Easiest Vegan Instant Pot Refried Beans
Creamy, hearty, and richly flavorful, these refried beans aren’t only ridiculously easy to make, they’re deliciously versatile!
Summer, where have you gone? Hold up a minute—you’re still here. Continued baking heat—with the occasional quirky exception—should be palpable enough reminder that we’re wholly immersed in the Dog Days as yet. But—
School is back in session, and with it we can’t help but feel summer slipping away. It doesn’t matter how high the temperatures climb; immature little yellow pumpkins are beginning to bob their heads with cheerful promises of bright orange jack-o-lanterns around the corner. It’s enough to make a person crave apple cider donuts alongside steamy hot matcha even as crisp watermelon juices run down their chin in pink rivulets. The transitional flow feels at once beautiful and natural and kind of a muddle all around.
Even as a return to more dependably structured routines may be welcome, the shift back to them tends to hit as especially busy. There are forms to sign, alarms to set, lunches to prep ahead. You know the things. Even if the school year no longer pertains to your day-to-day, there is often a certain hustle and limbo this time of year, so I’m told. When it comes to meals, it’s a great time to lean into the stalwart standbys—the more simply nutritious the better.
Better than canned: Making these refried beans
I’ll be the first to admit, this recipe is a stripped down version of infinite, exciting possibilities. You can think of this as boring or blessing. Either way, it’s time-saving, healthy, and really good. Rely on it as is, or dress it up with sprinkles to heaps of added spices. Make it your canvas.
Cooking dried beans is one of my favorite ways to make use of the Instant Pot. The results are creamy and robust—and they arrive so quickly! You don’t even need to soak the beans. Most recipes will use more liquid than I do here, which is a sensible choice. After trying out a range of ratios of beans to liquid, however, I’ve found this lower amount works just right for me and eliminates the need to drain the beans. It actually works just as well with just 4.5 cups liquid, but I feel better with that half-cup safety net working to deter dried, hard bean yields.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can trypically keep the same ingredient proportions (pinto beans, aromatics, spices, and liquid) but adjust the cooking time and method for the stovetop or crockpot. In this case, however, you’re probably best off adding an extra two cups or more of water. Cook on the stovetop for 1.5 to 2 hours at a gentle simmer, or in the slow cooker on HIGH for 6 to 8 hours, until the beans are completely tender. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid, then mash and add back in cooking liquid as needed until you reach your desired consistency.
No matter what method you choose, you’ll surely revel in the results. Homemade not only taste better than canned, you’ve got complete control over the texture, consistency, flavor, and ingredients that go in there. No metallic flavor, tin lines echoing each other around the cylindrical edges, preservatives, or excessive. Just rich, customized flavors from scratch.
Big Batch for Many Meals
Although this recipe is written for one pound of pinto beans, I almost always double it for a big, tidy batch of comfort I can stretch throughout the week. One night, dinner is refried bean tacos or burritos. Another, it’s a burrito bowl, a subtle switch in name that amounts to a full-on transformation on the table. Finally, we finish up with the belly-warming coziness of a refried bean soup (because soup is always in season, especially when we need a little boost in TLC). Each of these meals mirrors the bean base in being heartily flavorful, easy to make, even easier to adapt to taste(s). Let the ease of it all nourish your body, soothe your mind, and serve up added richness in cherished time.
Easiest Vegan Instant Pot Refried Beans
These hearty, flavorful refried beans are deliciously satisfying made just as they are and also a superb canvase for infinite flavorful possibilities. No need to pre-soak your beans or drain them later!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans (2 cups)
- 1/2 small onion, diced (or substitute a teaspoon onion powder)
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 Teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
- 5 Cups liquid: water, low-sodium vegetable stock, or any combination of the two
Instructions
- Rinse the beans in a colander and set aside.
- Set your Instant Pot (6-quart or larger) to Saute mode. Coat the bottom with a little bit of cooking spray or water and sauté the onion for 3 minutes.
- Add the beans and remaining ingredients to the pot and stir lightly to combine. Set to Pressure Cook on High for 40 minutes with Natural Steam release (other release modes will work too, but this works best for me).
- Use a ladle to scoop out roughly half a cup of liquid if needed (if the beans seem runny). Scoop a couple of ladles full of beans into a blender and puree. Add back to the pot and use a potato masher to mash the mixture to desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste and enjoy!
Notes
Beans will thicken as they cool!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
124Fat
1 gSat. Fat
0 gCarbs
24 gFiber
7 gNet carbs
17 gSugar
2 gProtein
7 gSodium
1563 mgCholesterol
0 mg