Black Beans and Greens

This healthy Black Beans and Greens recipe combines a few simple ingredients like black beans, healthy chorizo, Hatch green chile, arugula (or other greens), and fresh orange juice in a healthy, quick, one-pot meal. Served with sliced avocado, quick-pickled onions, crumbled cotija, and corn tortillas, it’s an exciting “bowl” style meal with a Latin vibe!

A white ceramic bowl with healthy black beans and greens with chorizo, avocado, pickled onions, crumbled cotija, lime wedges, and tortillas.

Perhaps as a consequence of marrying young and spending the first 7 years of marriage with hubby in a PhD program, we ate a LOT OF BEANS. By the time he finished school, we were expecting our third son, and beans were cheap and nutritious. Always a creative cook, I found myriad ways to cook them.

Fast forward to 2021, and we still love beans… all the beans. Black beans and pintos probably fit the border Mexican/Latin food the best, and they’re always in my pantry and/or freezer. Beans make their way into borracho-style pintos, tropical black bean bowls, shakshuka, and more… They’re so versatile, a great source of fiber and protein, and deserve to be more than a side dish.

My inspiration for black bean bowls with chorizo was Rick Bayless’ Mexican Beans with Chorizo and Greens from his Mexican Everyday cookbook. It reminded me of Italian-style white beans and greens, but with Mexican flavors. I love healthy one-pot meals, and this one was calling my name! Of course I have to make it my own.😄

❤️ What I Love About this Black Beans Recipe

  • It’s made in one pot, so clean up is a snap!
  • From start to finish it takes about 20 minutes.
  • You can customize it with favorite toppings and accompaniments.
  • It’s healthy, gluten free, low fat, relatively low carb, and a complete meal on its own.
  • This one dish meal (without toppings or accompaniments) contains approximately 333 calories, 25 g of protein, 48 g of carbohydrates, and 5 g of fat.
  • It’s high in potassium, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium!
  • black beans – You can start with rinsed and drained canned beans or dried beans that have been cooked (always my preference!). You may choose to substitute a different kind of bean, and that’s cool too!
  • chorizo – This recipe requires fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, NOT cured Spanish chorizo sausage. My homemade chorizo recipe is super quick and easy to make, and it’s very lean chorizo. I usually make it with have lean ground pork and half lean ground turkey. I don’t always have it on hand, but I do keep lean chorizo from my market in the freezer, and do not hesitate to use it in this dish. DO NOT RECOMMEND using the chorizo that comes in a tube as it’s so fatty. It’s more like flavored grease.
  • onion
  • garlic
  • ground cumin
  • green chile – Of course I love Hatch green chile, and that is my recommendation. Roasted poblanos are an excellent option, and they’re widely available. Anaheim chiles are a great option, especially if you don’t want the added heat. See Types of Green Chile for more. A minced jalapeño or two will provide a slightly different end result, but they’re a fine substitution.
  • fresh orange juice
  • chicken broth or stock
  • greens – You want to use young greens so that they wilt in the pot. On photo day, I used arugula – I love its peppery bite! Baby spinach or mixed baby greens are great as well. If you decide to use something like chard or kale, you’ll want to simmer them with the beans and chorizo until tender.
Ingredients for the healthy black beans and greens bowls: Black beans, Hatch green chile, onion, arugula, cumin, garlic, orange, chorizo.

🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

A cast iron skillet with onions, garlic, and cumin with a wooden spoon.
  • Sauté the aromatics – Add the onion, garlic, and cumin to a sauté pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes.
A cast iron skillet with chorizo sausage added to the onions.
  • Cook the chorizo sausage – Add the chorizo sausage to the skillet, and break it up with the edge of a spoon. NOTE: I love my potato masher for making quick work of breaking up the chorizo.
The beans added to the skillet.
  • Stir in the black beans.
The green chile is added to the skillet along with the black beans and chorizo.
  • Add the chopped green chile.
The arugula and orange juice are added to the skillet just prior to serving.
  • Squeeze the orange over the black bean mixture and add broth/stock if it looks dry. Bring to a boil, add the arugula. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. When the greens are wilted, stir to combine, and adjust seasoning.
A black cast iron skillet with the finished black beans, chorizo, and greens, a bowl of sliced avocado, a bowl of pickled onions, and a bowl of crumbled cotija cheese, ready to go into the black bean bowls.
  • To serve – Divide the black beans, chorizo, and greens into 2 servings. Top or garnish as desired. Enjoy!
A white bowl with black beans, chorizo, and greens, avocado, crumbled cotija, lime wedge, pickled onions, and a tortilla alongside copper flatware and a glass of wine.

🧅 Suggested Toppings and Garnishes

  • sliced avocado
  • quick pickled onions – Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in 3/4 cup white wine or rice vinegar (microwave or stove top). Add 1 thin-sliced red onion to a glass jar, and pour the vinegar over top. Seal the jar. Allow to soak 30 minutes or several hours before serving.
  • crumbled cotija or queso fresco
  • lime wedges
  • tortillas

💭 Tips

Young, tender greens require wilting rather than cooking, and are the quickest option. You can use greens like chard, kale, beet, etc., but you will need to add a little extra broth and simmer them until tender.

Start with cooked black beans. I often have a package of black beans that I’ve cooked from dried black beans, and use them if I do. I also keep canned black beans in my pantry.

Your have several options for the green chile. You can use chopped Hatch green chile, roasted, seeded and stemmed chopped poblano or Anaheim chile, or minced jalapeño or serrano chiles, even a bell pepper if the heat is an issue.

❓FAQ

What kind of chorizo should I use?

This is a very important question! This is a fresh Mexican chorizo dish (as opposed to cured Spanish style chorizo). If you purchase chorizo, look for bulk chorizo sausage rather than the links in a plastic casing. The links tend to be mostly grease. I highly recommend homemade chorizo if you have the time.

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps to offset the costs of maintaining my blog and creating awesome content! 😊

Potato Masher
Colorful Prep Bowls for Toppings
Cast Iron Skillet with Lid

I feel confident that you’ll love this One Pot Mexican Black Beans Chorizo and Greens. It’s so quick, healthy, and easy, it’s a perfect weeknight meal in a bowl!

Signature in red and green with chiles and limes. Healthyish Latin cuisine.
Yield: 2 servings

Healthy Black Bean Bowls with Chorizo

A white ceramic bowl with the black beans, tortilla, pickled onion, avocado, cheese, print napkin and copper flatware.

A quick and healthy black beans recipe with lean Mexican chorizo and arugula... Serve it with your favorite Mexican toppings "bowl" style! 20 to 30 minutes is all you need!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Black Beans Chorizo and Greens

  • a drizzle of olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 ounces lean chorizo (see FAQ in post)
  • 1/3 cup chopped roasted green chile (Hatch, poblano, Anaheim)
  • juice of 1 small orange
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken broth (as needed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and a few grind fresh pepper
  • 5 ounces tender greens (baby spinach, arugula)

Toppings Suggestions

  • crumbled cotija or diced queso fresco
  • sliced or diced avocado
  • lime wedges
  • pickled onions
  • tortillas

Instructions

    1. Add the onion, garlic, and cumin to a sauté pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook until fragrant, stirring frequently, about 2-3 minutes.
    2. Add the chorizo sausage to the skillet, and break it up with the edge of a spoon.
    3. Stir in the black beans.
    4. Add the chopped green chile.
    5. Squeeze the orange over the black bean mixture and add broth/stock if it looks dry. Bring to a boil, add the arugula. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. When the greens are wilted, stir to combine, and adjust seasoning.
    6. To serve - Divide the black beans, chorizo, and greens into 2 servings. Top or garnish as desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Macronutrients are an approximation from MyFitnessPal.com, and an approximation only! They do not include toppings!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 5gCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 25g

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