It's easy to eat a plant-based diet with these vegan pinto bean recipes. Pinto beans are a great source of protein and can be used in soups or on top of potatoes or tacos. Recipes like Slow Cooker Vegan Chili and Bean Burgers with Spicy Guacamole are so nutritious and filling you won't even miss the meat!
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Slow-Cooker Vegan Chili
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Grab your crock pot for this hearty and easy vegan chili, which is chock-full of great-tasting and good-for-you ingredients, including pinto and black beans, red pepper, tomatoes and butternut squash. Once a little chopping is done, all you have to do is dump the ingredients in the slow cooker, making this colorful veggie chili the perfect weeknight dinner. A garnish of fresh avocado and chopped cilantro is a nice touch. Source: EatingWell.com, April 2019
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Stuffed Potatoes with Salsa & Beans
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Taco night meets baked potato night with this simple recipe for loaded baked potatoes with salsa, beans and avocado. This easy, healthy family dinner comes together with just 10 minutes of active time, so you can make it on even the busiest of weeknights. This recipe is just as delicious with sweet potatoes in place of russets. Source: EatingWell Magazine, October 2019
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Mexican Cabbage Soup
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Based on a popular weight-loss plan, this healthy cabbage soup recipe gets tons of flavor and a metabolism-boosting kick from spicy chiles. Source: EatingWell Magazine, Soup Cookbook
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Bean Burgers with Spicy Guacamole
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These bean burgers will even please carnivores. The cornmeal coating gives a pleasant crunch and smoked paprika, cumin, cilantro and guacamole add Southwestern flavor. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2009
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Sopa Tarasca
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This famous soup from the state of Michoacán in Western Mexico is often made with a base of pureed beans along with tomatoes and dried chiles, which bring a lot of the character to the dish. Here we use ancho chiles, which are sweet, earthy and relatively mild. You could also use pasillas, which have a heat level similar to anchos--or, if you like it hot, gaujillos, which also bring some smoky notes to the pot. Source: EatingWell Magazine, Soup Cookbook
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Vegan Jackfruit Tacos
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Tex-Mex-flavored jackfruit mimics the taste and texture of pulled pork carnitas in this delicious vegan taco--and it's a lot faster to make than traditional carnitas, which are typically cooked for hours. An easy avocado crema and quick tomato salsa add bright, fresh flavors. For this recipe, you'll want unsweetened almond milk without any vanilla--be sure to check the ingredients, as some contain vanilla flavoring even if they aren't labeled as vanilla. Source: EatingWell.com, November 2017
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Butternut Squash & Tomato Posole
Posole is a traditional Mexican stew most often made with pork and hominy (dried corn kernels that have been treated to soften the hull) cooked in a fragrant chile-based sauce. In this quick vegetarian recipe, we rely on the meatiness of pinto beans and butternut squash combined with hand-crushed whole tomatoes to make a satisfying stew. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2012
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Tijuana Torta
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A Mexican-style torta is just like a burrito, except the "wrapper" is a hollowed-out roll instead of a tortilla. Here it's filled with mashed spiced black beans and a quick guacamole. Take this vegetarian version to another level (and add calcium) by melting Monterey Jack cheese onto the bean side of the sandwich. Serve with: Grilled corn on the cob or Spanish rice. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2008
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Southwestern Rice & Pinto Bean Salad
The slightly chewy texture of ruddy-red Wehani rice makes it perfect for salads. Serve it mounded on a bed of Boston lettuce or curly frisée. Source: EatingWell Magazine, April/May 2005
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Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
Filled with bell peppers, pinto beans, mushrooms and onions, these colorful enchiladas can be mostly made ahead--perfect for entertaining. Pass some crumbled queso fresco, chopped fresh cilantro and diced avocado at the table. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2007
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Slow-Cooked Beans
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By cooking your own dried beans, you save money, reduce sodium and get better flavor along with, surprisingly, more vitamins and minerals. If you can't use the whole batch, freeze surplus cooked beans for later use in soups, salads and dips. The range of time for cooking beans is wide and varies with the age and the type of beans selected. Source: EatingWell Magazine, Winter 2004
