Tangy Veggie Black Bean Tacos

These colorful gluten-free and vegetarian tacos are packed with veggies and BIG on flavor.

A perfect mix of savory and zesty flavors makes these tacos extra delicious!

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with these festive and delicious gluten-free and vegetarian tacos. They are packed with veggies and BIG on flavor!

The details– A gluten-free tortilla piled high with refried black beans seasoned with jalapenos, sautéed peppers and onions seasoned with lime juice, a quick and easy slaw, sweet & spicy pickled onions, queso fresco and finished with some queso fresco and a drizzle of lime crema and fresh cilantro.

Can’t tell you how delicious these were! A perfect mix of savory and zesty flavors and textures.

Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Everyday Vegetarian magazine, it sounds complex but each part of the taco was quite easy and took only about 30-40 minutes to prep it total and there are left overs for the next day.

Plus it could be entirely prepped ahead and heated up.

And it’s made with real, whole foods!

Here’s what you’ll need: a bagged cole slaw mix, jarred jalapenos with brine, sour cream or yogurt, lime juice, refried black beans, onion, bell peppers, garlic, salt and pepper, red onion + red wine vinegar + sugar for pickling, gluten-free tortillas, queso fresco and fresh cilantro for topping.

Let’s start with the sweet and spicy, quick pickled onions. All you’ll need is 1 red onion, sliced thin, red wine vinegar, sugar, a pinch of salt and jalapeno.

The vinegar, sugar, salt and jalapenos are heated stove top until the sugar dissolves, then poured over the red onions in a heat proof bowl (like a glass pyrex bowl) and left to sit for 30 minutes while you prep the rest.

For the quick and easy slaw, I used a pre-made cole slaw and just tossed with jalapeno brine and set it aside.

For the beans, you will need one can of refried black beans which are mixed with jarred jalapenos and jalepno brine. The jalapenos won’t make it spicy but it will be a little tangy and flavorful! You can eat it room temperature or heated up stove top or in a microwave.

The veggies are also simple and zesty. It’s just 2 bell peppers — I used red and yellow for extra color, and a thinly sliced onion quickly sauteed with oil and garlic then seasoned with lime juice, salt and pepper.

The tacos are topped with the pickled onions, queso fresco, lime crema (which could be made using sour cream or yogurt. A dairy free option works well too), and fresh cilantro.

This is not one of my “whip together in 15 minute meals” because of all the toppings… but each topping is easy to make, it can be entirely prepped ahead, and trust me, it’s worth the extra 30 minutes!

Hope you love them as much as we do!

Scroll down to see the recipe and leave a comment if you try.

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Recipe

Tange Veggie Black Bean Tacos

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Prep time

35 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

45 mins

These gluten-free and vegetarian tacos are big on flavor! An easy to make dinner with a great mix of savory and zesty flavors and textures that make them extra delicious. Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

Author: Healthy Gluten-Free Family

Recipe type: Dinner, Veggies

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Serves: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onions

1 red onion, sliced thin
1 cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup sugar
1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded, cut into rings
¼ tsp salt

Quick and easy Slaw

1 bag coleslaw mix (or approximately 4 cups)
3 tablespoons jalaepeno brine (I have used jarred banana peppers in place of jalapeños and loved them too.)

Refried Black Beans

1 15 oz can refried black beans
1 tablespoon finely chopped jarred jalapeños plus 1 tablespoon cup brine (I have used jarred banana peppers in place of jalapeños and loved them too.)
salt
pepper

Sauteed Onions and Peppers

2 tablespoons canola oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced thin (approximately 2 cups)
2 peppers (any combo red, yellow or green), seeded, and cut into thin strips (approximately 2 cups in total)
salt
pepper
squeeze of lime juice

Lime Crema

½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt (dairy-free alternatives work great)
3 tablespoons lime juice

For Serving

Gluten-free tortillas
queso fresco, crumbled (Optional)
fresh cilantro, torn

Instructions

Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onions

In a small saucepan, simmer vinegar, sugar, jalapeños and salt until sugar dissolves
Place onions in a heatproof bowl. Pour heated liquid mixture over onions and get sit about 30 minutes while you prep the rest of the vegetables. Discard liquid.
Can be prepped ahead and kept in the refrigerator for a few days.

Mix coleslaw

In a large bowl, toss coleslaw with 3 tablespoons jalapeño (or banana pepper) brine. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Mix lime crema

In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Set aside.

Refried beans

Mix refried beans with jalapeños and 1 tablespoon jalapeño brine, season with salt and pepper.

Sauteed onions and pepper

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, over medium high heat, add oil, heat a moment, then add onions and peppers and saute 5-7 minutes or until tender and lightly browned.
Add garlic and saute 30 seconds.
Turn off heat, stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving

When ready to eat, heat refried beans mixture in microwave or stove top for a few minutes to just warm. Spread on tortilla.
Top with pepper and onion mixture, slaw, pickled onions, queso fresco, cilantro and lime crema.
Enjoy!