Chipotle Lime Black Bean Bowls
These Chipotle Lime Black Bean Bowls have the right amount of smoky flavor mixed with citrus for the perfect bite. Cooks in less than 30 minutes and great to meal prep ahead of the week.
This time of year is always SO BUSY. And amongst the overwhelm, I keep finding myself throwing these beans together for a quick meal. Nothing complicated, just one pan, and cooks quick. The leftovers are equally amazing and can be used in so many different ways if you need a little variety (more on that below). Truly, the bowl of my dreams.
Why You’ll Love These Chipotle Lime Black Bean Bowls
- Budget-friendly. This has easily become a go to meal for me because of how cheap it is to make.
- The beans cook in less than 30 minutes. Sauté the aromatics, add the beans and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Packed with nutrition. This bowl provides both iron, protein and a variety of vitamins and minerals. It is also designed to help better absorb nutrients like iron.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Black Beans: I used canned black beans. Feel free to use freshly cooked beans if desired. This can also be made with red kidney beans and pinto beans.
- Bell Peppers: Any colored bell pepper works here. I like a blend of red and green, but you can use one full bell pepper of any color of this.
- Onion: I used red onion, but feel free to use yellow onion, white onion or shallots.
- Chipotle Peppers: I’m using the chipotle peppers in a can with adobo sauce. You may also use chipotle paste (I would use 2 tbsp, adjust for heat). If you want to replace, try this with tomato paste using the tips below in the Expert Tips section.
- Seasonings: I used a combination of smoked paprika, coriander, thyme and oregano. If available, I recommend getting Mexican oregano. It is much different to regular oregano.
- Vegetable Broth: The better the quality of your broth, the better the flavor. I recommend using Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base. I dissolve the appropriate amount in water to use in meals like this.
- Cilantro: Used in both the beans and optional sauce. If not a fan of cilantro, try this with parsley instead.
- Yogurt: I used a dairy-free yogurt. For dairy-free yogurts, I prefer soy based yogurts like Silk, but you can use any plain unsweetened yogurt you like.
- Avocado: Helps add some extra creaminess to the sauce. You can omit and use more yogurt with a splash of extra virgin olive oil to replace it.
How to Make Chipotle Lime Black Bean Bowls
Heat up the oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Once hot, add the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened. Stir in the bell pepper and sauté again for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and cilantro stems, stirring well until fragrant then stir in the spices until well combined.
To the pan, add the chipotle peppers, black beans and vegetable broth. Stir to combine then bring everything to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Using the back of your cooking spatula or spoon, lightly mash 1/3 of the beans and stir again to combine. This will help thicken the stew.
Remove the pan from heat, stir in the maple syrup, lime juice and lime zest. Once combined, taste and adjust salt as desired.
For the sauce place the yogurt, avocado, vinegar, lime juice and zest, garlic, fresh and dry herbs, a pinch of salt, and water in a blender cup and blend until smooth. If too thick stir in 1-2 tbsp of water at a time until the sauce is at your desired consistency.
When ready to enjoy, serve the beans over rice and top with the avocado cilantro sauce.
Expert Tips
- Adjust the spice. If not a big fan of spicy food, replace the chipotle peppers with some tomato paste and an extra 1-2 tsp smoked paprika. Sauté the paste when added, giving it a few minutes to caramelize in the pan as needed before adding the beans and broth.
- To better absorb the iron from the beans, include vitamin C with your meal. You get vitamin C from both the peppers and lime juice in this recipe. If I have extra bell pepper, I will sprinkle some fresh diced bell pepper on top when serving to help maximize on that vitamin C.
- Adjust the consistency of your sauce. If making the sauce, do note that the blended consistency may vary depending on the thickness of your sauce. To fix this, after blending, add 1-2 tbsp of water to the sauce and blend again to see if it’s more to your liking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This has actually been a regular meal I’ve been making recently. I’ll prep the beans, cool them then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. For the sauce, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
There are a couple of ways to increase the protein in this meal. You can stir in a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast into the beans or herb sauce. You may also want to consider adding in some TVP. If adding TVP, I would adjust the amount of vegetable broth depending on how much you choose to add. When serving, you can give a little protein bump by swapping the white rice for some quinoa.
If you deal with gas when adding beans to your meal it is important to assess your current tolerance. Some people feel that they tolerate beans a lot better if those beans are well cooked and rinsed and drained really well. For others, your body might not be used to eating higher fiber items like beans. So first, ask yourself how often do you consume things like beans? If it’s infrequent, you may need to start with much smaller portions that you tolerate with no problem (think like 2 tbsp of beans to start with) then slowly add more beans as your tolerance improves. With any gut health issues or dietary changes, it helps to meet with a dietitian that can help work with you individually to achieve your goals.
How to Serve
I like to prep the beans with rice for some easy meals throughout the week. If I want to jazz up my bowl, I’ll include a few slices of baked plantains and an herby avocado dressing to top everything off with.
You can also repurpose your leftover beans and mash them up to use in a tostada or burrito.
More Quick and Easy Plant Based Meals to Try
- Crispy Shredded Za’atar Tofu Cabbage Wraps
- Skillet Charred Corn and Edamame Salad
- Easy Baked Peanut Tofu
- Sticky Lemon Chickpea Pita Wraps
- 15 Minute Gochujang Noodles (Bibim Guksu)
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
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Chipotle Lime Black Bean Bowls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Chipotle Lime Black Bean Bowls have the right amount of smoky flavor mixed with citrus for the perfect bite. Cooks in less than 30 minutes and great to meal prep ahead of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 stalks cilantro, stems finely minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp dry thyme
- 1/2 tsp dry oregano
- 2 chipotle peppers, finely minced
- 2, 15oz cans of black beans, mostly drained
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar, optional
- Zest and juice of 1/2 a lime
- Kosher salt
Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt
- 1/2 ripe medium avocado
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- Zest and juice of 1/2 a lime
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- Handful chives
- 1/3 cup cilantro, stems removed
- 1/2 tsp dry oregano
- 1/4 cup water
For serving: baked plantains, cooked Jasmine rice, extra diced onion and peppers, sliced chives for garnish
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Once hot, add the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened. Stir in the bell pepper and sauté again for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cilantro stems, stirring well until fragrant then stir in the spices until well combined.
- To the pan, add the chipotle peppers, black beans and vegetable broth. Stir to combine then bring everything to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Using the back of your cooking spatula or spoon, lightly mash 1/3 of the beans and stir again to combine. This will help thicken the stew.
- Remove the pan from heat, stir in the maple syrup, lime juice and lime zest. Once combined, taste and adjust salt as desired.
- For the sauce place the yogurt, avocado, vinegar, lime juice and zest, garlic, fresh and dry herbs, a pinch of salt, and water in a blender cup and blend until smooth. If too thick stir in 1-2 tbsp of water at a time until the sauce is at your desired consistency.
- When ready to enjoy, serve the beans over rice and top with the avocado cilantro sauce.
Notes
Adjust the spice. If not a big fan of spicy food, replace the chipotle peppers with some tomato paste and an extra 1-2 tsp smoked paprika. Sauté the paste when added, giving it a few minutes to caramelize in the pan as needed before adding the beans and broth.
To better absorb the iron from the beans, include vitamin C with your meal. You get vitamin C from both the peppers and lime juice in this recipe. If I have extra bell pepper, I will sprinkle some fresh diced bell pepper on top when serving to help maximize on that vitamin C.
Adjust the consistency of your sauce. If making the sauce, do note that the blended consistency may vary depending on the thickness of your sauce. To fix this, after blending, add 1-2 tbsp of water to the sauce and blend again to see if it’s more to your liking.
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Is there a recipe for the baked platanos?
Yes! Sorry about that. Thought it was linked in the recipe card. Just fixed, but just in case here is the direct link: