Description
A vibrant and hearty vegan recipe featuring black bean and quinoa taco filling, perfectly spiced and served with a creamy cilantro lime cashew crema. This easy one-skillet meal is ready in 30 minutes, utilizing simple pantry ingredients for a delicious meatless dinner option suitable for Taco Tuesday or Meatless Monday.
Ingredients
Quinoa Black Bean Taco Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock or water
- 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 lime, juiced
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Cilantro Lime Cashew Crema
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
- Optional: 1 small jalapeno, deseeded and roughly chopped
- Juice of 1 large lime (about 2 tablespoons)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ¾ cup water
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
For Serving (optional)
- Charred corn tortillas
- Sliced avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- Salsa of choice
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Prep Ingredients: Dice the onion, mince the garlic, measure spices, tomato paste, quinoa, and vegetable stock, and rinse the black beans. Have all ingredients within reach for smooth cooking.
- Sweat the Onion: Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and cook while stirring occasionally until translucent and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Toast Aromatics and Spices: Add garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and tomato paste, coating the onion and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until very fragrant.
- Cook Quinoa: Add dry quinoa to the skillet and toast for about 1 minute, stirring to combine with the aromatics. Pour in vegetable stock and increase heat to high to bring to a boil.
- Add Black Beans & Simmer: Once boiling, add rinsed black beans. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes until quinoa is cooked and liquid absorbed.
- Rest and Season: Remove skillet from heat but keep covered. Let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, squeeze lime juice over the mixture, and fluff with a fork. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Prepare Cilantro Lime Cashew Crema: While quinoa simmers, combine raw cashews, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno (if using), lime juice, lemon juice, water, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, adding extra water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Assemble Tacos: Warm tortillas and fill with the quinoa black bean mixture. Top with sliced avocado, a drizzle of cilantro lime cashew crema, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, and your favorite salsa or additional toppings.
Notes
- For best quinoa texture, rinse quinoa thoroughly before cooking to remove bitterness.
- If you prefer a spicier crema, include the jalapeno seeds or add extra jalapeno.
- The cilantro lime cashew crema can be prepared up to a week ahead and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Use low-sodium vegetable broth to control salt levels.
- These tacos are vegan and naturally gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
