Refried pinto beans, Tex-Mex spiced rice, cashew sour cream, guacamole, tahini cheese, lettuce and tomato are stuffed into warm tortillas to make these mouth-watering vegan seven layer burritos.
Yeah, I went there. This is a copycat recipe, which is something I don't do all that often. Somehow or another though, I ended up with a few of these in my post lineup. So there's more vegan copycat deliciousness to come. Brace yourselves!
I probably don't do this much because I went vegetarian so young, so for the most part, I have no idea what lots of everyone's favorite meaty restaurant dishes taste like. But, as with many-a-vegetarian, Taco Bell is different. Because for lots of us, Taco Bell was the only vegetarian fast food you could get for a while.
I wasn't actually a seven layer burrito girl though. I was more into the classic bean and cheese burrito, which you could totally turn this into by just skipping the five excess layers. But most people seemed to be fans of the seven layer burrito, including my husband, so when I mentioned the possibility of making a vegan seven layer burrito, he was all about it. And it's way more fun to veganize seven layers than two, right? (Okay, three of the layers were already vegan, so I'm just giving the treatment to four, but whatever.)
So I decided to veganize the seven layer burrito, and oh man it was good. Maybe I was missing something all along sticking with plain old bean and cheese? In any event, I'm super glad I decided to go this route.
Is seven layers too much for a simple burrito? I think not! Obviously seven layers of filling is a bit more work than one or two, but it's not as much as you'd think. All of the fillings are simple, and while the beans and rice simmer on the stove-top, you've got plenty of time to mix up everything else. Also, for the most part, the layers keep well, so you can whip up a double or triple batch of everything and have several days' worth of dinners (or packed lunches) on hand. Just take care when packing up the guacamole for storage.
And finally, if you only want to actually make a handful of the layers yourself and go with store bought vegan cheese, guac, sour cream, or whatever, that's totally okay with me. :)
Vegan Seven Layer Burritos
Refried pinto beans, Tex-Mex spiced rice, cashew sour cream, guacamole, tahini cheese, lettuce and tomato are stuffed into warm tortillas to make these mouthwatering vegan seven layer burritos.
Ingredients
For the Rice:
- Ā½ cup long grain brown rice
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 Ā½ teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Ā½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Ā¼ teaspoon paprika
- Ā¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Ā¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
For the Refried Beans:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 14 ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Water
- Salt to taste
For the Tahini Cheese Sauce:
- Ā¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce (Cholula works great)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- About Ā¼ cup non-dairy milk
For the Cashew Sour Cream:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours and drained
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Ā¼ cup to Ā½ cup water
- Salt to taste
For the Guacamole:
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
- Ā¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 tbsp. lime juice
- 1 jalapeƱo pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt to taste
Everything Else:
- 4 large, burrito size flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 medium tomato, diced
- Hot sauce (Again, I like Cholula for this)
Instructions
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Begin by making the rice. Stir everything but the salt together in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower heat and cover. Allow to simmer, covered, until all of the water has been absorbed, about 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes with the lid on. Uncover and fluff a few times with a fork. Season with salt to taste.
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While the rice cooks, prepare the beans. Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until very fragrant. Stir in the beans, cumin, and 1 cup of water. Raise heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Lower heat and allow to simmer until the beans fall apart completely, about 40 minutes, adding water to the skillet every so often (about Ā½ cup at a time), as it dries out. When finished cooking, remove from heat and season with salt to taste.
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While the beans and rice cook, prepare the tahini cheese sauce by whisking everything together in a small bowl, using as much water as needed to get a nice thick but smooth consistency.
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To make the cashew sour cream, place the cashews, lemon juice and Ā¼ cup of water into blender and blend until smooth. Thin with additional water if you'd like, and season with salt to taste.
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To make the guacamole, place the avocado halves into a medium bowl and mash with a fork. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season with salt to taste.
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Place a forth of the rice into the center of a tortilla, then place a scoop of beans on top of the rice. Top with tahini cheese, guacamole, cashew sour cream, lettuce, tomato and hot sauce. Roll into a burrito and repeat until all of the tortillas are used. Serve.
Recipe Notes
If you want to cheat and cut the cook-time for the beans, feel free to mash them a bit with a fork. I really prefer to let them cook down, as the texture is much better, but it does take a bit of cook time.
You can use a different variety of rice if you'd like. Just refer to the package directions. adjust the cook time and use an amount of vegetable broth to equal the amount of water called for.
Bethany says
This burrito looks so amazing! And the fact that it is vegan is awesome!
Alissa Saenz says
Thank you!!
A says
Thank you for a delicious meal. My Italian (read meat & cheese obsessed) husband said, "that was the best burrito I've ever had!"
Alissa Saenz says
Yay!! I'm so glad you both enjoyed them! Thank you so much!!