooked, add the cumin, cayenne, and ½ tsp salt. Now, simmer for another 20-30 minutes to let the beans finish cooking. If after 30 minutes the beans still seem too firm just cook for a few more minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and drain the beans, but save the bean broth. Then put the cooked beans, onion, and garlic into the bowl of a food processor along with the olive oil and 1 Tbsp of fresh lime juice. Now pulse to puree the beans to your desired texture. An immersion blender can also be used for this step. You can puree them until smooth or leave in some chunks for texture. If the beans seem dry just add some of the reserved bean broth. You want the beans to be creamy but not soupy.
- Once the beans are to your desired texture, taste and season with salt and more lime juice to your liking.
- To serve, top with cilantro and use as side or filling.
- Leftover refried black beans can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
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