These vegetarian black bean taco wraps are perfect for Meatless Mondays or anytime you want to get a plant-based meal on the table in around 20 minutes.
Black Bean Taco Wraps with Fresh Guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Guacamole Ingredients:
- 2 large ripe avocados pitted
- 1 medium tomato seeded and diced
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro minced
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
To Serve:
- Iceberg butter, or Romaine lettuce leaves for wrapping
Instructions
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add beans, water, cumin, smoked paprika, and Mexican oregano. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until the beans are warmed through and the spices become fragrant around 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Guacamole
- While the beans are cooking, in a small glass or another non-reactive bowl, mash the avocado.
- Add tomato, lime juice, and fresh cilantro. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and stir to combine. Set aside.
To Serve
- Transfer warm beans to a bowl. Sprinkle with additional spices, if desired.
- Serve immediately with large lettuce leaves for wrapping, along with fresh guacamole.
Why black bean taco?
Pinto beans are the beans traditionally used in Mexican cuisine, so why do you see so many recipes substituting black beans instead?
In general, a pinto and a black bean are about the same when it comes to nutrition. However, pinto beans contain a bit more carbs and have a higher fat content, probably because they also have a higher starch content. Therefore, for many this makes them more attractive.
As far as flavor is concerned, black beans have a nutty quality that makes them less versatile than the blander, more creamy flavored pinto beans.
The recipe I provide above is intentionally basic for two reasons:
- I can’t handle spicy food.
- It gives you plenty of leeway to make this recipe your own!
Here are some suggestions to spice up this recipe with creativity or heat or both.
- Add ½ teaspoon chili powder and a ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper — more or less to taste — to the beans as you warm them in the skillet.
- Finely dice ½ of a medium jalapeño and add it to the guacamole for some kick.
- Serve the taco wraps with your favorite salsa.
- Instead of tomato and lime in guacamole, add garlic powder, onion powder, and mustard. I know it sounds weird, but I love it.
- Garnish with shredded green and red cabbage. Toss in some shredded carrots for added color.
- Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheese.
- Get really exotic and mix up the beans. Either switch out the beans entirely for something else or use a medley of different types of beans. Black beans go well with pinto and garbanzo beans, but you can always try out black-eyed peas, navy beans, and kidney beans.
