It is hard for nearly anyone to resist an empanada, a crescent, turnover-like pastry made by stuffing a flaky, crispy wrapper with a spicy, mouthwatering filling. In Spain and in the Latin American countries, where empanadas were born and popularized, the filling is often made with beef, pork or cheese. But today I have for you a very vegan but just as delicious empanada with a tasty, spicy filling of black beans and veggies. Empanadas are often deep-fried but these vegan black bean empanadas are baked, which, along with the healthy filling, also makes them far better for you. If you are feeding picky eaters who turn up their noses at beans and veggies, this is a great food to make them begin to love them. The crispy wrapper makes these empanadas irresistible, especially when you serve them with a zesty salsa for dipping.
Why you will love this recipe
Helpful tips
If you are cooking black beans from scratch, start with 1 cup dried beans. I cook the dried beans with 4 cups water in the Instant Pot set to the “beans” function or for 35 minutes on manual pressure. It makes the perfect black beans with no soaking needed. If using canned beans, rinse them thoroughly under running water first. Make sure you add drained beans to the pot with no moisture. You want the filling to have no visible moisture. If you want to make smaller empanadas, use a four-inch cookie cutter or bowl. You should get 12-14 empanadas. You can add other veggies to the filling, but preferably add veggies that won’t express too much moisture. Sweet potatoes would be a nice choice, as would cauliflower, spinach, green peas or bell peppers. If you add mushrooms or zucchini make sure you cook out all the moisture. Cut the veggies in a small dice and make sure they are tender. That way they won’t stick out of the wrapper after you’ve formed the empanadas. For a nice golden-brown color on the empanadas, brush the empanadas just before they go into the oven with some olive oil. Or make a vegan egg wash by mixing a tablespoon of non-dairy milk with a tablespoon of oil and brush it over the empanadas.
Serving suggestions
Serve the empanadas with a zippy tomato salsa or with a yummy salsa verde. You can also serve them alongside a delicious marinara sauce. Serve the empanadas by themselves or with a side of rice, like Mexican Red Rice or Mexican Green Rice. Plantain fries are a great side with the empanadas.
Storage instructions
Refrigerate: The empanadas can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days. Freeze: Freeze the empanadas in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to four months. Reheat: Reheat the empanadas straight out of the fridge or freezer in a 350-degree oven until warmed through.
More delicious Latin American recipes
If you love these vegan empanadas, check out more Mexican recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
For the empanada pastry dough
All-purpose flour. You can substitute half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a healthier empanada. Corn starch. You just need a tablespoon and it helps keep the wrapper very flaky in the absence of lard, which is used traditionally to make empanada wrappers. Vegan butter. You can substitute this with refined coconut oil that’s solid at room temperature.
For the black bean filling
Vegetables: onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Garlic. I like lots of garlic in this recipe. Spices: ground cumin, chili powder, ground black pepper, cinnamon and cayenne or paprika (smoked paprika, if you have it, would add a nice hit of smokiness). You can tweak the spices to make the filling less spicy. Black beans. Use canned black beans or start with dried black beans and cook them until tender. If using canned beans rinse them under running water. Tomato paste. This adds delicious umami and ties all the flavors in the filling together. Raisins. These are optional but they add a nice flavor variation in the spicy filling.
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