Tomato Pesto Beans and Wedges (Vegan Gluten-Free)

This high-protein, vegan and gluten-free Tomato Pesto Beans and Wedges bowl is easy to make and packed with Mediterranean flavours. It is a great midweek dinner, speedy lunch or meal prep idea for the family or for one.

I just love a good bowl meal: one that is full of vegetables, wholegrains, proteins and colour. This Italian-inspired meal is packed with good-for-you ingredients like peppers, sweet and regular potatoes, black beans and good quality olive oil plus it’s a great midweek meal for all the family. Or, if you’re cooking for one or two, you can save a couple of portions for later on in the week or it freezes really well. Moreover, this recipe is the perfect time to try out Veganuary – you won’t even notice this meal is vegan as it’s so full of colour, flavour and texture.

Why will I love this bowl?

This meal is packed with flavour, it is:

• Rich, tomatoey and saucy
• Made with good-for-you ingredients
• Packed with 2-3 of your 5-a-day of fruits and vegetables
• High in protein and fibre
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free and nut-free
• Wholesome, filling and hearty
• Quick and easy to make
• Minimal prep or fuss required
• Great for meal prep and for freezing

If you already love this Mediterranean-inspired Tomato Pesto Beans and Wedges then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.

What ingredients do I need?

The recipe is split into three parts; the wedges; the tomato pesto beans and then the rest of the bowl.

This is what we need:

• Potatoes and sweet potatoes: for more colour and goodness, I like to use a mix of white and sweet potatoes. Chop them into wedges and bake till crispy outside and tender inside.
• Olive oil: for frying off the beans and for the wedges, too. You can use any olive oil but I like a darker, richer one.
• Oregano: I just love fresh oregano and it adds tons of Italian flavour to the wedges and to the saucy beans. If you don’t have fresh oregano, you can use dried oregano too. If using dried herbs, add 1 tsp to the wedges and 1 tsp to the beans.
• Onion: the base of all good meals. I like red onion but white onion or spring onion is also great.
• Garlic: for flavour.
• Red pepper: or you can use orange or yellow bell pepper, too. Try courgette if you don’t have any peppers.
• Hot smoked paprika: for a little heat and flavour.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: these work so well with the pesto and tomato passata and add some soft texture as well as a rich flavour. I use the ones that come in olive oil and simply chop them up.
• Sacla’ vegan tomato pesto: this is so delicious and was the inspiration for this recipe. It is rich, tomatoey and packed with flavour from italic tomato paste, fresh basil, pine nuts and sweet red peppers. It adds tons of flavour here although if needed, you can use a green pesto, too, or try my homemade Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto.
• Black beans: I love black beans, they are so versatile and they are great for these saucy beans. If needed, you can swap these for chickpeas, cannellini beans or pre-cooked lentils.
• Tomato passata: this makes the beans really saucy and rich. Tomato passata is better than using chopped tomatoes as the sauce is thicker and richer but you can use chopped tomatoes, if needed, although the sauce will be more watery.
• Brown rice: or you can use another wholegrain like quinoa, buckwheat or bulgur wheat. Check that your grain is gluten-free, where needed.
• Avocado: aim for ripe avocados as we are mashing them with the lime to make guacamole. The creamy ones have a better texture and creamier taste, too.
• Lime: squeeze some lime for making the guacamole and add some wedges to the bowls before serving. You can also use lemon but lime really has the better flavour here.
• Salt and pepper: for seasoning.

How do I make this?

This meal comes together in a few steps:

• Make the wedges: slice the potatoes before tossing with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and then bake for 40 minutes till crispy.
• Fry off the onions, garlic and peppers: for the sauce till soft.
• Add in the spices and herbs then all of the other ingredients: bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes till saucy and thick.
• Cook the rice and mash the avocado: to prepare all the side ingredients.
• Serve the beans alongside the rice, wedges and avocado: and serve with other toppings, as you like.

Is this gluten-free and nut-free?

Yes this is fully gluten-free (as long as you use rice or another gluten-free grain) and make sure that your pesto is nut-free, where needed. Note that the Sacla’ pesto is not nut-free, so make my sunflower seed-based Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto instead.

How long will this last?

Once made, keep the beans for 2-3 days in the fridge in a sealed container or you can freeze them for up to 1 month, allowing them to defrost before warming up and enjoying.

What else can I make?

If you are looking for more dinner and lunch ideas, how about my:

• Pumpkin and Kidney Bean Chilli
• Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls with Basil Vinaigrette
• Kale Orange and Feta Salad
• Vegan Pesto Feta Filo Pastry Swirls
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Babka Wreath

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Tomato Pesto Beans and Wedges bowl so please let me know what you think in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this, I’d love to see, so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With tomato pesto beany love x

p.s. this recipe was first made with Sacla‘ but this blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.