Vegan Black Bean Taquitos

When was the last time you ate taquitos? For me, it was many many years ago, back when I still ate meat. We used to get the gigantic pack of frozen beef taquitos that you could just pop in the microwave, and bing! Delicious. Of course, the meat no longer sounds delicious, but the crispy tortilla and a savory filling sounded amazing. So I made a vegetarian and gluten-free version! Warning…due to the frying factor, these are not so healthy. To make them healthier, bake instead of fry them! And as long as you don’t top them with shredded cheddar like I did, they are 100% vegan (and gluten-free of course)! Yummo.

Ingredients
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
5 small corn tortillas
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
dash of paprika
salt & pepper to taste
canola oil

Instructions
After draining and rinsing the black beans, add them to a saucepan with olive oil, and heat over medium until hot & soft. Mash beans directly in pot with a potato masher. Mash until relatively smooth; it doesn’t have to be perfect….you’ll still see some whole beans in there.

Mix in garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika & salt and pepper. Taste and adjust accordingly. Add more olive oil if too dry.

Heat 1/2 inch of canola oil in a deep sautee pan. Place large spoonful of beans onto tortilla and roll tightly, seam down. Once oil is hot, place all your rolls seam side down in the oil. Fry until golden brown on the bottom, then flip. Remove when all sides are golden brown.

Drain on a paper towel. Serve with sour cream, salsa, cheese, cilantro, guacomole, or whatever your heart desires! I topped mine with shredded cheddar, Tofutti vegan sour cream, salsa, and cilantro. Mmmm I will definitely be making these again!