Easy Black Bean Vegan Street Tacos | edibleperspective.com

How about I forgot the little spoonful of salsa on top of these black bean vegan street tacos!

I'm hoping you won't hold it against me and we can continue on with the recipe...? Just imagine the most perfect spoonful of a thin, flavor-packed smoky salsa cascading over the avocado and onto the beans.

Amateur hour over here.

Moving on...

These tacos were inspired by our new weekend craving from a neighborhood food truck. We're fairly obsessed and have eaten them every weekend since finding this truck. Sometimes two nights in a row. But now we're enjoying something pretty similar right at home. While there are still one or two aspects that make their tacos a little extra delicious, these are pretty dang close. Honestly, I think it may be their tortillas. They are SO good.

The bean mixture is simple but flavor packed and includes a secret ingredient that adds a lot of richness. It's really all about the beans. But it's also about the perfect, half-crisped tortilla and a mound of lime-spritzed avocado. Oh, and the salsa. The salsa that I forgot. I'll never let myself live that down. In any event, make sure you find a good one.

My hope is that this will be an easy, go-to meal for you. It's extremely easy to double or triple and great for serving to a crowd. I've been tweaking this recipe for months now and am finally ready to share.

So let's get on with it.

Print Recipe!

Black Bean Vegan Street Tacos

gluten-free, vegan // yields: 3-4 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 - 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups black beans, drained with 1/2 cup cooking liquid reserved (or liquid from can)
2 limes
3-4 teaspoons smoky/chipotle hot sauce, or adobo sauce
2-3 ripe avocados
chipotle or tomatilla salsa (you want a thin salsa, not chunky style w/tomatoes)
10- 12 mini corn tortillas (about 4-inches)
shaved onion and/or chopped cilantro (optional)

In a medium pot, heat your oil over medium. Once hot, add the onion, a pinch of salt, and cook stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes. You want the onions super soft and starting to brown. Add the garlic and stir for 30-60 seconds. Now add the cocoa powder, cumin, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir for 30 seconds. Stir in the beans + cooking liquid, juice from 1 lime, and hot sauce.

Bring the beans to a simmer and simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes, until beans start to thicken but not letting all of the liquid cook off. Stir every few minutes. Taste and add more salt and hot sauce to taste. I used about 1 1/4 tsp. salt. The hot sauce is more for the smoky flavor than spice in this recipe.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to broil. When your beans are about half done, spread tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place on a rack in the center of your oven and let toast for about 2-3 minutes. Flip and toast another 2-3 minutes. Watch very closely as you don't want them to fully crisp. (They're much harder to eat when fully crisp.)

Scoop avocado into a bowl, top with juice from 1/2 lime and a hefty pinch of salt. Mash to desired consistency. Taste and add more lime + salt if desired.

Assemble tacos with beans, avocado, a small spoonful of salsa, and shaved onion and/or cilantro (if desired). Serve immediately.

Notes:

If you can't imagine a taco without cheese, grate pepperjack or sharp cheddar and sprinkle on the tortillas after flipping the first time. Let cook until bubbly then assemble. (This is how they are served from the taco truck.)

Now, I have a favor to ask!

I'm working on an exciting new project involving live streaming video casts that I'll be hosting on a new food platform called NOM. It was actually started by the co-founder of YouTube. And not only are the video sessions live, but we'll also be able to interact while it's all happening with a chat feature. So cool! Have a question during the show, ask away and I can answer!

My actual channel is here: Edible Perspective on Nom

I'll be updating the page soon, but you can already join and follow along. For now, I need your help with what types of food-related topics you'd like me to cover. It can really be anything at all! ie: a specific cooking how-to, showing easy breakfast recipes, talking about certain ingredients and how to use them, stocking a pantry, etc. The shows are about 20-25min long, so I can really cover a lot and it's starting next week! Your help is much appreciated!!

Stay tuned to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the details in when to tune in! I'm nervous + scared + excited but it's going to be SO FUN!

Happy Friday!

Ashley