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Black Bean Tacos Vegan

Try out one of these tasty black bean tacos that are vegan!

Beans make easy vegetarian recipes and can be used in soups, Mexican food, casseroles, pastas, dips and many other tasty meals. They are high in protein, low in cost and calories. In addition, beans are high in fiber, iron, magnesium, B vitamins including folic acid.

Beans may be an important piece of diabetic nutrition because they are beneficial to help people maintain blood sugar and may help some improve blood cholesterol. Beans are also very filling so they can be part of a healthy meal plan to maintain and achieve a healthy weight.

Canned beans can be rinsed and drained to lower the sodium content. Dried beans are also very easy to cook over the stove and crock pot although a little bit of planning may be needed.

How to Cook Vegan Black Beans

Fresh food are the main ingredients for bean tacos!

To cook beans over the stove

Take one pound of beans that have been soaked and drained. Cover completely with water. Simmer for several hours until soft. Salt only after beans are almost soft.

To cook beans in the crock pot

Soak and drain beans ahead of time. Cover completely with water and cook for 4-5 hours until soft.

Soaking Beans Two Ways

  1. Beans can be soaked overnight in water and drained.
  2. If soaking overnight does not happen, try adding water to the beans and heat it to boiling. After the water starts to boil, turn off the water, put a lid on it and allow to set for one hour. After one hour, drain off the water and add fresh.

With all the benefits to beans, why wouldn’t all of us eat them more often? Many people worry about the added embarrassing gas that beans can add! This is because of a complex fiber/sugar in beans, oligiosccharide that can be difficult to break down in our GI tract.

Tips to Reduce the Symptoms of Flatulence from Beans

  1. Make sure that beans are properly cooked and soaked.
  2. Beans can be easier digested if they are eaten on a more consistent basis. This way the body can have more of the enzymes needed to break down the fiber/sugar in beans. You can start out with a small amount of beans and then build up to larger quantities.
  3. A digestive enzyme such as Beano can help with excess gas that beans may cause.

Fresh food are the main ingredients for bean tacos!

Recipe for Vegan Black Bean Tacos

Here are the ingredients ready to make bean tacos!
Here are the ingredients ready to make bean tacos!

Bean Tacos

This filling works well for tacos, burritos or tostados!

Makes 6 servings at 1/2 cup each

2 cups cooked black beans

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small onion chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin

1/2 cup medium or mild salsa

water if needed

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Variety of toppings for your black bean tacos

Chopped tomato

Chopped onions

Black olives

Sliced avocado

Grated vegan cheese or other

Thinly sliced lettuce

Shredded cabbage

Salsa

Baby spinach

Taco shells

Heat oil in skillet. Saute onion and garlic until soft. Add seasonings and heat through. Add beans and salsa. Add water if needed (so mixture is not too dry but a moist consistency).

Other seasoning for bean ideas:

The ways to season beans are endless! Some seasonings that I like to use include onion, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes or other hot chili, garlic, thyme, paprika, chili powder and cumin.

Other Beans to Try for Your Vegan Bean Tacos

We tend to mostly use black beans for our vegan bean tacos, but pinto beans, lentils and garbanzo beans are also delicious. You can also use lesser-known heirloom varieties to make things really interesting. Here is a website with some of these Heirloom Beans – Rancho Gordo

The sky is the limit with the types of beans and toppings. Then you may even venture to making your own tortillas like my husband. Here is a wonderful company that uses heirloom corn to make their masa. They do make some delicious tortillas!
Heirloom Masa Flour | Masienda White Corn Masa Harina

Make Some Black Bean Tacos

Add vegan black bean tacos as one of your plant-based recipes for your next Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday! If you are wondering what to make for dinner, this is an easy and delicious meal idea! You can find even more things to make in Denise’s Recipes,

As a registered dietitian nutritionist in Asheville, I love sharing some of the things that I make at home!

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