Treat yourself to a vegan delicacy with these amazing black bean recipes

If there’s one food that’s a must eat for any vegan diet, it’s black beans. These delicious little pods of flavor & nutrients will not only spice up any dish but are full of fantastic vitamins & minerals. 

Though they’re full of great potential health-wise, cooking-wise, black beans can get a bit. . . stale. Many recipes on the internet simply toss them with some sort of grain and call it a day, which can get tiring very quickly. 

But what if that wasn’t the case? We munch our way through the internet to find the best black bean recipes that will help take this must-have vegan delicacy to new heights. Grab your crock pots and let’s get cooking. 

Vegan Black Bean Soup 

This first addition to our list of black bean recipes is an old classic that satisfies like nothing else! Easy & hearty, this is the recipe you can use when you need some comfort food without the calories. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 (15 ounce) cans black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Instructions 

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, celery, carrots, and garlic for five minutes. 
2. Season with chili powder, cumin, and black pepper – cook for one minute. Stir in vegetable broth, 2 cans of beans, and corn. Bring to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, process the remaining 2 cans beans & tomatoes until smooth. 
4. Stir into boiling soup mixture, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for fifteen minutes.

Black Bean Burgers 

Want the feel and taste of a nice savory burger without the meat? This next addition to our list of black bean recipes is for you! 

Ingredients 

• 2 (14 ounce) cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper (1/2 of a pepper)
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (1/2 of a large onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or oat flour
• 1/2 cup feta cheese (skip if vegan)
• 2 large eggs (can use vegan substitutes) 
• 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (can use substitutes like soy sauce) 
• 2 tablespoons ketchup, mayo, or BBQ sauce
• Pinch salt & pepper

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Spread beans evenly onto a lined baking sheet and bake for fifteen minutes until slightly dried out.
2. Meanwhile, sauté olive oil, chopped pepper, onion, and garlic over medium heat until peppers and onions are soft, about five to six minutes. 
3. Gently blot some of the moisture out. Place in a large bowl or in a food processor with the remaining ingredients (cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, bread crumbs, cheese, eggs, vegan worcestershire, ketchup, salt, and pepper). 
4. Stir or pulse everything together, then add the black beans. Mash with a fork or pulse the mixture, leaving some larger chunks of beans.
5. Form into patties– about 1/3 cup of mixture in each.
6. To bake: Place patties on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 375°F (191°C) for 10 minutes on each side, twenty minutes total. 
7. To grill: Place patties on greased aluminum foil and grill eight minutes on each side. Heat temperature is personal preference as all grills differ. Generally, black bean burgers should grill on medium-high heat about 350°F (177°C) – 400°F (204°C).
8. Serve with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Southwest Quinoa & Black Beans 

This last addition to our list of black bean recipes is for those days you want something quick and that creates little mess in your kitchen. 

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced 
• 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt 
• black pepper
• 1 cup broth or water 
• 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• cilantro for serving

Instructions 

1. Carefully rinse quinoa using a fine mesh strainer. Drain well and set aside. 
2. In a medium sized pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot & shimmering. Add diced onion and bell pepper and sauté until quite soft and starting to caramelize – about four to five minutes. 
3. Add quinoa with spices, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to coat quinoa with spices and lightly toast the quinoa. Cook until quinoa is starting to appear more dry and stick to the bottom of the pan a little bit. 
4. Pour in broth or water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. 
5. Cook covered for twenty-five minutes. Turn off the heat and leave covered to steam for about five minutes. Remove the cover, fluff the quinoa, and allow steam to release for another five minutes or so. Add the black beans and stir gently to combine. Put the cover back on the pan and allow beans to warm slightly before serving.
6. Serve topped with cilantro and your favorite Mexican garnishes. 

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Have any other great black bean recipes? Drop them below in the comments so we can keep on munching!