Black Bean Tacos
Black Bean Tacos are a delicious way to use pantry staples, topped with creamy citrus-cilantro sauce, avocado, and saucy cabbage. Add lime and cheese for the best vegetarian (or vegan) tacos!
Servings: 4 servings
Cost: $6.71
Equipment
Ingredients
Citrusy Cilantro Avocado Sauce
Black Beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion 1/2 of 1 onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 cloves
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans black beans
- 1/3 cup vegetable broth or stock, or chicken broth/stock if not vegetarian; water can also be used
Tacos
- 1/2 head green cabbage 3 cups finely shredded
- 10 to 12 corn tortillas or flour tortillas, street-taco-sized
- Cotija cheese for serving
- Lime lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Sauce: Add 1/2 cup ripe avocado and cilantro (it’s fine to include stems; this will take most of a bunch) to a small blender. Zest and juice lime and orange to get 1 teaspoon lime zest, and 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and 4 tablespoons orange juice. Add to blender along with minced garlic, honey, jalapeño, and water. Season to taste with salt and pepper; I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust any flavors to personal preference. Place in fridge to chill while preparing everything else.
- Beans: Drain and rinse beans. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Stir until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Add in ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add in 1 and 1/2 cups beans along with broth, stock, or water. Stir, then gently mash beans with the back of a wooden spoon (or potato masher).
- Continue to cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until mixture reaches a simmer and thickens. Mash beans again, then add in remaining beans. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cover. Stir occasionally while finishing everything else. Taste and adjust salt to personal preference; I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon here, but remember the cheese (if used) is salty as well.
- Cabbage: Add cabbage to a large bowl and drizzle about half the sauce over it. Toss with tongs to combine and place in fridge.
- Tortillas: See note 1 for preparing tortillas. I typically char them over a gas flame on my stovetop, but any method works.
- Assemble: Place a large scoop of cabbage down the center of the tortillas and a few spoonfuls of beans on top. Thinly slice the other half of the avocado and add it to the tacos. Add a generous drizzle of sauce and any other desired toppings, such as cheese, additional cilantro, and/or jalapeños. If you aren’t adding cheese, you may want an extra sprinkle of salt. Squeeze some fresh lime wedges over the tacos and enjoy immediately.
Notes
Note 1: Warming Tortillas
On the grill:
- Preheat grill to medium-high (about 400–450°F). Generously oil grill by drenching a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rubbing it over grill grates.
- Spray both sides of tortillas with cooking spray, lightly sprinkle with salt, and place on grates for 30–45 seconds. Flip and leave on for another 30–45 seconds. Remove and immediately fold into a taco shape and set aside to slightly cool.
- Spray tortillas (both sides) with cooking spray, then place directly over the gas flames for a few seconds. Use tongs to flip until tortillas are lightly charred.
- Remove and immediately fold into a taco shape and set aside to slightly cool.
- Pan: Spray tortillas (both sides) with cooking spray, then place in a dry pan over medium-high heat. Use tongs to flip until tortillas are lightly browned, about 20–30 seconds per side. Remove and immediately fold into a taco shape and set aside to slightly cool.
- Microwave: Put up to 5 tortillas on a microwavable plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave in 30-second bursts until they are warmed through, then remove and immediately fold into a taco shape and fill.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 87.7g | Protein: 19.1g | Fat: 9.6g | Sodium: 956.2mg | Fiber: 23.9g | Sugar: 19.3g