The Mexican pinto beans vegan are a great staple to have in your pantry. They are versatile, nutritious, filled with fiber, and super delicious. In my kitchen, I always have cooked pinto beans because I can accompany any dish with them or make them my main dish. I believe that you will find them as your favorite too.
Why will you love these vegan Mexican pinto beans?
- The pinto beans are vegan, gluten free, high in fiber and a great source of protein. Vegans, especially, incorporate beans into their diets.
- Easy to make: This recipe is very easy to make. All you need is beans and water, some herbs, garlic, and salt.
- Healthy: Beans are a great source of fiber and protein.
- Customizable: Beans are so versatile. You can have them as a main dish or can accompany any other dish you make. You can have them sweet like Asian dishes such as mochi with sweet beans, or you can have them savory like Mexican dishes such as chili.
- Satisfying: Beans are very fulfilling on their own. In some cultures, such as Cuban, a full meal consists of white rice and beans. This is more nutritious than any fast food we could encounter.
- A family favorite: Since bean dishes are versatile, easy to make, nourishing, and fulfilling, beans have become a family favorite in my home and many homes I know. My children love it when I make refried beans, a typical Mexican dish in every Mexican home.
Key ingredients and items you need for the Mexican pinto beans Vegan recipe
Ingredients
- Pinto Beans: You will need one pound of pinto beans. When you purchase your beans, make sure they look fresh. Check the expiration date first! Fresh beans look complete, rounded, and fluffy. You can also try biting them softly with your molars. If you can bite into them when dry, then they are fresh. However, if you cannot make a dent in them, these beans are not new and will not cook thoroughly. It is difficult to test the biting technique when the beans are in a bag. Then just double check the expiration date and make sure they do not look strange or drier than what you are used to seeing.
- Water: you will need six to eight cups of water, enough to cover the beans about two to four inches above the beans in your crock pot or your pot if you are using your stove.
- Laurel leaf: Laurel leaves add a warm flavor and fragrant aroma to your beans. I highly recommend using these leaves. In addition to being so delicious and filling your kitchen with a delightful fragrance, they are highly nutritious.
- Garlic: Garlic adds a delicious sweet and savory taste to your beans. If you are sensitive to garlic, perhaps do not add it. I am sensitive to garlic myself. However, adding two cloves is great and does not cause any bloating. Let me know how this works for you. I insist on using garlic since it is highly nutritious and also delicious.
- Salt: In this recipe, the salt is added at the end when the beans are fully cooked. There are controversies about adding the salt at the beginning or when soaking the beans or at the end. The beans will cook regardless of when you add the salt, as stated in this article by Melissa Clark in the New York Times. However, adding salt when the beans are fully cooked has worked wonderfully for me, and that is why I recommend this method. I would love to know your preference! Please let me know in the comments.
Items
- A big pot with lid to soak the beans overnight
- Crock pot large enough for one pound of beans and eight cups of water (for crock pot option)
- Large pot with lid (for stove top option)
What makes pinto beans “healthy” and what are the nutritional benefits?
As a nutritionist, I am always looking for nutrient dense foods, and I must say that beans are a must have in your kitchen. Even though, I have had a hard time consuming beans, due to the gassy effects they produce in the body, I found that the soaking overnight method described above, works effectively to reduce gas int he digestive system.
- Beans are superfoods.
- Rich in antioxidants called polyphenols which may help with some forms of cancer.
- Contain flavonoids called kaempferols that are known to help reduce inflammation.
- Help reduce cholesterol levels. By having 1/2 cup of beans a day, studies in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition have shown reducing total cholesterol and LDL levels.
- High source of fiber which may also help lower cholesterol levels, reduce heart disease, and relieve constipation.
- Great source of fat free and plant-based protein.
- Help reduce the risk of diabetes and balance blood sugar levels.
How to make easy Mexican pinto beans vegan step by step
- Step 1. Important! Do not skip the sorting step! Sort beans and take out all stones, rocks, and debris you find. Beans tend to have stones or other particles that are not beans. Ensure to inspect your beans and remove all other things that are not beans. You may find some bad beans too. Bad beans may have dark spots, mottled skin, visible mold areas, and smell unpleasant or rancid. Make sure you remove these bad beans as well. Failure to skip the sorting step may increase your chances of eating not good tasting beans, stones, rocks, or food poisoning from the mold in the bad beans. As you shop for beans more frequently, you will become an expert in recognizing good and bad beans, and good and not so good beans brands.
- Step 2. Once you have removed debris from your beans, wash them thoroughly and drain them.
- Step 3. In a large pot, pour the beans and add water enough to cover them for about 2-4 inches. You are going to soak them overnight from 8 to 24 hours. This process helps remove the sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production, and the beans won’t cause gas in your stomach. This process is essential. Otherwise, you may end up with a gassy stomach when you eat your beans.
- Step 4. Next morning, after your beans are soaked overnight, dispose of the water in which you soaked your beans. Your beans will look about two to three times bigger, which is excellent! If your beans did not increase their volume, this might mean that the beans are old. Rinse your beans again to make sure all the soaking water is gone.
Crock Pot Method (Slow Cooker)
- Step 5. In a crock pot, add your rinsed beans and pour water to cover the beans about 2 inches or 4 centimeters.
- Step 6. Add 2 garlic cloves and 2 Bay leaves. Cover with a lid. Set your crockpot to fast cook for 6 hours. Alternatively, you can cook in slow mode for 8 hours.
- Step 7. Check your beans and make sure that they are soft and fully cooked. If you feel that they need more time, leave them for another hour or two.
- Step 8. Try your beans. They must be soft, and the skin must be smooth too. Add salt to your taste, let them rest for about 10 minutes to incorporate the salt, and enjoy!
Stovetop Method
- Step 5. Add your rinsed beans, two garlic cloves, and two laurel leaves in a big pot. Pour water and cover the beans entirely, about two inches above the beans. Put the lid on and cook on medium heat for about 1 ½ hours. Check every 30 mins and add more water if needed.
- Step 6. Check your beans and make sure that they are soft and fully cooked. If you feel that they need more time, leave them cooking on the stove on medium heat for another 30 mins.
- Step 7. Check your beans to see if they are fully cooked, soft, add salt to your taste, let the salt incorporate for about 10 minutes, and enjoy!
Useful tips and tricks for the perfect cooked beans
- Optional Add-Ins and Variations: 1/2 fresh onion when the beans are cooking, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, oregano, top it with cilantro, chopped onions, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped Serranos (fresh green chilis), and any herbs you like.
- How to serve or what to serve it with? Rice and beans have been the main dish in many Spanish speaking countries. Some favorites are white rice, Mexican rice, coconut rice, turmeric rice. The possibilities are endless. You can also serve the beans with a salsa or vegan dip, tostadas, chips, roasted vegetables, salads, and many more. Our Spicy Mexican Hummus is a great option too.
- How to store: Store the cooked beans in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. You can freeze cooked beans too. I freeze them constantly. Divide the beans into two or three batches and freeze them in containers for up to one month. When you are ready to eat the beans, defrost them first overnight. Then, you may cook each batch in different ways.
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Mexican Pinto Beans Vegan
These Vegan Mexican Pinto Beans are healthier and tastier than any beans store bought or made at any restaurant. They are so easy to make. All you have to do is put them in your crock pot or stove top and forget about them.
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Sorting and Soaking
Important! Do not skip the sorting step! Sort beans and take out all stones, rocks, and debris you find. Beans tend to have stones or other particles that are not beans. Make sure to inspect your beans and remove all other things that are not beans. You may find some bad beans too. Bad beans may have dark spots, mottled skin, visible mold areas, and will smell unpleasant or rancid. Make sure you remove these bad beans as well. Failure to skip the sorting step may increase your chances of eating not good tasting beans, stones, rocks, or food poisoning from the mold in the bad beans. As you shop for beans more frequently, you will become an expert in recognizing good and bad beans, and good and not so good beans brands.
-
Once you have removed debris from your beans, wash them thoroughly and drain them.
-
In a large pot, pour the beans and add water enough to cover them for about 2-4 inches. You are going to soak them overnight from 8 to 24 hours. This process helps remove the sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production and the beans won’t cause gas in your stomach. This process is very important. Otherwise, you may end up with a gassy stomach when you eat your beans.
-
Next morning, after your beans are soaked overnight, dispose of the water that your beans were soaked in. Your beans will look about two to three times bigger, and this is great! If your beans did not increase their volume, this may mean that the beans are old. Rinse your beans again to make sure all the soaking water is gone.
Crock Pot Method (Slow Cooker) Cooking Method
-
In a crock pot, add your rinsed beans and pour water so that the water covers the beans about 2 inches or 4 centimeters.
-
Add 2 garlic cloves and 2 Bay leaves. Cover with a lid. Set your crockpot to fast cook for 6 hours. Alternatively, you can cook in slow mode for 8 hours.
-
Check your beans and make sure that they are soft and fully cooked. If you feel that they need more time, leave them for another hour or two.
-
Try your beans. They must be soft, and the skin must be soft too. Add salt to your taste, let them rest for about 10 mins for the salt to be incorporated, and enjoy!
Stovetop Cooking Method
-
In a big pot, add your rinsed beans, 2 garlic cloves, 2 laurel leaves and pour water so that the beans are fully covered with water about 2 inches above the beans. Put the lid on and cook on medium heat for about 1 ½ hours.
-
Check your beans and make sure that they are soft and fully cooked. If you feel that they need more time, leave them cooking on the stove on medium heat for another 30 mins.
-
Check your beans to see if they are fully cooked, soft, and add salt to your taste, let the salt incorporate for about 10 minutes and enjoy!
Note
- Optional Add-Ins and Variations: 1/2 fresh onion when the beans are cooking, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, black pepper, oregano, top it with cilantro, chopped onions, chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped Serranos (green fresh chilis), and any herbs you like.
- How to serve or what to serve it with? Rice and beans have been a main dish in many Spanish speaking countries. Some favorites are white rice, Mexican rice, coconut rice, turmeric rice. The possibilities are endless. You can also serve the beans with a salsa or vegan dip, tostadas, chips, roasted vegetables, salads, and many more. Our Spicy Mexican Hummus is a great option too.
- How to store: Store the cooked beans in an air-tight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. Beans can be frozen too. I freeze them constantly. Divide the beans into two or three batches and freeze them in containers up to one month. When you are ready to eat the beans, defrost them first overnight. Then, you may cook each batch in different ways.
