Cool Refried Bean Wraps

Serve these easy refried bean wraps for lunch with with stone-ground natural tortilla chips and some fruit; or for dinner, with baked potatoes or sweet potatoes (tortilla chips and salsa are welcome, too). They’re also a good companion to soups. These go really well with Potato, Corn, and Green Chile Soup, for example. Photos by Evan Atlas.

Using organic refried beans makes this a snap, but if you’re a DIY kind of person, follow the link at the end of the recipe to make your own from scratch. To feed more people, the recipe doubles easily. If you’re eating solo, you might as well make two, as these keep well.

Make one for dinner, and pack the second one for lunch the next day. What to do with the remaining half can of refried beans? Make Easy Hot Bean Dip, which also calls for half a can. Or, you can freeze the rest for future wraps.

Makes: 2 wraps

• 1/2 (16 oz) can spicy or green chili organic vegan refried beans (or see Note if you want to make them from scratch)
• 2 (10 inch) round wraps, lightly warmed if desired
• thinly shredded romaine lettuce, as needed
• 1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sliced pitted briny olives or sliced sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-cured)
• fresh or pickled jalapeño pepper slices, optional

1. Combine half of the refried beans in a bowl with 1/4 cup of water, and work together with a fork until smooth, to thin the beans out a bit (most canned refried beans are too dense to spread.
2. Divide the refried beans between the two wraps and spread evenly.
3. Arrange a mound of lettuce down the center of one wrap. Arrange half of the avocado slices over it, then a layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle with olives or dried tomatoes, and finally the optional jalapeños. Repeat with the second wrap.
4. Fold ends over the row of avocado and tomato, then wrap snugly. Cut each in half crosswise. Serve at room temperature and eat out of hand.

Note: If you prefer to cook your own beans, here’s a from-scratch recipe for Refried Pinto Beans. Once they’re done and cooled, spice them up with chili powder, cumin, and fresh or canned chilies.

• Here are lots more recipes for vegan sandwiches and wraps.