Veggie Tales: Nacho Average Taco - Black Bean Tacos! (Recipe)

I don't know if tacos as "comfort food" is a THING but I sure find comfort in eating them! (hashtag nom nom nom)

I am not ashamed of my love of all things tex-mex—nachos, tacos, burritos, fajita bowls, (just give me all the "os!")—and that's scratching the surface of my obsession. 

In the hard shell vs. soft shell debate, I side with the hard shell, at least 9 times out of 10. Danny, on the other hand, is more often than not a soft shell-er.

This recipe offers the perfect middle ground for hard shell-ers and soft shell-ers alike! But first...

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If you don't know what you're doing, trying to incorporate more meatless meals into your diet can be a challenge. And its SUPER easy for the few meatless meals you know to get Boring quick!

And for the carnivores among us, opting to take meat out of your favorite meals can seem like an instant buzzkill.

Because, in theory, the flavor the meat adds to a dish just simply cannot be replaced. Right? WRONG!

Imagine my delight, when I discovered that not only were these black bean tacos easy to make, they were ABSOLUTELY delicious! This is nacho average taco! 

I won't kid myself by trying to convince you that these tacos taste like there's meat in them. They don't. BUT they taste SO good, and have so much flavor, you won't care that there's no meat in them. 

...at least, that was the case for Danny and I. 

Another major plus?  Black beans are a great source of protein! This is especially helpful for vegetarians and those looking to incorporate more plant-based meals into their diet. 

In short, it's comfort food without the guilt! 

Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients

1 can, drained, Black Beans

Paprika, to taste (or 3/4 teaspoon)

Cumin, to taste (or 1/2 teaspoon)

Salt, to taste (or 1/4 teaspoon)

Pepper, to taste (or 1/2 teaspoon)

Sliced Red Onion (about 1/2 cup)

Fresh, Chopped Cilantro (about 1 1/2 tablespoons)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

6 Corn Tortillas

Grated Pepper Jack Cheese

Sliced Avocado

Salsa

Steps

1. In a medium bowl combine drained black beans with sliced red onion, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together.

2. Top back bean mixture with cilantro. Mix and put to the side. 

3. In a non-stick skillet, add the olive oil over medium-high heat.

4.  Add one corn tortilla at a time to the hot oil for a few seconds.

5. Then add bout 1/4 cup of the black bean filling to the middle of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated Pepper Jack cheese.

6. Use a spatula to carefully fold each tortilla in half so it forms a shell. (Depending on the size of your skillet you may be able to cook 2 or 3 tacos at once.)

7. Cook each taco for about 2 minutes per side or until they are a nice brown color or until its to your crispy liking level.

8. Top the black bean tacos with sliced avocado and and salsa. 

Eat up!

Notes

• When flipping your folded taco, flip toward the fold to keep the black bean filling from falling out. 
• Don't worry about burning your corn tortillas! Corn tortillas are resilient in heat. The longer they stay on the heat, the crunchy they get. Just make sure its to your desired level of crunchiness. 
• You can dress these tacos up as much as you want. Add lettuce, tomato, hot sauce! Whatever tickles your fancy. 
• For a less fattening dish, cut out the cheese. I've made these black bean tacos sans cheese before and they still tasted great. 

Happy Crunching!

-CF