There’s black beans in this vegan Spanish rice, making it especially filling in a burrito or wrap.
A Facebook friend asked me recently if I had a list of my favorite recipes, and I was sorry to say that I didn’t. But what a good idea! Or so I thought, until I started to name all the recipes I considered favorites and found that the list would be so long that it would be useless.
So I decided to reshape the question: Which recipes do I make over and over again? I decided to focus on the recipes I actually make week-in and week-out plus a few that I make regularly for holidays or special occasions, such as green bean casserole for Thanksgiving.
After I thought of it like that, my list became both much shorter and much less fancy. It includes the Dirty Little Secret Soup that I make once a week (a little differently each time), the chickpea “tuna” salad I pack in my daughter’s lunch, and at least 4 different kinds of split-pea soup. All have been thoroughly tested and are dishes that we–teenager included–love. You can see the full list of my family’s favorites here (it’s now a regular category in the recipe index).
As I was making the list, I asked my husband to help me think of every meal we eat regularly, and I was a little surprised to discover that several of the dishes in our regular rotation haven’t appeared on the blog. I guess I’ve been so busy trying to feature new recipes that I haven’t bothered with the very simple, stand-by dishes that make up a big part of our diet.
So I’ve decided to rectify that. For the next three weeks, I’ll be adding a new “old” recipe each week. I’ll reveal what food we always travel with and tell you how to make the vegetable-rich pasta dish my daughter loves.
My first old favorite reveals another “dirty little secret” of my family’s eating habits: about once a week, we eat burritos for dinner. On really rushed nights, we rely on canned fat-free refried beans (I know, I know–sodium and BPA, but we’re talking emergency meals) and wrap them in whole wheat tortillas along with lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, and my daughter’s specialty, guacamole (there’s another recipe I’ve never posted.)
But when I have leftover brown rice, I skip the refried beans and throw together this easy vegan Spanish rice. It makes a great burrito filling or side dish and doesn’t take much longer than heating up a can of beans.
Spanish Rice and Black Beans
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 green or yellow pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 - 1 jalapeno chile add more or less to taste, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes fresh or canned fire-roasted, liquid reserved
- 1 1/2 cup black beans or 1 15-ounce can, rinsed well
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder or other pure, mild chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or more, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a deep, non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. Add the pepper, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook for another 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the garlic.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. If it becomes too dry, add a little vegetable broth or reserved tomato juice. Check the flavor, and add salt and additional seasonings to taste.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Carol
Thanks for all the great recipes! I print them and put them in page protectors in a 3 ring binder! Great blog!
Sarah
That’s so funny, I do this too!! It’s the “cookbook” that I use the most! I absolutely LOVE this blog!
Ilene
How funny – that’s what I’m doing too!
PinaColada
The page protectors are a great idea! I have my recipes in a 3-ring binder right now too.. haha 🙂 I’ll add the sheet protectors to protect them while cooking 🙂 Love this blog!
Heather @ Side of Sneakers
These sound delicious- I love the Spanish rice twist. Burritos & enchiladas are big time regulars at our house 😉
Caryn
That recipe looks great. By the way, Amy’s low-sodium black refried beans are great. And the company assures me the cans no longer have BPA in them. I buy them by the case from Amazon!
Susan Voisin
That is great to hear! Thanks for the tip!
Katie Loss
Eden bean cans don’t have BPA either. Also, Eden has several no salt varieties. Thanks Susan for creating a Family Favorites tag for recipes. It’s great to have tried and true, quick things to whip up. I love your blog and recipes. Have you considered plunging into writing a cookbook? I’d be first in line! I guess you’ve been around that lengthy complex process already by photographing for Nava Atlas.
megan
Thank you for posting these down-and-dirty recipes! I think we all have a few we revert back to time and time again and I’m excited to have some of yours!
Marian Hamilton
WOWZERS!!! I am so glad you added a new category for the Recipe Index – will sure make it easier for me to find all those YUMBO recipes that are your family faves! THANK YOU, Susan! (I voted, btw…..) xxooxx
Farial
Hi! What kind of tortillas/wraps do you use? I am yet to find a brand I love. Thanks, love your blog! xo
Tera
One of my favorite wraps/ tortillas (okay, it’s a wrap, but could work as a tortilla!) is the Flatout Whole Wheat 100%. It’s delicious, and 100 calories per (large) wrap. They’re vegan, and sold in bulk at Costco. I’ve tried some other wraps and tortillas, and a few 100 calorie tortillas are okay, but not as tasty or large as Flatout. Plus, flatout has 9 g of protein and 1.5 g fat. 🙂
Lauren B
Flatout wraps are not vegan. The L-cysteine in them is not derived from a vegan source. I emailed the company earlier this year to ask and they confirmed that the wraps are not vegan. Most products with L-cysteine are not.
vegan gypsy
I emailed the company a few months ago and they informed me that several flavors of their wraps no longer contain L-cysteine. Supposedly they are in the process of making new packaging reflecting the change. I’ll believe it when I see it. 🙂
Jen @ Lita's World
Classic…I love simple throw together recipes for those “emergency” evenings…which seem to happen a lot around here! Thanks!
Sally
Out of interest – how might you modify this if you couldn’t eat tomatoes? I know…it’s not easy!
Susan Voisin
That is so tough! I would probably just leave the tomatoes out and add some vegetable broth for moisture. It wouldn’t be the same, but I can’t think of a good substitute.
stephanie
I know this is an old question, but you could try tomatillos. I have used them in this before and they are good, but have different taste that you may need to get used to. They tend not to be as acidic, but need to be peeled and steamed or boiled before they will become soft enough to use for this. Warning: I am not sure why you can’t have tomatoes, but tomatillos are in the nightshade family just like eggplant and tomatoes.
If you cannot eat nightshades you could give tamarind paste a try. I have never used it in this recipe but I do cook with it every summer when my cousin who cannot eat nightshades comes to town, and it is pretty good. You could also substitute mole if you are willing to get adventurous with traditional Mexican dishes. I cannot find a vegan version, so I usually make my own, a whole big pot and freeze it in batches. Good luck!
Nancy
I could not find the recipe for the tortillas to make the burritos with. Do you have a fat free recipe for tortillas with?
Susan Voisin
Nancy, I don’t, but I will put it on my list of recipes to work on.
Mandy
I love all your recipes and photos. i refer to them often for ideas and inspiration… Maybe you should think of a cookbook..I know I’d buy it!
Thanks!!! …and keep posting!!!
Yadsia @ShopCookMake
I just finished eating this dish. It took me under 20 mins to prepare and about 5 to eat it! Delicious
Jaye Denman
Just voted for FatFreeVegan in The Homies ‘Healthy Cooking’ category. Susan’s blog is in second place, only 15 votes behind the first place blog. EVERYBODY HURRY UP AND VOTE FOR FATFREEVEGAN! We know this blog deserves to win….If you’re not registered with that site, it will only take you two minutes, then you can vote. Good luck, Susan!
Susan Voisin
Thank you so much, Jaye! I can personally guarantee that that is a reputable site that will not spam you, so thanks for encouraging people to vote.
Karen Faivre
What a GORGEOUS looking burrito. You take such great pictures!
Ambika
Yummy! I love burritos, the spanish brown rice looks amazing!
Melody
Looks great, and will score me points with my hubby when I pack it in his lunch.
Rochelle A
You have saved dinner time for me many, many times! Being an avid ETL follower, your blog is a God send. Thus I felt it was my duty to vote for your blog. You are the best!!
wendy (healthy girls kitchen)
I love the idea about hearing about the food that you guys eat on a regular basis!
Amy
This sounds really good!!! I am going to make it tonight for myself and also use the this as a base and add chicken for my boys!! It is nice to have a recipe that I can use 2 ways – make life so much easier for me!!!!
Kathleen @ KatsHealthCorner
They look SO good! Your recipes are the best, Susan. 😀
greens
The Family Favorites section is a great idea. Looking forward to adding a few new dishes to our frequent foods rotation list. Also, I am in need of a week’s worth of vegan recipes to prepare ahead and freeze. Would you suggest a few? Thanks!
Maureen
I just voted – you are currently in the lead!! Everyone – get on over there and vote!!!
Archana
Awesome recipe. The site however does not let me vote.
Susan Voisin
Sorry, Archana, but thanks for trying! You have to register for the site, and then some people have found that they have to close their browser and come back before it allows them to vote. I know that’s a lot of trouble!
Vicky (Sweet and Healthy Living)
This recipe looks delicious! I love mexican!
Ellen (Gluten Free Diva)
What a clever and useful list! Much food for thought, pardon the pun. Thanks for sharing your truth – makes all of us seem more normal. And this recipe is a simple keeper!
Maria
These look so good! I love black beans so I’ll definitely want to try that!
Christie
Hi,
I love your blog! Especially the recipes for sweets! Could you write how did you create it? I mean is it on something like blogger.com? I love the design!
Lex
check out Fig beans, they come in cardboard/soymilk style containers with no BPA, ready to eat. No harm in quick microwave meals or canned meals, the reality is most of us eat like that 99% of the time!
Vibeke
I made this rice dish last week but instead of rolling it up in burritos, I just ate it topped with creamed kale. http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2011/07/creamed-kale-dairy-free.html DELICIOUS!!!
Gwen Z
I made the Hummus in the Blender for lunch and these burritos for supper. Both were delicious! Thank you for sharing all your yummy recipes – I love them!
Abigail
Hi Sue, thank you so much for the recipes you are sending me. Your page makes me think of heaven; everything about it is so beautiful. I know it takes time and effort to have this done. You are a blessing to me, and so many others. I thank God for you, my friend. Hope we can talk when you are available. Hugs. Abi.
Destini
I will be making these for lunch next week!!! Fantastic recipe.
Christina
Another hit! Super easy and yummy! I love food with a lot of spice and this really hit the spot! Thanks Susan!
Connie Allen
I would like permission to print off Spanish Rice with Black Beans. Could I share this recipe with my aunt. My uncle had a heart attack, and I am looking for no-fat, no salt recipes. I can always eliminate the salt from recipes, and this one looked tasty enough to do just that. I appreciate your efforts to make healthy recipes to share with us who need the ideas. I too read Caldwell Esselstyn’s book and John McDougall, I think both of these men are right on. Does it cost money to subscribe to this web site? Do I need to ask for permission for every recipe that I want to print off? Sincerely, Connie Allen
Susan Voisin
Hi Connie, feel free to print any recipe you like! The website is totally free, and I want you to share the recipes with your friends. All I ask is that people not post my photos and recipes on other websites. Thanks for asking!
Tam
Another hit recipe!! I just made a huge pot of this tonight. Great for leftover burritos and tacos. I’ll add some avocado and cilantro on the side too!
Thanks a bunch!
Cathie
We absolutely loved this! Added fresh cilantro, corn and splash of fresh lime – look forward to having this often – thank you! Cathie & Steve
Judy
The sweet potato cauliflower curry soup is a hit, not only for my vegan fans in the family but the “meat eating yuck y=tofu group”. I have made this soup a dozen times and now it is a special request for potlucks , co-workers and fam in the mainland….soooooo good and easy to put together….what meat????
I love your website and tonight am going to try the burritos….being a vegan has been less stressful reading your website and learning your recipes…Mahalo from Hawaii!!!
PatB
I was unable to find the smoked paprika at a reasonable price. Shaw’s supermarket had a little Spice Islands jar for $9! I was able to get the Chipotle chile at a co-op which has bulk spices. I will have to use regular paprika this time and hope that the burritos will still be good. I do intend to buy the smoked paprika from an Internet store for future use.
Esther J
Made these for my mother as she was craving rice, but also wanted a taco (yes, kinda weird). So I split the difference and made her these burritos. I punched up the spices a bit and made a burrito bar with corn with cilantro, olives, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and guac. She also added some vegan cheese. She loved it!
Much appreciated, Mrs. V.
Bex
Wonderful recipe, as usual. We needed something quick and easy for dinner, and this fit the bill perfectly.
Jody
My kids just ate this. One picked out as many beans as he could, but he ate it! And to make matters even weirder – my HUSBAND ate it (with some chicken of course – but that is a battle that I won’t be winning). Thank you so much for a meal that my husband said that I can make again. I have had a hard time finding recipes that are vegan and the whole family likes, and am glad to have one to add to my meal plan.