Savoury and satisfying Black Bean and Corn Tacos are always a winner, especially with fresh toppings like cilantro lime slaw!
Try serving with this Quinoa Salad with Lentils and Beets!
Taco night is always a big hit in our house or when we serve them for guests. I’ve made tacos in so many different ways but this, without a doubt, is my favourite!
The creamy and savoury beans match perfectly with sweet corn and crispy slaw. But there is no reason to stop there!
Part of the fun with eating tacos is assembling them yourself. There are so many toppings that can be added that each taco can be a completely different experience!
I found that a cilantro lime slaw was a perfect match for black bean tacos, bringing a beautiful mix of textures and fresh taste. But there are so many other options to choose from, so make sure you read to the end to get some ideas!
How to make Black Bean Tacos
The list of ingredients for the black bean filling is fairly long, but this doesn’t mean that they are complicated to make. In fact, they are quite easy to master!
Heat up the vegetable oil in your frying pan and sauté the chopped onion over low heat. You want them to be soft and translucent, which should take about 5-7 minutes.
Once the onions are ready, add the pressed garlic and give it about 30 seconds longer. Again, this should be over low heat as you don’t want the onion or garlic to burn.
Now all the other ingredients can be added except for the corn. Make sure you drain the black beans first!
Bring everything to a boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will allow most of the liquid to evaporate and the flavours to combine beautifully.
Use the back of a spoon to crush about a quarter of the black bean filling with a spoon. This releases the creamy insides of the beans and makes everything deliciously creamy.
Add the corn and let it cook for five minutes longer. Make sure that you give it a taste to see if more salt needs to be added.
That’s it! Warm up the tacos and serve the black bean filling with the toppings of your choice.
Cilantro Lime Slaw
The crispy cilantro lime slaw is a perfect match for the creamy and savoury black bean filling. It’s also very flexible, so one that I use time and again with different meals.
The slaw is far better if the red cabbage is sliced as thinly as possible, so ideally use a mandoline if you have one. Toss the sliced cabbage with lime juice, white wine vinegar, salt and chopped cilantro.
Set it aside for a while. The slaw is easy to make in advance, and giving it the time to sit will allow the flavours to combine.
Toppings for tacos
The slaw is fantastic but the list of toppings you can add to black bean tacos is endless and there is plenty of room to get creative. Here are some of my favourite taco toppings:
- avocado
- thinly sliced radishes
- chimichurri sauce
- jalapeno pepper
- sautéed onions
- homemade salsa
- lettuce
- sour cream
Black Bean and Corn Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw
Savoury and satisfying Black Bean and Corn Tacos are always a winner, especially with fresh toppings like cilantro lime slaw!
Ingredients
- 800g / 28 oz black beans
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon dried coriander
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon chipotle chilli paste
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 110g / ½ cup vegetable stock or water
- 110g / ½ cup corn, frozen or canned
- ¼ head of red cabbage, sliced
- ½ lime, juice only
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 5 g / ⅓ cup cilantro/coriander
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and sauté chopped onion over low heat for 5-7 minutes until softened, then add pressed garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer. Add the drained black beans, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, oregano, chipotle paste, tomato taste, one bay leaf and water with a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat until most of the liquid evaporated.
- Mash about a quarter of the bean mixture with the back of a spoon to create thicker, creamier mixture. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes longer. Season with more salt if needed.
- To make the slaw, slice the red cabbage as thinly as possible, using a mandoline if you have one. Toss the sliced cabbage with lime juice, white wine vinegar, salt and chopped cilantro. Leave aside to allow the flavours to combine.
- Serve with corn tortillas and various toppings.
Notes
Soft corn tortillas are recommended for this recipe, although wheat tortillas will work as well. Heat up the tortillas prior to servicing according to package instructions.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 512Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 759mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 22gSugar: 8gProtein: 30g
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