I hesitated as to whether I should post this one- it’s hardly a recipe at all really- more of a simple, tasty meal idea. I know a lot of my readers are experienced cooks, more than familiar with cooking vegan, but some of you are also just getting started cooking plant-based meals.
When I went vegan was the first time I really got into cooking. I taught myself to cook using recipes and it took me quite a while to get comfortable with experimenting in the kitchen and adapting other recipes to my own tastes, rather than following them strictly to the letter.
This is one of those basic recipes which you can follow as written, if that’s what you’re happiest doing, or adapt to your own tastes with different vegetables and spices, if you’re more of an experimental cook.
Even for those of us who cook a lot, there are days when inspiration is absent (at least for me!) and it’s nice to have a few no-brainer dishes in your back pocket for these situations. This Smoky Black Bean, Potato & Avocado Hash is one of those.
Just a few humble ingredients, but combined with some spices and heat they turn into something a bit more special.
I made enough for 1 with leftovers for lunch, 2 small-ish servings or to serve a few people as a side-dish (I’m envisaging BBQ baked tofu, corn on the cob-if in season-and a quick green salad…). Or, if you’re following my own advice, make a larger batch and eat it for lunches a few days in a row. It will keep well in the fridge (Just add the avocado fresh to each serving).
- 1 Medium Potato, peeled and diced
- 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion, diced
- 1 Clove of Garlic, minced
- 1/2 Red Pepper, diced
- 1/2 Green Pepper , diced
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
- 3/4 C (1/2 Can) Cooked Black beans
- 1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke (optional)
- 1/2 Lime
- To serve: At least one of the following: avocado, fresh coriander, chopped green onions, nutritional yeast, cashew sour cream, extra lime
- Boil potatoes for 5 minutes, or until almost tender. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onion, cook 1-2 minutes, add peppers and cook a further 2 minutes.
- Add potatoes, along with spices and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are fairly soft.
- Add the beans and continue to cook for a couple of minutes to allow them to warm through and soak up the flavours. Add the liquid smoke (if using) and the juice of half a lime.
- Serve with your choice of toppings.
If you’re into these flavours and are up for something a bit more involved, try my Smoky Black Bean Empanadas with Chipotle Sour Cream!
What’s your cooking style? Rigid recipe follower? Or make-it-up-as-you-go?
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These are the BEST kind of recipes! I too spent a ton of time when I first went vegan, trying out recipes. I think it’s good for every newbie to do that-you learn & realize what you like, what you don’t. But you also learn that sometimes the best food are the “un-recipes”-you know, where you’re sort of just throwing a bunch of ingredients together-simple, quick, & easy-the 3 things I think are so important if people want to stick with eating plant-based.
Exactly! It’s sometimes easy to forget that not everyone loves spending time in the kitchen as much as me (!) and just want to be able to put something tasty, satisfying and nutritious on the table fast!
I am all for easy meals that are more ideas than recipes
Life is busy enough without complex cooking every day - plus, sometimes the simple dishes are the best!
I have to remind myself of that as I do have a tendency to make things more complicated than they need be!
I love simple dishes like this that you can rely on and turn to when life gets busy.
It’s definitely useful to have a little stash of easy meals. Even when life’s busy I don’t want to eat boring food!
So delicious! I’m glad you shared it. I was also like you, I hardly ever attempted to cook before I went veg.
My husband did all the cooking! The tables have definitely turned.
Sophia
A new-found passion for you too then!
I pretty much adore hashes so I am totally into this! Could eat it all day every day.
I need to start cooking with potatoes more! They somehow slipped off my radar for a few years!!
I agree with Janae above! These are really the best meals. While I love sharing food on the blog, I don’t always like getting out the measuring spoons and such to record what I’m doing. Free-form and eyeballing is my favorite way to cook. I’ll often peruse recipes and cookbooks for ideas and techniques, but then make it my own lazy-girl way
This hash looks great and I love that it has black beans. I never would have thought to add black beans to hash but it lends a Mexican feel to the whole thing. Looks yummy!
Know the feeling. I have been making an effort to write things down lately though as I’ve had too many delicious but unrecorded meals. I want to be able to share the successes:)
Looks tasty but what the heck is liquid smoke??
Cooking during the week has to be a no-brainer for me. Somehow I am even busier now than I was in London, so I cook big batches of simple meals at the weekends, box it up for my lunches at uni or freeze it for a quick supper when I get home in the evenings. But at the weekend I love making dessert and really nice meals - it’s my way of looking after myself.
Weekends are my cooking time too
Both for the week ahead and for fancier meals to enjoy there and then.
Ah, liquid smoke! It’s amazing stuff. I got mine in a package swap from the US but I need to see if I can get it here because my bottle’s finally running out. I’m not sure exactly the science behind it but it’s somehow made from smoke through special types of wood condensed into liquid…It adds a wonderful smoky flavour to food. BBQ sauce is not the same without it! Here is the brand I use- no additives at all. http://www.amazon.com/Wrights-Hickory-Liquid-3-5-Ounce-Packages/dp/B0025ULV4W
I’m rather partial to liquid smoke - it’s one of those handy things that you find at the back of your cupboard that make meals magic! I love a good hash - so simple, so good. Good call on the black beans, they make everything superb.
Liquid smoke is amazing isn’t it? I adore Isa’s easy pantry BBQ sauce and liquid smoke really makes it sing.
Do you know where to get it over here? I got mine in a package swap from the US ages ago but my bottle’s finally nearing its end.
I love potatoes! These look pretty with the avocado & the cooked black beans, sorta like a Mexican hash 😉
Exactly! Maybe “Mexican Hash” would have been a better name for it…
Hash is one of my favorite “I don’t feel like cooking” meals, along with stir-fry and curry. I much prefer throwing a bunch of stuff in and tasting as I go as opposed to following a recipe, but that’s mainly because I hate making extra things like measureing spoons and cups dirty.
Curries always seem to take a lot of time for me…but stir-fries and grain/bean/veg/sauce bowls are both other lazy meals for me. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to endless washing up!
I think it’s great that you posted this simple recipe. When I first went vegan I didn’t know how to cook at all. I was living off frozen and canned foods before so simple recipes like this really saved me. I bet there’s a lot of newbie vegans out there who need recipes like this! It looks really good too!!
It seems like a lot of us were in the same position
I’m glad you shared this recipe! I just made it for dinner and I love it
I’m a big fan of easy to throw together meals and this one’s perfect. Thank you!
Fabulous! Thanks so much for letting me know too. I love hearing from readers
I think these are the best kinds of recipes! I love things that are simple and easily adaptable. But I don’t think I’d change a thing on this one.
Thanks Kiersten. Glad you approve!
I love to see some SIMPLE, EASY, AND QUICK ideas! Thanks!
Made this tonight and it was so tasty. I made a few changes to what I had on hand but will definitely make it again. I doubled the recipe to have the rest for lunch tomorrow but ended up eating the whole thing! Oops 😉
Glad to hear you liked it Nicola. And eating my planned leftovers is something I always end up doing!
I double the recipe when I first made it. I was sure glad I did because it was so delicious. I used chipotle chili powder instead of regular chili powder and I did use the liquid smoke. I was worried it would have too much of a smoky flavour but it didn’t. Before I added the lime juice, I tasted it and I thought it tasted too spicy but after I add the lime juice it wasn’t too spicy…It was perfect!