Vegan Refried Beans
This Vegan Refried Beans recipe will fill your kitchen with wonderful aromas. Homemade refried beans are easy to make and a great side dish or addition to vegan tostadas or vegan tacos.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup dried pinto beans soaked overnight; see Recipe Notes for other soaking methods or to use canned pinto beans
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1/2 yellow onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- salt & pepper to taste
- cilantro as optional garnish
- lime wedges as optional garnish
- chili powder as optional seasoning
Instructions
- Add the soaked pinto beans to a slow cooker cover with water. The water level should be about 2 inches above the top of the beans. Add the bay leaves, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and bring to a low simmer. Cook until the beans are soft. About 6-8 hours. Check the slow cooker occasionally and add more water if necessary. For stove top method or using canned pinto beans see Recipe Notes.
- Drain the pinto beans, remove the bay leaves and set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to a large stock pot. Heat the pot on medium until the oil is shimmering. Add the onions and salt and sauté until the onions begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
- Add the tomato paste and continue to sauté until the tomato becomes a dark red. About 2 minutes.
- Add the water to deglaze the pot. Then add the pinto beans and bring to a simmer. Allow the beans to simmer for ~10 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to break down the beans. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges and chili powder as desired.
Notes
If you don’t remember to soak the beans overnight, you can substitute one of these other options:
- Quick Soak Your Beans. To do this, rinse the dried beans and add them to a pot of with 1 tsp of salt. Add water to cover the beans by ~2 inches, then bring to a boil. After a boil has been reached, turn off the heat and let the beans sit for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans, then return them to the pot and add water. The water level should be about 2 inches above the beans. Then add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 2 bay leaves. Simmer on the stove top for ~2 hours or until the beans are soft. Check the pot occasionally and add more water as necessary.
- Skip Soaking Altogether. Pre-soaking can be skipped, but it will add cook time to this recipe. Usually 1-1 ½ hours. If you’re slow-cooking your beans in a crock pot though, it might not matter. To use this method, rinse the dried beans and add them to a slow cooker. Add water until the water level is ~2 inches. Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 2 bay leaves. Slow cook the beans for 8-10 hours. Check the beans occasionally and add more water as necessary.
- Swap Out Dried Beans for Canned Beans. You can always opt to use canned pinto beans. Make sure you drain and rinse them out of the can. Then add them to a sauce pot and cover them with water. Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are softened. About 25-30 minutes.
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