Make Ahead

Fully Loaded Vegan Burritos

September 27, 2015
4
5 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 24 hours
  • Cook time 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

These burritos are filling and flavorful, great for feeding a crowd. Between the savory "refried" pinto beans and seasoned rice, no one will notice the fact that they're entirely meat- and dairy-free. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that the components can be enjoyed independently as leftovers: Serve the pinto beans in a wrap or tostada and throw the rice into a salad or serve it as a side.

Optional fixings: sliced avocado, salsa, chopped green onions, cashew cream (https://food52.com/recipes...) or cashew queso (https://food52.com/recipes...), hot sauce, guacamole, etc. —Gena Hamshaw

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the beans and vegetables:
  • 1 cup dry pinto beans, picked over (or 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained of liquid)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 poblano or jalapeño chili, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 dash red pepper flakes
  • 4 to 6 9- or 10-inch flour or corn tortillas
  • For the rice:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 white or yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup white or brown basmati or long-grain rice, rinsed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1/4 cup tightly packed, chopped cilantro
Directions
  1. If you're boiling the dry beans from scratch, soak them overnight in enough water to cover them by a few inches. The following day, when you're ready to make the burritos, drain and rinse them. Place them in a pot of fresh water and cover them by a few inches again. Bring them to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot partially, so that steam can escape as they cook. Boil the beans for 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking at the 45 minute mark for doneness. As soon as they're tender but retain their shape and chew, they're done. Drain them, rinse them, and allow them to cool a bit.
  2. While the beans cook, make the rice: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add the rice and sauté it with the onions for a few minutes, until it's it has a lightly toasted fragrance. Add the broth and salt. Bring the rice to a boil, reduce it to a simmer, and cover. Cook the rice for 45 minutes, or until it has absorbed all of the liquid (I recommend checking on it at the 30 or 35 minute mark, as different rice varieties absorb liquid at different rates). Fluff the rice, remove it from heat, re-cover, and let it cool for 15 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro.
  3. Preheat oven to 350° F. Wrap the tortillas in foil and allow them to heat up for 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. To prepare the bean and veggie filling, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are sweet and tender, adding a few tablespoons of water if the vegetables get dry or start to stick to the pan. Add the garlic, salt, chili powder, and cumin, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the garlic is very fragrant. Add the cooked pinto beans and lime juice, along with the red pepper flakes. Stir everything to heat through, and if you like, mash some of the beans lightly with the back of a spoon to create a partially "refried" texture. Check the seasonings and adjust as needed.
  5. To assemble the burritos, spread a tortilla on a flat surface and add about 1/2 cup of cooked rice and a generous 1/2 cup of veggies, as well as any other fixings you like. Tuck in the bottom and top ends, and then wrap from left to right. Repeat with remaining tortillas and serve.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Taylor Stanton
    Taylor Stanton
  • Vandana Lad
    Vandana Lad

2 Reviews

Taylor S. August 27, 2020
Good basic recipe and the rice is excellent.
 
Vandana L. April 15, 2019
I have made this recipe a few times, it's amazing I add green tomato salsa, and plenty of guacamole. That really takes it to another level.