The Ultimate Vegetarian Empanada: Beans Make it Better

This post was sponsored by S&W Beans as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Is it me or are empanadas totally trending on the food scene right now? I keep seeing them pop up on menus and I get it… they’re delicious! Chef Jose Garces has the most awesome recipe for ‘Empanadas de Morocho con Picadillo‘ featured in his book ‘The Latin Road Home‘. I’m making them at home with a tweak, we’re ditching the ground beef and trading for a healthier, meatless option… kidney beans. The ultimate vegetarian empanada is born!

Chef Jose Garces’ Empanada Recipe

Chef Jose Garces’ ‘Empanadas de Morocho con Picadillo‘ is a seriously flavorsome recipe, full of spices, onions, herbs, olives, currants and even egg. To me, it already has the basis of a fantastic vegetarian meal, no meat required! I love that everything is made from scratch, you’ll make an authentic pastry using arepa flour (made from corn), which when fried creates the perfect crispy parcel.

Why Beans Make it Better

I’m trading the ground beef in the original recipe for S&W Premium Kidney Beans. Beans work perfectly with Spanish influenced food and can be substituted easily to make a healthier, cost-effective vegetarian option for ground beef recipes. Beans soak up flavors and spices brilliantly and are packed with protein and fiber for a balanced, healthy diet.

You don’t have to use kidney beans, but I love the rich color and flavor, and with highly spiced recipes they are my bean of choice. S&W Beans have been producing premium quality ingredients for 120 years, they really are the go-to for a high-quality bean and experts in their field. They also offer three varieties in each bean including low-sodium and organic options.

Beans are already great value, but who doesn’t like a coupon deal? Download a coupon for $1 off two cans of S&W beans –> here. The coupon can be used on any variety you like!

Eating less meat and finding alternatives

Last year, one of my new year’s resolutions was to eat less meat. I’m not sure if I’m ready for full-blown vegetarianism but I am definitely feeling the pull towards a more sustainable, cruelty-free living. 

Beans make the perfect meat substitute and S&W Beans offer a number of varieties to fit your perfect recipe. Not only are they delicious and healthy, they look fantastic too… when you’re substituting, consider mixing bean varieties for a gorgeous mix of colors and flavors.

We already cook a lot of vegetarian food but I do love finding a new resource for meatless meal ideas. The S&W Bean recipe page has loads of ideas from classic chili to unique delights, you can find their many bean recipes –> here.

The Ultimate Vegetarian Empanada Recipe

This recipe has three parts: Making the pastry, making the filling, and putting them together. You don’t have to do it back-to-back. The pastry will keep for a couple of days in the fridge no problem, just keep it in a ball, wrapped in plastic.

This recipe can be family-friendly or just for grown-ups: I like to showcase recipes I eat with my kids, and these little parcels are perfect for lunchboxes while hiding lots of veggie goodness in an appealing pastry packaging. However, spiced as Chef Jose Garces makes them… they punch quite a fiery kick, and pair fantastically with a Mexican beer. So… whether you’re making grown-up party snacks or lunch for the kids, adjust your spice level accordingly!

 

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I’d love to know how you find the recipe, I was really pleased with how they turned out.

Replacing the meat with beans was easy and could be applied to any ground beef recipe. The premium quality and versatility of S&W Beans will definitely be playing a role in my mission to eat less meat and live healthier. Don’t forget to get yourself a coupon!