Plant-Based Refried Beans (Vegan)

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Plant-based vegan refried beans are one of the best side-dishes around.

Quick, easy and super flavourful. And incredibly good-for-you. No oil or additional fat is required to prepare this recipe.

Refried beans are also great for use as a dip, spread, pate as well as enriching buddha and taco bowls.

Contrary to traditional refried beans my plant-based vegan refried beans are low in cholesterol and saturated fats, and have no added salt, oil or fats.

Vegan refried beans are a savoury umami delicious bowl of plant-based goodness.

This recipe is so good that my son literally eats the beans by the bowlful. Which I am more than happy about as a serving of these beans provide an estimated 4mg iron and 18g protein. And as these beans have lots of fibre they can help keep us full up for longer, something which is difficult to achieve with a teenage boy!

What are refried beans?

Refried beans originate in Mexico and have been around for about 100 years. They are also a traditional dish in many Latin American countries. As well as being a popular Tex-Mex dish.

Tex-Mex is a blend of Texan, from the Tejanos people of Texas who are descended from Hispanic settlers, and Mexico cuisine.

The ingredients for refried beans are slightly different depending on the region. But the basic preparation remains similar.

Contrary to the name refried beans are not actually fried twice. Which is what I always presumed.

Instead beans, commonly pinto, black or kidney beans, are cooked until soft then mashed, seasoned and fried in lard or oil.

For my vegan refried bean recipe I use whatever beans I have to hand such as kidney, pinto, black, chickpeas, haricot, cannellini, borlotti, etc.

Sometimes I use a single bean or a mix. I have even used a can of bean salad which had pieces of chopped pepper and sweetcorn and the result was delicious.

Recipe notes and FAQs

Vegan refried bean serving ideas

1. Use refried beans as a base or spread for enchiladas, burritos, wraps, pitta breads, sandwiches, romaine lettuce wraps, etc.
2. Spread some refried beans on to whole-wheat crackers or use as a topping for my easy Scottish oatcakes. I have Oil-free oatcake recipes to!
3. Salads and buddha/taco bowls are delicious with a dollop of refried beans.
4. Top a veggie burger with some refried beans.
5. Prepare my fat-free easy delicious carrot-dogs and use refried beans as a topping.
6. Create a Tex-Mex inspired pizza! Sub out the tomato sauce base and use vegan refried beans instead.
7. Prepare some refried bean quesadillas which is essentially a tortilla toastie. Add veggies and some plant-based cheese and cook on a non-stick pan until toasted. Delicious.
8. Use refried beans as a dip for veggie sticks, bread sticks, homemade crispy tortilla chips, etc.
9. Refried beans can be the starter for a special meal. Use refried beans to replace pate. Serve the refried beans in little pots or tiny jars.
10. Add a scoop of refried beans to your favourite veggie chilli recipe for a flavour and nutrition boost.

Very Simple And Quick Method

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More tasty vegan side-dishes

 World War 2 Vegan Champ A tasty economical British traditional mash of potatoes, carrots and cabbage. So yummy.

Vegan Traditional Scottish Skirlie A skillet/fry-pan dish prepared with pinhead oatmeal, onions, nutritional yeast, herbs and stock. No additional fat necessary for this recipe.

Vegan Rice-A-Roni A classic rice and pasta dish that has been enriched with kidney beans and bell peppers. One of our all-time family favourites.