🥘 Ingredients
- chili powder use less for mild heat 1 tbsp
- Mexican oregano or regular dried oregano 2 tsp
- smoked paprika 1 tsp
- ground cumin 1 tsp
- ground coriander ½ tsp
- Creamy Tomato Base 430 g
- Cooked Toasted Quinoa 3 cup
- neutral-flavored oil 2 tbsp
- large bell peppers 2
- large red onion 1
- Kosher
- black beans keep undrained 1 can
- medium lime 1
- shredded vegan cheddar cheese 2 cup
- scallions 3-4
- cilantro leaves and tender stems 1 cup
Spicy Black Bean Blend
If you cooked black beans from scratch, add 1/4-1/2 cup of bean cooking liquid in step 4 along with the beans. Add more cooking liquid or water as needed. If you made homemade Vegan Queso, spread it on top of the dish instead of sprinkling the cheese on top. Transfer to the oven and bake until the queso has set, 7 to 10 minutes. If you’d like a little browning on top, turn on your broiler and broil the dish for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep a watchful eye to prevent burning. Not a fan of cilantro? Omit it or use flat-leaf parsley. If you don’t have a 3-quart (3 L) or larger ovenproof sauté pan, cook the peppers/onions and beans in a large frying pan. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and stir in the Cooked Quinoa and Creamy Tomato Base. Add a bit of oil to the bottom of a baking dish large enough to fit this mixture without it being piled too high, such as a 13x9” (3.3 L) baking dish. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, spreading it out in an even layer. Sprinkle with the cheese, if using, then bake as listed. Storage: Store the Black Bean Bake in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350ºF / 175ºC for 8 to 10 minutes (or longer if a larger portion) until heated through, or reheat in the microwave. Add freshly chopped scallions and cilantro on top right before serving. Nutrition boost: Top this dish with pico de gallo (or chopped tomatoes) and avocado chunks, or serve over a bed of chopped lettuce. For added protein, sauté some vegan “ground” and stir into the quinoa-black bean mixture in step 6. Shortcut: Skip the baking step (and the cheese). Instead, just prep your garnishes as listed in step 8; add the garnishes on top of the warm quinoa-black bean mixture once it’s done cooking and blending. Shortcut: If you bought jarred salsa instead of making the Creamy Tomato Base, mix in 16 oz of salsa in step 6 instead of the Creamy Tomato Base.
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1Prepare: chili powder use less for mild heat , Mexican oregano or regular dried oregano , smoked paprika , ground cumin , ground coriander .
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2Add all the ingredients to a small bowl (or small ziploc bag) and seal, stir (or shake), and transfer to an airtight container.
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3Label and store on the counter or in your pantry for up to 6 months.
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4Gather: Creamy Tomato Base , Cooked Toasted Quinoa , neutral-flavored oil . For the peppers & onions (from vegetable prep): large bell peppers , large red onion , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, black beans keep undrained , medium lime , Spicy Black Bean Blend ( timer 1/2 tbsp) (from meal prep), shredded vegan cheddar cheese , scallions , cilantro leaves and tender stems .
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5Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 400ºF / 205ºC. Let the Creamy Tomato Base and Cooked Quinoa sit out at room temperature.
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6Heat a 3-quart (3 L) or larger ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high (if you don’t have such a pan, see Note 4). Add the oil, and once shimmering, add the Peppers & Onions. Season with a few pinches of salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes , or until juices have evaporated and veggies have softened, stirring every few minutes so they don’t brown too much. Meanwhile, drain and rinse 1 can of black beans but keep the other can undrained. And juice the lime to get 2 tbsp of juice.
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7Add the Spicy Black Bean Blend to the pan. Stir constantly for 1 minutes . If the spices start to stick or the pan gets dry, add a splash of water to deglaze.
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8Pour in the black beans (1 can drained and 1 can undrained), using the liquid to deglaze any browned bits. Season with 1 tsp of kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes , stirring occasionally.
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9Remove from the heat. Stir in the 2 tbsp of lime juice. Season with salt to taste.
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10Add the Cooked Quinoa and the Creamy Tomato Base to the pan and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the cheese, if using.
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11Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes , or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese has melted a bit (keeping in mind vegan cheese doesn’t melt the same as dairy cheese). Allow the dish to cool for 10 minutes.
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12While it bakes, prepare your side salad (if you’re making one) and prep the garnishes. Scallions: Trim the top 1 inch (2.5 cm) as well as the roots, then thinly slice. Cilantro: Chop the cilantro.
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13Serve individual pieces of the quinoa-bean bake on plates, and garnish with scallions and cilantro. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.