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:
- Always make a sandwich sauce. A creamy flavourful sauce will make a simple veggie sandwich next level delicious.
- 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.
Vegan Spicy Black Bean Pita Sandwich
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
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!
Jessica says
These were amazing! I don't normally like cumin very much, but this sauce was really delicious. The beans were tasty and I loved all the veggies. Next time I'll add olives, but that's all I'd change. Thanks Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it, Jessica!
Sandra says
This recipe is so easy and sooo delicious. Made this for lunch but used tortillas in place of pita, just because I didn't have any. Also, the cumin flavoured mayo is so yummy. Love, love, love this!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Sandra!
Kelly says
Hey Sam, as soon as this popped up in my inbox it caught my attention. Since I love all the components I could only believe I would love them all together in this pita/sandwich recipe. Boy, was I right. These are delicious! And the best part is I have leftovers so I can eat them again tomorrow!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing! So happy you loved it Kelly!