I have been eating these nonstop for months, and it’s time to share the love with you!
I am very pro-taco, and these tacos were born from my slight disappointment over some vegan tacos I’ve had out at restaurants recently.
When I get vegan tacos at a restaurant, they seem to be soft and soggy a lot of the time. No texture whatsoever. Just a bunch of mushy ingredients (albeit delicious mushy ingredients) in a soft tortilla.
Most recently, I had some potato tacos and some nopales (cactus) tacos, both of which were filled with ingredients like cooked onions, pickled jalapeños, and stewed tomatoes. Although they both tasted just fine, I felt like the texture was lacking that all-important crunch.
So! I decided to play around in the kitchen. And many overstuffed tacos later, we have the taco situation that makes my heart sing.
And I know: at first glance, it doesn’t really look like there’s anything all that crunchy on this taco.
But my friend, that’s where that vegan creamy slaw comes in!
We’re using it as an ingredient versus just as a topping. And it goes into the tortilla first to give us something fresh, crisp, and zingy to bite into in the middle of the tortilla.
It’s such a simple thing, but it makes all the difference! Instead of having just a little slaw moment with all of your other toppings, it’s the star of the show, the belle of the ball, bringing you a fresh, crisp-chewiness that is just so delectable.
For the slaw, you’ll need vinegar, oil, a pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and hummus (which makes it creamy!). Then top that slaw-filled tortilla with some savory stewed black beans, salsa, hot sauce, onion, jalapeño, tomato, peppers, cilantro, or whatever you fancy.
You could say I was slightly hungry when I was shopping for ingredients for these tacos, so I grabbed pretty much every topping I could think of. That said, it’s a very customizable recipe, so use what you have/like!
Don’t knock the whole slaw-first-in-a-taco situation until you try it! In a blind side-by-side taste test, my taste tester (me) preferred the slaw-first method 100% of the time.
And I just don’t know how you can argue with that logic.
PrintBlack Bean Tacos with Vegan Creamy Slaw
My go-to taco recipe these days! This recipe is super simple to make, but it really packs a punch thanks to the crunchy slaw and spiced, stewed black beans!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5-6 tacos
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
VEGAN CREAMY SLAW:
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons hummus
- 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
- pinch sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 oz finely shredded cabbage
EASY STEWED BLACK BEANS:
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15-oz can black beans (with the liquid from the can)*
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 handful cilantro leaves, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
FOR THE TACOS:
- tortillas (corn, flour, or your fave)
- salsa
- hot sauce
- onion (green or white)
- cilantro
- thinly-sliced peppers
- chopped tomatoes
- jalapeños
- lime
- or your favorite taco toppers!
Instructions
- SLAW: In a medium bowl, whisk your hummus, oil, apple cider vinegar, granulated garlic, sugar, and salt/pepper. Once combined, add your cabbage and toss to coat. Set in the fridge until ready to use.
- BEANS: In a large skillet over medium heat, add your oil and onion. Season with a small pinch of salt and cook until mostly translucent, stirring frequently (2-3 minutes).
- Add your garlic, and cook for another minute or so, or until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
- Add your beans (liquid and all!), and stir to combine. Add your chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, and smoked paprika, and continue to cook over medium heat until most of the liquid has absorbed but the beans still look saucy, 5-8 minutes. If you run a spoon through the beans, it should leave a trail that closes in about 2 seconds –– see the photo in the post for a visual!
- Add your cilantro and carefully taste, adding salt and pepper if needed. Because our slaw is so zippy and punchy, I didn’t add any acid to these beans, but feel free to add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to brighten this mixture up!
- ASSEMBLE: Warm/char your tortillas as desired (I charred mine over my gas burner). Add a large scoop of the creamy slaw into the center of your tortilla. Then add some black beans and your desired toppings!
Notes
*All cans of black beans are seasoned differently, so the salt level of the beans will be fully dependent on that! Use a reduced sodium can of beans if you’re worried about it. I used the blue can from Trader Joe’s.
This was one of the best taco recipes I’ve ever tried! Thank you so much for sharing!
I made homemade whole wheat tortillas. Mixed in some sweet corn with the slaw and topped the tacos with chopped white onion, pickled jalapenos and fresh cilantro. It was great 😃
I was a little worried at first when I made the slaw with all that vinegar. It smelled very vinegary. But with the beans, the tortillas and the freshness of the cilantro it all was a perfect match.
Yay!! So so glad to hear it, Tobbe. :) Thanks for reporting back!