Coming at you today with another simple recipe for your weekday lunches: vegan refried pinto bean tacos. Since I’m more than obsessed with sweet potatoes, I have those as the base. I also added a spicy cashew crema on top, but please use my simple crema from this low acid recipe if you’re experiencing bad acid reflux. I tend to dip into spicy recipes because I can’t resist, and then back off a few days to recover. You do you.
There are a few steps to these vegan refried pinto bean tacos, but you can make as much as you want in advance as you have time. For the cashew crema, I always have this in our fridge, making the spicy or non-spicy versions back-to-back, depending on what I’m craving, and what would go best with each recipe. I cannot imagine my daily bowls or tacos without this, but if you’re not a fan, sub with your favorite salsa or vegan sour cream.
For the sweet potatoes, I always double this so I have extra potatoes to have as a side or added to a bowl throughout the week. Especially once it gets hot outside, you’re not going to want to turn your oven on too many times throughout the week! Less is more here. And sweet potatoes are so incredibly delicious. I rarely ever add anything to them: they are perfect exactly as they are.
If you’re local to Texas, run by HEB or Central Market to grab their incredibly fresh and delicious tortillas. I try to make a run to Central once a week, when I’m brave. I’m not the best with crowds and can be incredibly impatient (my worst quality), so I only go if I happen to not have a morning meeting on my calendar and can get in and out really quick. That doesn’t happen too often, so Instacart is often my bestie.
For the pinto beans, if acid reflux/GI issues are really bad for you, skip the onions and garlic that I start with in this vegan refried pinto bean tacos recipe, and instead, start with the pinto beans and then add the spices. If you have asfaoetida on hand, add 1/4 teaspoon along with the spices to get that delicious onion and garlic flavor. You’ll notice here that I don’t add salt to these vegan refried pinto bean tacos: there’s plenty of salt in the cashew crema, but if you aren’t using that as a topper, feel free to add 1/4 teaspoon of salt when you’re adding in the other spices. You can always add more if you feel you need it, but I don’t think you will.
Alright! Now that we got all of that out of the way. Happy Spring to all of you! This is my favorite season to be in Texas: the greens and purples all around me are so vibrant right now; it just feels special here. And Texans in general seem to be a bit happier, a little more bounce in their step, but maybe that’s just me. It just seems like CHANGE is in the air and if there’s a state that needs a bit (or more) of change, it’s this one. I love seeing the vibrant, smart, colorful, young people all around me when I’m out and about. Texas feels ALIVE. And I’m happy to be apart of it. Here’s hoping we keep advancing and progressing and becoming the loving, safe, welcoming, accepting communities that we all need and love.
It’s not yet brutally hot, some days are quite nice, and spring break just happened so everything has felt a bit more still. Less traffic, less rush, more peace. It’s like living in a small town but with all the advancements and diversity that cities offer. Spring break is a lovely time to just stay put and be.
I hope everyone is safe and well and enjoying life wherever you are. And I hope you enjoy these vegan refried pinto bean tacos. They’re one of my faves and have been on my regular rotation for years now. Sometimes the simple recipes really are the best.
Peace and love,
Jen
And now: here’s my fave lunch: Vegan Refried Pinto Bean Tacos
Vegan Refried Pinto Bean Tacos
Ingredients
For the Tacos
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup white onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 15 ounce cans of pinto beans
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 lime
- 1 large avocado
- 8 flour tortillas
For the Adobo Cashew Crema
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup very hot or boiling water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 adobo chiles canned
Instructions
For the Tacos
- Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place in a medium sized saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan until warm over medium heat, then add the onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is clear.
- Drain and rinse the pinto beans.
- Add the garlic and spices to the onion, stir well, and cook for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant, careful, not to burn your spices.
- Add the pinto beans to the pot, stir well, then add the water, stir again, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir the beans again, then mash them with a potato masher or large fork. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, uncovered, stirring well. You might need to add a bit more water if they start to dry out.
- Once they are finished cooking, remove from heat, squeeze in the fresh lime juice, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat your skillets to medium high heat, and begin warming up your tortillas.
- Layer your tacos with the sweet potatoes, then pinto beans, and top with sliced avocado and adobo cashew crema.
For the Adobo Cashew Crema
- Place the cashews in your high-powered blender, cover with the hot water, and then add remaining ingredients. Add more or less adobo chiles based on the spice level you prefer.
- Blend on high for a minute or until creamy, and enjoy!