Meatless Monday: Black Bean Burrito with Cilantro-Lime Rice

Latin, Main Courses, Meatless, Mexican, Vegan / Monday, April 18th, 2011

Balck Bean Burrito

Remember that Eddie Murphy routine in “Raw” when he talks about how his mom promised to make him a burger that was “better than McDonald’s”?

I’m not going to tell you this Black Bean Burrito with Cilantro-Lime Rice is better than Chipotle’s, because that would be madness. BUT, depending on how crazy you get with the toppings, it can definitely be cheaper, more nutritious, and low enough in calories that you could eat the whole thing without feeling like a slug marooned on a sidewalk.

Plus, when your family’s tired of having the same-old stuff for dinner, it’s nice to prep a bunch of burrito ingredients and let everyone make their own. An easy way to keep your vegans, vegetarians, carnivores, omnivores, flexitarians and cannibals satisfied.

Definitely better than McDonald’s.

Black Bean Burrito with Cilantro Lime Rice

Adapted from Dr. Neal D. Barnard’s “21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart”

Makes 2 burritos

  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • Squeeze of lime
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 green pepper, sliced
  • 1/4 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup black beans, drained but not rinsed
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 10-inch whole wheat tortillas
  • Optional toppings: salsa, corn kernels, lettuce, diced tomato, diced avocado or guacamole, cheese and sour cream
  1. In a small bowl, mix the rice with the cilantro and lime juice. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and saute the green pepper and onion until the onion is browned. Add the garlic and oregano, and saute for 1 more minute. Set aside.
  3. In the meantime, warm the black beans in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  4. Warm the tortillas in the microwave, on the stove, or in the oven, according to package directions.
  5. Spoon the black beans down the middle of each tortilla, dividing equally. Add the rice, vegetables and any optional toppings.
  6. Fold two sides of the tortilla over the filling, and roll up the burrito from an unfolded edge. Repeat with second burrito. Serve them seam-side down.

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13 thoughts on “Meatless Monday: Black Bean Burrito with Cilantro-Lime Rice”

  1. G-d help me I love a burrito, and I never, ever make them at home. But why?! So easy, so much better for you! You've inspired me to put my homemade burrito where my mouth is this week.

  3. Rebecca…This is a great solution to buying fast food. My step daughter is a vegan now so I can't wait to have her come over and have this for dinner. (She is in college now and doesn't cook for herself. I love cooking for her, but I have to really make a focused effort to finding good recipes.) This one looks like a winner! Thank You.
    Michele http://www.asavorycharacter.com

  5. This looks fabulous. We love ourselves Mexican food around here. I might have to give this one a try!

  8. Your posts crack me up! I'm obsessed with Chipotle but I have to say – this looks even better. Thanks for the yummy inspiration!

  9. You can make these even healthier by substituting whole wheat tortillas for corn tortillas- they're smaller so you'd have to make, like 2 tacos instead of one big burrito, but they're half the calories and better for you!

  10. LOVE this, I've often sat in Chipotle thinking "we could so do this at home." And for the record, House Burgers, inspired entirely by that bit in Raw, make a regular appearance on our dinner plates. :)

  11. yay! I love Chipotle, but hate all the salt in their food. This looks like a great alternative <3

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