This vegan protein packed tamale pie is a flavorful recipe full of plant-based proteins to power you through the day. This recipe is vegan-friendly and great for leftovers.
When it comes to making vegan dishes everyone wonders “Where is the protein?” With vegan cooking we focus on three things; The protein source, the veggie variety in the dish, and flavors we bring to each dish. And this vegan protein packed tamale pie will have you stress free not worrying about those details.
For our protein source, we used pinto beans. Just one cup of cooked pinto beans contains 15 grams of protein. Some sources say that pinto beans may even help reduce cholesterol.
What we love about beans and legumes is the fiber and vitamins that they can bring to a dish and still yield a tasty result.
Another thing that beans have that we love is versatility. Yes one of our favorite words.
You can do so many things with beans. Put them in soups, stews and a hearty chili. Add them to salsas or salads. Mash them and season them to spread on toast or use them to thicken sauces. Make a tasty veggie burger. We can go on for days about how you can use them.
This recipe uses pinto beans but you can always diversify with a variety of other beans like black beans or chickpeas. Use what you have available to help reduce your food waste. This recipe will always yield a tasty result regardless of your bean preference.
We also brought in a flavorful punch to this dish by adding some pantry staple spices and our homemade red enchilada sauce. You can find that recipe here:
We hoped you enjoyed this series of recipes this week. Leave a comment on this post if you made this or tag us on instagram by using #vegiventurer or @vegiventurer. Thank you again and we will see you next monday.
Vegan Protein Packed Tamale Pie
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 1 1/2 cups corn meal
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk
- 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Filling
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup corn fresh or frozen
- 2 jalapeños diced
- 1 medium zucchini chopped
- 1 15 oz can of beans of your choice drained and rinsed
- 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes with chilis
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2-3 cups enchilada sauce homemade or store-bought see post or recipe
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- To make the cornbread mixture, add the almond milk and apple cider vinegar into a small bowl to create a vegan buttermilk. The more apple cider vinegar you add to the cornbread base the more tangy this recipe will be so adjust to your preference.
- In a medium bowl add the corn meal, whole wheat flour, and baking powder and mix until all the dry ingredients are well combined.
- Add the maple syrup and neutral oil to your buttermilk mixture and mix until well combined. Add your wet mixture to your dry mixture and combine. Set aside while you make the filling.
- To make the filling, add 1 tbsp of oil into a skillet and add your onion. Saute the onions until they are translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add your garlic and stir until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add your green pepper, jalapeno, and corn to the pan and sweat those veggies off in the onion mixture, about 5 minutes. Once your peppers and corn have cooked through add your zuchini, beans, your diced can of tomatoes and chilis, and the spices. Heat the filling mixture through until the spices become aromatic.
- Add your enchilada sauce to your veggie mixture. The more sauce the saucier your end product will be. Transfer veggie mixture to a greased 9×11 pan. Cover your veggie mixture with the resting cornbread mixture. Bake your tamale pie at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until the cornbread is golden brown.
