Vegan Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos
Updated: May 6, 2021
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Hey guys! It's been over two weeks since my last recipe but it feels like way longer. Reason being, I was in Queenstown, New Zealand! Yes you heard that right. It was recently my birthday and my parents gifted me flights and a hotel over in the adventure capital of the world (and extremely generous gift, I am well aware). I had been wanting to go skiing for years but just never found the right/enough time for it. Luckily, i'm hunkered down in arguably the best place at the moment, so I took the opportunity to finally explore my own backyard. I ate what I wanted, hiked, skied, jet-boated, indoor skydived (I don't yet have the balls to do real skydiving), and of course did the gondola and luge thing. I am very happy to be home though because I always miss my kitchen and home-cooked food when I'm away - it's just a comfort I hate to let go of.
I really wanted to get something up here, which obviously meant I had a massive creative block. I couldn't think of anything to make; even coming up to lunch time today I just grabbed a sweet potato and hoped I could make something semi-decent for lunch. I remembered I had some taco shells, and then suddenly my creative juices were running amok. These babies are delicious, easy, and healthy - but they taste like naughty Mexican food, so.... you're welcome. Thank me any time. `
Ciao for now xx
PRO TIPS
This recipe is pretty flexible - you can change the beans to pinto beans or chickpeas or even lentils! You can also swap out the canned tomatoes with red enchilada sauce.
If you have any favourite toppings for tacos, throw them on there, the more the merrier!
Keep an eye on your roast veg, different ovens, thinness of slices, and oils can cook things at different rates.
Recipe
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato (2 medium), chopped into small cubes
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of cumin
1/4 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (1 teaspoon is very spicy)
1 packet of old el paso burrito spice mix (or any Mexican-style spice mix you prefer)
3 tablespoons of mild olive oil
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 white onion, sliced
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of chopped or crushed tomatoes
1 cup of grated vegan cheddar (or regular colby/creamy cheddar) cheese
12 taco shells
Optional: Fresh coriander for garnish
Optional: Guacamole for topping
Optional: diced cherry tomatoes for topping
Optional: Thinly sliced red onion for topping
Optional: Lime wedges
Method
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Toss one tablespoon of olive oil, the paprika, the cumin, and the cayenne pepper together with your sweet potato. Pour the mixture out onto a lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. When you remove the sweet potato, turn the heat up to 215℃.
Toss your red bell pepper and onion with one tablespoon of olive oil and half of the spice mix. Pour the mixture onto a lined baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the peppers and onions are slightly charred.
Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan at a medium-high heat. Once glistening, add your crushed garlic and sauté for one minute. Then add in your black beans, sweet potato, and the rest of your spice mix. Sauté for 2 minutes then add in your canned tomatoes and simmer on a low heat for 5-10 minutes.
Once you've removed your onions and peppers, turn the oven on to grill.
Evenly distribute your grated cheese into the bottom of your taco shells. Place them in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese is just melted.
Fill your taco shells with two spoonfuls of the sweet potato and bean mixture. Top with the onions and peppers.
Serve alongside lime wedges, guacamole, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and coriander.
ENJOY!!!!!
Stay Salty,
Romy xx