An easy 20 minute vegetarian Mexican Black Bean Recipe that will make your weeknights easy and healthier. Make a big batch and use all week or freeze some for later. Canned black beans are your friend here.
While I enjoy perusing my cookbook collection, leafing through pages until something catches my eye, the truth is, the most frequent dishes I serve my family are the easiest ones. I love to explore new food, ingredients and new cultures. Give me a food challenge and I am there. Life is busy though so I like to push the easy button often. This black bean recipe is one of my favorite weeknight cooking hacks because it’s easy, fast and healthy. It’s also very versatile so I can serve this all week long. My top seven ideas for serving this are below. I hope this recipe finds you well and that it might lighten your load, just a little bit.
7 Ways to Serve Mexican Black Beans
- Serve it over Spanish rice for a healthy and hearty vegetarian meal.
- Wrap some in a corn tortilla with some guac for a taco version.
- Add your favorite veggie broth and make a soup out of it.
- Serve with tortilla chips and make a Mexican Black Bean Dip out of it.
- Pour over a baked potato and garnish with crumbled bacon, sour cream, onion and cilantro for a hearty meal.
- Make a black bean and monterey jack cheese quesadilla.
- Serve over fries with your favorite cheese and a squeeze of fresh lime for a street cart version.
This recipe is very basic which is what makes it desirable as a weeknight option. Canned black beans are used and seasoned with sautéed onions, garlic, cumin and canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. I only use one or two peppers at a time and individually freeze the rest. You can see how in this post on Peruvian Bean Soup.
Chipotle in adobo sauce is very spicy. You may want to start with one and see how much heat you like.
5 entrèes that would go great with Mexican Black Beans
These beans are so versatile, try them as a side dish.
- Mexican Chicken Flautas
- Baja Fish Tacos with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
- A Texas BBQ Sandwich
- Smoked Pork
- Chicken and Pineapple Kebabs
Do you have any super basic but delicious recipes for weeknights in your culinary arsenal? Please share.
If you make this, tag us with #FusionCraftiness so we can see.
Bon Appetit!
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20 Minute Mexican Black Beans and 7 Ways to Serve This
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Category: Entree
Method: Simmer
Cuisine: Mexican
Description
An easy 20 minute vegetarian Mexican Black Bean Recipe that will make your weeknights easy and healthier. Make a big batch and use all week or freeze some for later. Canned black beans are your friend here.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-2 chipotles in adobo sauce (canned)
- 2 15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 -3 cups of water
Optional Garnishes:
sour cream, guac, avocado slices, salsa, green onions, cilantro, fresh squeezed lime juice, cotija cheese, cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Sautee onions in oil in large sauce pan or skillet over medium heat until soft. Add garlic, cumin, salt, chipotle and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer.
- Partially mash beans with a bean masher or fork. The beans will thicken as it simmers. Add more water if necessary until the desired consistency is reached.
- Serve with optional garnishes.
Notes
Serving suggestions:
- You may serve this in tacos, burritos, quesadillas etc.
- Serve over rice for a healthy veggie option.
- Make a soup out of it by adding veggie broth.
- Serve it with tortilla chips as a dip.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 26
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg