Arepas with Black Beans and Plantain
These vegan arepas are filled with black beans and pan-fried plantains, then topped with fresh veggies and creamy avocado. Quick and easy to make, they're a delicious way to bring the warm, vibrant flavors of South America to your kitchen!
Servings: 4 Servings
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Medium sized pot
- 2 Large skillets
Ingredients
Arepas
- 1 ½ cups Masarepa must be Masarepa, there is no substitute!
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- ¼ tsp salt
Arepa Filling
- 1 ½ tsp avocado oil, divided
- 1-2 ripe plantains, sliced
- ¼ of a yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cup cooked black beans)
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For Serving
- thinly sliced lettuce
- cilantro
- purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- avocado or guacamole
- red onion, thinly sliced
- salsa (optional)
- hot sauce (optional)
- vegan cotija cheese (optional)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine Masarepa, salt, and warm water and mix well with your hands. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Heat a medium sized pot on medium heat with ½ tsp avocado oil. Once hot, add thinly sliced yellow onions and ¼ tsp salt and cook until softened. Then add the drained and rinsed black beans (or 1 ½ cup freshly cooked), chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Once heated through, reduce heat to low, adding a splash of water if beans get too dry.
- In a large skillet on low heat, drizzle 1 tsp avocado oil and place plantain strips on skillet with a pinch of salt. Be patient and don’t cook these too hot or they will burn! Once plantain begins to brown, carefully flip them. Once both sides are browned, remove from heat.
- When ready to make arepas, use your hands to prepare the arepa patties to desired size, about ½-¾" thick and 4-5” in diameter.
- Place arepa patties on another oiled skillet on medium heat. Cook each side until they begin to golden, about 5 minutes. Careful not to overcook or they'll get tough; they should be golden on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Cut the cooked arepas in half for sandwich style or slice one side to make a pocket. Fill with beans, plantain, thinly sliced lettuce, cilantro, purple cabbage, and red onion, then top with avocado or guacamole and optional salsa. Enjoy!
Notes
*Arepas are best enjoyed fresh as they don't refrigerate and re-heat well.
*I like to add a little bit of vegan sour cream to mine for a creamy sweetness to compliment the spice of the salsa and hot sauce.