Quinoa Black Bean Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce
These quinoa and black bean tacos with dairy-free avocado crema are a simple and delicious weeknight dinner! They’re vegan and gluten free, too. Recipe yields about 6 hearty tacos.
Ingredients
Quinoa and black bean filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well in a fine mesh colander
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Avocado sauce
- 1 large avocado, sliced into long strips
- 1 to 2 medium limes, juiced
- 1 medium jalapeño, deseeded, membranes removed and roughly chopped
- 1 handful fresh cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Everything else
- 6 to 8 small, round corn tortillas (certified gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 ½ cups roughly chopped romaine lettuce, arugula or spring greens
- Optional garnishes: pickled jalapeños or radishes, crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- To make the filling, warm the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic with a dash of salt for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are softened and turning translucent. Add the tomato paste, cumin and chili powder and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, drain off any excess liquid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Stir in the drained black beans and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and set aside for a couple of minutes to warm up the beans.
- To make the avocado sauce: Simply combine the ingredients as listed in a food processor or blender, starting with the juice of 1 lime. Blend well. Season with salt, to taste, and add another tablespoon or 2 of lime juice if desired.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the tortillas in a single layer, flipping halfway. Wrap the warmed tortillas with a lint-free tea towel until ready to serve. To assemble the tacos, spread quinoa and black bean filling down the center of the tortilla, then top with a generous drizzle of avocado crema, a handful of chopped romaine and any additional garnishes you’d like to add. Eat up!
Notes
Recipe inspired by Picasso Cafe in Oklahoma City and adapted from my roasted cauliflower and lentil tacos and southwestern kale power salad.
Make it vegan/dairy free: Just don’t add cheese!
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free corn tortillas.
Make it tomato free: Skip the tomato paste.
Storage suggestions: Store individual components separately. Press plastic wrap against the surface of the avocado sauce to prevent oxidation. Warm the tortillas and filling just before serving, then top with avocado sauce and chopped romaine.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.