How To Make The Best
Vegetable and Bean Burrito

If you have some cooked beans on hand then whip up a vegetable and bean burrito. So easy and healthy, stuffed with vegetables and beans it's high in protein and so tasty!

If there were one dish Jeff and I eat more than any other it is the very simple homemade burrito. Personally, I love anything wrapped in a tortilla. It's fun to have your very own little personal pocket of yummy goodness.

That's why it's so important to take one day out of each week to make a big batch of beans (or smaller legumes like aduki or mung beans) so you can eat them all week. In fact, you can make a HUGE batch, vacuum seal some, and stick it in the freezer.

We like to keep bags full of pre-cooked beans and whole grains (like brown rice) in the freezer in 4-cup amounts. Then if it ever looks like it will be a busy week ahead and you don't think you'll have spare time, pull a bag of each out of the freezer and defrost in the fridge for 24-48 hours. They'll be ready when you are!

Perhaps my favorite type of burrito is the very simple vegetable and bean burrito. I don't always want to eat a lot of grains, especially at night at dinnertime, so that's when I turn to a dish like this one.

Use whatever veggies you have on hand.

In this example, I used onions, red pepper, green peppers, sweet yellow pepper, and 3 different types of spicy peppers, or what we refer to as accent veggies. If I had other veggies on hand like broccoli, asparagus, or even spinach, you can bet they would have gone in too!

That's the thing about vegan burritos. You can toss any vegetable or bean in and the end result is always tasty and healthy.

I use pre-cooked kidney beans, but you can use any bean you have on hand.

Start by heating a large pan and adding about 1/4 cup veggie broth -- or use a dry non-stick pan. Next, add your vegetables such as chopped bell peppers, onions, garlic, a small amount of chopped jalapeno or other spicy pepper (remember, be careful with the spice - you can always add more). Heat, stirring occasionally, until all the veggies begin to soften.

Stir in your pre-cooked beans along with a little veggie broth (or water), then cover the pan with a lid. The reason we add the liquid and then cover is to steam the beans a little which is the best way to heat them up, plus it adds moisture to the entire dish. You don't need a lot of liquid, just enough to do the job (about 1/4 cup or maybe a bit more). It will be pretty obvious to you how much liquid to add - it really depends on how many other ingredients you have in the pan.

Next, stir in any flavors you would like to add, such as herbs, spices, lemon or lime juice, etc. I like to keep things simple, especially if I'm in a bit of a rush (which I usually am). In this case I used lime juice, cumin, nutritional yeast, maple syrup for a sweetener, and sea salt.

When your dish is flavored the way you would like and it's ready to go, place your tortilla(s) directly on top of the filling in the pan, and cover. Let sit over low heat until the tortillas are softened and tender, 3-5 minutes. Place filling into the tortilla(s) and roll tightly.

At this point, you can serve the burrito, but I like to crisp it up under the broiler first. Simply place the burritos on a baking sheet, and pop it under the broiler until crispy. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

After rolling in a tortilla and sticking it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, top it all off with some salsa (check out my homemade sweet and spicy salsa here) and some of my easy and tasty Vegan Sour Cream.

Chopped avocado completes the dish adding healthy fats your body craves.

Next:  Rice and Bean Rollups

Happy cooking! :)