Vegan Spicy Black Bean Pita Sandwich

This 20-minute vegan pita is next-level delicious! With spicy black beans, a creamy tangy mayo, and a mountain of fresh veg, this is the perfect hearty vegan sandwich to enjoy for lunch or dinner. This vegan spicy black bean pita sandwich can be made oil-free or gluten-free if you desire. If you don't have any pitas on hand, feel free to load all of these toppings into a wrap or on your favourite sandwich bread.

If you follow me on Instagram, you will know by now that I married Adam the Sandwich King. As much as I have made some pretty epic vegan sandwiches in my life, I'm always open to learning new tricks. Two important sandwich-making tricks that Adam taught me are:

1. Always make a sandwich sauce. A creamy flavourful sauce will make a simple veggie sandwich next level delicious.
2.  Adding something hot (as in temperature hot) makes a sandwich so much more epic. The combo of something hot layered into a sandwich with cold veg makes this hot/cold combo that is to die for delicious and feels much heartier and more exciting than an all cold sandwich.

So for this vegan spicy black bean pita sandwich, I kept both of these tricks in mind to make the most satiating, flavor-packed, everything-a-good-sandwich-should-be, hearty simple meal... and all in 20 minutes I might add!

For the sandwich sauce (trust me this is everything), I mixed vegan mayo with lemon juice, garlic, and cumin for a simply tangy delicious spread. The garlic flavour will get more potent if you make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge, so the leftover sauce is also great for more sandwiches or for dipping veggies.

For the hot element, I quickly sautéd up black beans with spicy seasonings. The combo of the hot beans paired with the raw fresh veg, and the creamy sandwich sauce is amazing!

How to make a vegan spicy black bean pita sandwich:

To make the Spicy Black Beans: heat the oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown. Add the black beans, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt and stir to combine. Cook for another 3 - 5 minutes to heat the beans through. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the Tangy Garlic Mayo: In a small bowl, mix together the vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin. Set aside.

To assemble the Pita Sandwiches: Warm the pitas, if desired. Spread each pita with about 2 tablespoons of the tangy garlic mayo. Divide the black bean mixture among the pitas, and then all of the remaining toppings- the avocado, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, red onion, and banana peppers. Enjoy!

This vegan spicy black bean pita sandwich is fantastic assembled, but feel free to enjoy parts of the recipes seperatly. The spicy black beans will also be delicious on top of rice, or in a taco. And the tangy mayo is great on any sandwich or for dipping veggies.

Bon appetegan!

Sam Turnbull.

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Vegan Spicy Black Bean Pita Sandwich

20-minute sandwich loaded with spicy black beans, a creamy tangy mayo, and a mountain of fresh veg. Oil-free and gluten-free options are included. And if you aren't into spice you can still enjoy the sandwich, just check the recipe notes.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

ingredient tag: avocado, beans, tomatoes

Servings: 4 pita sandwiches

Calories: 492kcal

Author: Sam Turnbull • It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken

Ingredients

For the Spicy Black Beans

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (19oz) (2 cups) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Tangy Garlic Mayo:

• ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
• ½ teaspoon cumin

For the Sandwich:

• 4 pitas, warmed if desired (gluten-free if preferred)
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• ½ head romaine lettuce, separated into leaves
• ½ cup cucumber, sliced
• ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup pickled hot banana pepper rings

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

• To make the Spicy Black Beans: heat the oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion turns translucent and begins to brown. Add the black beans, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt and stir to combine. Cook for another 3 - 5 minutes to heat the beans through. Remove from heat and set aside.
• To make the Tangy Garlic Mayo: In a small bowl, mix together the vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, and cumin. Set aside.
• To assemble the Pita Sandwiches: Warm the pitas, if desired. Spread each pita with about 2 tablespoons of the tangy garlic mayo. Divide the black bean mixture among the pitas, and then all of the remaining toppings- the avocado, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, red onion, and banana peppers. Enjoy!

Notes

Oil-free: to make oil-free, omit the oil in the beans and instead do a water or broth sauté. Sub the vegan mayonnaise with vegan yogurt or an oil-free homemade vegan sour cream such as my favourite recipe found on page 207 in Fuss-Free Vegan cookbook. 

Pitas: feel free to sub the pitas for your favourite wrap or sandwich bread. 

Spicy: If you aren't a fan of spice, omit the cayenne and the hot pickled banana peppers. If you like a lot of spice you may want to increase the cayenne just a wee bit depending on your taste preferences.

Make-Ahead/ Meal Plan: Make the beans, and sandwich sauce ahead of time. Store separately in air-tight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Assemble the sandwiches fresh. You can re-heat the beans in the microwave if desired.

Sandwich toppings: feel free to swap out the veg with whatever vegetables you prefer or have on hand.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pita sandwich (recipe makes 4 sandwiches) | Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 519mg | Potassium: 715mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7634IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 2mg

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