Mexican Black Beans

[Recipe makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on intended use].

If you have a Tex-Mex addict in the house (we have two between the both of us), it goes without saying that a good black bean recipe is essential.  With the amount of Mexican-themed dishes that we tend to make, we finally came up with our own take on the dish we finally took the time to actually write down (hah!) what we typically whip up for black beans, so that we could share it with you.  Our version is not only packed with flavor, but also comes together in just 20 minutes!

Whether you're feeling tacos, a Chipotle-inspired Buddha bowl, a vegan take on Taco Bell's Crunchwrap Supreme, loaded nachos, or just a solid side dish option, this recipe will take your meal to the next level.

If any of these dishes sound like something you want to make, but need a little more recipe help, we have several additional recipes on the blog that will help build these dishes.  For the loaded nachos pictured above, we topped a healthy serving of tortilla chips with Mexican black beans, our (recently updated) queso cheese sauce, cashew sour cream, green onions, and cilantro.  Alternately, we've been swapping out tortilla chips for crispy roasted sweet and Yukon Gold potatoes for an extra boost of nutrients.  So good!!!

What are some of your go-to Tex-Mex favorites to that you like to create?

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bay leaf
2 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
3/4 cup (vegan) chick'n stock

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
3/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar (or lime juice)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil followed by the onion.  Sauté for several minutes.  Stir in the spices and cook for an additional minute.  Add the bay leaf, black beans, diced tomatoes, and stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Discard the bay leaf, and transfer roughly 1 cup of the mixture to a blender (making sure to transfer enough liquid to help out your blender) as well as the cilantro and red wine vinegar (or lime juice).  Blend until smooth.  Transfer puréed mixture back to the skillet and stir until fully incorporated.  Season to taste.