Tacos with Black Beans
Best food for sharing? Tacos! This recipe for vegan bean tacos is one of my favourite lately - it is easy to make and I have it with salsa, pickled onions, lots of avocado and coriander and it is the best!
Don’t be scared when you look at the ingredients list - it might seem like a lot but it isn’t! Lots of it are spices, which majority I’d say you already have at home.. And despite the fact that the ingredients list might seem long, it is actually very quick to make (just the pickled onion needs to be done ahead).
Do you like tacos? Do you have a favourite place to go for them? I have to admit - I prefer to make tacos at home, because it can be challenging to eat them and I don’t exactly want other people to watch me. But it is one of my favourite food, I like to make it for dinner for my boyfriend and myself and after that to watch a film - a great lockdown date (not that we are in lockdown anymore). You know what? Not just lockdown date, I would make these for a date night at home anytime!
What ingredients do you need for vegan tacos with black beens?
TORTILLAS - I strongly recommend using traditional corn tortillas (the soft ones). They taste a bit different, if all you ever had were wheat tortillas, but they are so much better! Besides they are gluten free (if you are a celiac). You can also use hard taco shells but personally I’m in soft tortillas team, much easier to eat in my opinion. I used these ones - they are freshly made in the UK so that’s a plus, or previously we had these - both of them are great. Or you could also make homemade tortillas!
BLACK BEANS - the easiest option is to buy them in a tin. You could also cook them yourself - which should be about 3/4 cup dried beans. If you can’t find them anywhere, use any other kind of beans.
TOMATOES - certain things are the best when in season and tomatoes are definitely that kind. The best ones to use are fresh and firm tomatoes but you can use any kind you like.
LIME JUICE - adds acidity to salsa (not just acidity, that specific taste too)
RED ONION - is a big one in this recipe - I used it for the filling (although there you can replace it with white onion), for salsa and then I pickled it. Don’t skip any of those - definitely not the pickled one, it brings slightly acidic flavour to it and it has the best colour.
VINEGAR - you can use either white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or even apple cider vinegar.
CORIANDER - I know that lots of people dislike coriander but in my opinion it just has to be in some recipes - and this one is definitely it.
For more meals to share be sure to check out:
Vegan Butter Milk Crackers (they go amazingly with that hummus)
Broiled White Cabbage with Tahini Sauce
If you make these tacos, and take photos of it, be sure to tag me on instagram - @bigbakesmanifesto and use hashtag #bigbakesmanifesto too! I love to see people making my recipes.
Serves two (fills 6 soft 15cm tacos)
Ingredients
Pickled Onions
1/2 medium red onion - thinly sliced
1/4 cup vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
Salsa
150 g tomatoes - chopped into small pieces
1/2 small red onion - chopped thinly
1 big garlic clove - minced
juice from 1 lime
1/2 bunch (or to taste) coriander - chopped
Filling
2 tsp oil (mild tasting one)
1/2 medium onion - chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 can black beans (400 g) - rinsed and drained
1/3 cup water
to serve: tortillas or hard taco shells, avocado, yoghurt*, salt and pepper, coriander, lime, lettuce,…
Method
Pickled onions (make at least an hour before you want to serve food)
Put onions into a clean jar/bowl. In a small saucepan bring vinegar and water to simmer. Add salt and sugar and let it dissolve.
Pour the liquid over onions and leave it.
Salsa
Mix everything together in a bowl. You can add bit more lime juice/vinegar if it’s not enough for you.
Filling
Heat up oil in a medium pan. Add onion and cook for about 5 mins.
Add cumin, paprika, oregano and salt and cook for about 1 min.
Add black beans and water and cook for about 10 mins - stir it few times. You might need to add some water, you’ll see. Season according to your taste.
Assembling
If you are using soft tortillas, heat them up a bit - there will be instructions on the packet. Fill them with beans, salsa, avocado, garlic yoghurt, pickled onions and coriander and enjoy!
Notes:
Yoghurt - mix half a cup yoghurt with 1 big minced clove of garlic, salt and pepper.