Healthy Vegan Mexican Bean Stew!
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This Mexican bean stew is an awesome addition to your weekly repertoire. You can’t go wrong with a vegetarian bean stew!
Hearty, warming, packed with protein and fibre and spiced to perfection. An absolute treat.
And not too hard on the old waistline either!
Mexican bean stew – it’s just STEW good !
This vegetarian Mexican stew closely resembles a Mexican bean chili – though we wouldn’t necessarily say it was an honest-to-goodness chili recipe (although we do have a delicious meatless chili con carne recipe, if that’s what you’re after!)
Rather this is a delicious Mexican black bean recipe with chickpeas and tomato sauce, spiced with cumin, paprika and jalapeños and bulked out with corn.
You can serve it over brown rice or with corn tortillas – whatever takes your fancy!
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Why this is a healthy vegetarian stew – fat, protein & everything in between!
A vegetarian Mexican casserole like ours is super healthy and even a great dish for weight loss, if that’s something that interests you!
It’s healthy for obvious reasons: low in fat, salt and sugar, full of beans and veggies, which bring plenty of protein, fibre and nutrients.
It’s actually lower in fat than a chili recipe because it has no cheese, so all the fat comes from olive oil, beans and chickpeas.
Plus, the combination of rice and beans means that this vegan bean stew provides ‘complete protein’ – meaning it contains all the essential amino acids. This is not common in plant-based foods!
Why is this a good Mexican bean recipe for weight loss?
The fact that it is overall healthy helps makes this stew a good weight loss food, because that means that a portion of this will fill you up with good stuff and keep your body functioning at top form during your weight loss journey.
However, this bean stew is more specifically suited to weight loss because it is filling (thanks to all that protein and fibre) but only comes in at 390 calories per large serving (thanks to the fact that it avoids calorie dense ingredients like cheese) – allowing you to eat a hearty meal while remaining in a calorie deficit.
In fact, we have included it on this week’s FREE vegetarian weight loss meal plan, where you can find more recipes like this!
We hope you enjoy cooking up a big batch of this yummy scrummy mexican bean stew!
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown rice (uncooked)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 clove garlic (finely minced)
- ½ red onion (finely chopped)
- ½ jalapeño (without seeds and veins, finely minced)
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 1.5 cup black beans, cooked (~1 can, 15oz/425g)
- 1.5 cup chickpeas, cooked (~1 can, 15oz/425g)
- 5 oz sweetcorn
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (~1 can, 15oz/425g)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup cilantro/coriander, fresh
Instructions
- If using rice, cook according to packet instructions.½ cup brown rice
- In a medium sized saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic cloves, red onion and jalapeño. Cook at medium heat until the veggies have reduced and begun to brown.1 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 clove garlic, ½ red onion, ½ jalapeño
- Add cumin, paprika, oregano and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, until the aroma is released from the spices.1 tsp cumin, ground, 1 tsp paprika powder, 1 tsp oregano, dried
- Then add the black beans, chickpeas, corn, crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, salt and sugar. Cook over medium low heat, stirring to avoid sticking in the bottom of the pan, for about 10 minutes, or until the stew has a nice, saucy, thick consistency.1.5 cup black beans, cooked, 1.5 cup chickpeas, cooked, 5 oz sweetcorn, 1 can crushed tomatoes, 1 cup vegetable broth, Salt and pepper to taste, 1 tsp sugar
- Taste stew and add more salt if necessary.
- Serve the bean stew, topped with cilantro, with a side of brown rice.¼ cup cilantro/coriander, fresh
NOTES
- Make-ahead? Yes, prep the night before, it’ll be even more flavorful that way.
- Freezable? Yes, it’s great for making big, simple batches. It freezes well and you’ll always have a good filling and high-protein meal ready and waiting for you, whenever you need it!
Nutrition
This article has been medically reviewed by James LeBaigue MSc Learn More
James LeBaigue MSc
James has a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Human Nutrition.
He loves combining his scientific knowledge along with food in the real world, and these recipes are the result.
He’s on top of all the latest evidence and guidelines to make sure our nutrition advice on the website is as accurate as it can be.
By day he works as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in a busy NHS GP Practice.
Each recipe is tested and then eaten (much to James’ delight), many times before it is deemed worthy to be published. Bon appetit!
Abril Macías
Creator of this wonderful recipe!
I am a culinary creator and food photographer from Quito, Ecuador. I have a Master’s degree in New Food Thinking and a Bachelor’s degree in Gastronomy, my expertise lies in crafting and capturing creative dishes. Collaborating with websites and blogs worldwide, I develop recipes and bring them to life through captivating photographs.
I dedicate my work in the kitchen and through the lens to explore food from different backgrounds, origins and diets. I would describe my style as “comfort food with a twist”. My goal is to create recipes that are homely, yet attractive, delicious and have something different and exiting to them.
Comments
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12 comments
I made this and added carrots, zucchini and Penzey’s Northwoods Fire Seasoning – which I think kicked it up a notch. I will definitely make this again!
Really happy you liked the dish, Sherri! The additions sound excellent, I can esp see zucchini working in there very well!
I made this last night and it was great! Simple, healthy, and a nice blend of spices.
So good to hear, Susan!! 🙂
I made this yesterday without rice (I didn’t have time to cook rice) and without jalapeño because they’re too hot for me. It was delicious — the spices blended perfectly. I’m saving this recipe for days when I don’t have a lot of time. And when I do have time, I might add peppers and celery. Thanks for sharing it!
It’s great on its own indeed! Glad that you liked it! And thanks for sharing the ideas 😉
Can this be made in a slow cooker? If so how long should it go on for?
Hi, good question! I haven’t tried it, but yes, to me, it looks like it could be. The longest item would probably the brown rice (if you’re using canned chickpeas and beans) – so however long that usually takes. I think about 15 mins if I recall correctly. I might have to try this actually, I love the idea!
Could I swap the sugar for maple syrup?
Hi! It might change the taste fractionally, but absolutely nothing to worry about. Go ahead! Nutritionally, it would make almost zero impact, too 🙂
Very tasty, wholesome and easy!
Glad you liked the recipe!!