Vegan arepas, stuffed with a delicious plant-based filling, made with black beans, plantain and mashed avocado. They're so filling and extremely flavorful.
I showed you how to make arepas in the previous post and now I want to share my favorite filling to make vegan arepas with you guys.
Although arepas are vegan, most fillings are not because they're usually made with meat and cheese, but not this one!
I used black beans, plantain and mashed avocado to stuffed my arepas. I also added some red onion, but it's optional. This is an amazing combination and it's to die for. You really need to give it a try.
Black beans are one of my favorite sources of plant-based protein in the whole world, but please feel free to use any type of beans instead. Plantains are easy to get, but if you can't find them in your local supermarket, sweet potato is also a good choice.
You could use some guacamole dip instead of the mashed avocado and you could also saute the red onion in a skillet a little bit if you don't like raw onion. It will be easier to digest as well.
ingredients for vegan arepas
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this vegan arepas recipe:
- Extra virgin olive oil - I’m Spanish, so I use extra virgin olive oil to cook most of my dishes. However, any type of oil is okay. I always use extra virgin oils when possible because they’re healthier. Oil is optional in this recipe, though.
- Black beans - Canned black beans are so convenient, but I prefer to cook them from scratch. I make them in my Instant Pot in big batches for the week and I don’t add any salt. Please use other types of beans or legumes if you want.
- Ground cumin - Feel free to add any spices you have on hand.
- Garlic powder - I prefer to use garlic powder because I find it super convenient. However, fresh garlic is a good choice as well. Just saute it a little bit before adding the black beans and the spices to the skillet.
- Salt - I always use Himalayan pink salt. Any type of salt is okay, though.
- Ground black pepper - Fresh ground black pepper tastes amazing. However, I find store-bought more convenient and also easier to measure with a teaspoon.
- Plantains - If you can't find plantains, sweet potato is a good alternative.
- Avocados.
- Lemon or lime juice.
- Arepas - Follow my recipe to get delicious and perfect arepas. They're so easy to make!
- Red onion - You can omit the red onion or saute it to make it easier to digest.
how to make vegan arepas
- Cook the beans. Add the oil to a skillet and when it's hot, add the beans, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper, stir and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the beans are hot, stirring occasionally. Set aside. If you don’t want to use oil, just add some water or vegetable stock.
- Cook the plantains. Add the oil to a skillet and when it's hot, add the plantain slices and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes each side or until golden brown. Remove from the heat, add the plantain slices to a bowl, add salt and pepper and set aside. If you don't want to use oil, bake the plantain slices at 375ºF or 190ºC for 15 minutes for one side and 5 minutes more for the other side or until golden brown.
- Mash the avocados. Mash the avocados with a fork, add the lemon or lime juice and the salt, and mash again until well combined.
- Assemble the arepas. Split the arepas in half with a serrated knife. Spread the mashed avocado, add some plantain slices, some black beans and finally, some chopped red onion (optional). Repeat with all the remaining arepas. Best when fresh, keep leftovers (separate from each other) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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Vegan Arepas
Ingredients
For the black beans:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, optional
- 1 and ½ cups canned or cooked black beans, drained and rinsed, see notes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the plantains:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, optional
- 2 plantains, sliced
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the mashed avocado:
- 2 avocados
- 2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the vegan arepas:
- 10 arepas
- 3 tablespoon chopped red onion, optional
Instructions
For the beans:
- Heat the oil in a skillet, add the beans and the spices (cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper), stir and cook over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes or until the beans are hot, stirring occasionally. Set aside. If you don’t want to use oil, just add some water or vegetable stock.
For the plantains:
- Heat the oil in a skillet, add the plantain slices and cook over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes each side or until golden brown. Remove from the heat, add the plantain slices to a bowl, add salt and pepper and set aside. If you don't want to use oil, just bake the plantain slices at 375ºF or 190ºC for 15 minutes for one side and 5 minutes more for the other side or until golden brown.
For the mashed avocado:
- Mash the avocados with a fork, add the lemon juice and the salt and mash again until well combined.
For the vegan arepas:
- Split the arepas in half with a serrated knife. Spread the mashed avocado, add some plantain slices, some black beans and finally, some chopped red onion. Repeat with all the remaining arepas.
- Best when fresh, keep leftovers (separate from each other) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Notes
- I cooked the black beans from scratch, so I used 1 and ½ cups or 250 g of cooked black beans. Add more or less salt depending on your taste and also if you’re using salted or unsalted beans. You can omit it if you want.
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