Black Bean Tortillas with Cabbage Slaw and Lime Crema
This Black Bean Taco with Cabbage Slaw and Lime Crema is a favorite in my household – and I think you’ll love it too.
While all five of us (my husband and three daughters) enjoy plant-based foods, not everyone eats a totally vegan diet. Here’s the breakdown: two of us are totally vegan, one is almost totally vegan, one is pescatarian and one eats the standard western diet.
Crowd-Pleasing Dish to Feed a Crowd
If you are cooking plant-based food for a variety of eaters you’ll understand this. My challenge is to make highly flavorful foods that are delicious and satisfying for all palates. There are two tricks that I use.
The first is choosing very filling ingredients such as beans, whole grains, potatoes and sweet potatoes. In the case of these tortillas, black beans pack the satiating punch and then complimentary ingredients are built on top of them.
A Well Rounded Flavor Combination
The second trick is flavor – lots of it. In the case of these tortillas, I used a variety of Mexican spicese in the beans and was sure to select ingredients to trigger all five flavor tastes.
Sour: lime juice, apple cider vinegar, tomatoes and salsa
Sweet: roasted corn and mango and slightly sweetened beans
Umami: tomato paste in the beans and cumin
Salty: salt (obvious, i know)
Bitter: lime zest, cabbage and corn tortillas
You don’t need to know all of that – all you need to know is that they are amazing and use sustainable ingredients! Not only that they are totally whole foods plant based without any added oils. I love it when healthy meets great taste! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Black Bean Tacos with Cabbage Slaw And Lime Crema
Ingredients
For the Cabbage Slaw
- 4 cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 cup quartered and thinly sliced red onion
- 1 /2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 medium sized jalapeno pepper deribbed, deseeded and chopped
- 1 tsp agave nectar
- 3/4 tsp Salt or to taste
For the Black Beans
- 2 15 oz cans black beans (or 3 cups cooked) rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Salt to taste
- 1 tsp agave nectar or sugar
- 2 tbsp hot sauce, such as Frank’s or Cholula for added spicy kick if desired
For lime crema
- 1/3 cup raw cashews covered by an inch of water, and kept covered in the refrigerator for two hours, and then drained, if not using a high powered blender
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 tsp Salt or to taste
For serving
- 8-12 soft corn or wheat tacos wheat or a combination corn/wheat hold up better
- 2 ripe avocados diced
- 2 cups roasted corn warmed
- 1 cup cilantro chopped
- 2 mangos peeled and diced
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup plant based shredded cheese optional
- hot sauce to taste
Instructions
For the cabbage slaw
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix and set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
For the black beans
- In a medium sauce pan, stir to combine the black bean ingredients. Continue stirring on high heat to bring to a boil and then turn the heat to down to simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened.
For the cashew crema
- In a blender, process all ingredients until smooth. If not using a high speed bender, this may take a few minutes. My personal favorite for blending small quantities is the “personal blender” size like a Nutribullet. This tends to thicken when cooled in the fridge. To thin, add more water, lime juice or vinegar, your call.
To serve
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap taco shells in tin foil and bake for 5 minutes or until heated. Alternatively, warm individually in a pan on medium heat. Fill taco shells with beans, slaw, lime crema and desired toppings.
