Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Is there anything better than tacos? Probably not.

We love the combined flavors of sweet potatoes and black beans, so we figured, why not spice them up and wrap them in a freshly fried tortilla?

These vegetarian tacos are easy to make, easy to customize, hearty, and delicious. They are also vegan (as long as you stick to vegan toppings).

There is no real recipe for these guys because they’re really just so easy. We started with a pot of our black beans (you could used canned if it’s easier for you). For the sweet potato: simply peel and chop one sweet potato into 1-inch cubes. Spread on a cookie sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and cumin. Roast at 450˚ for about 40 minutes, shaking around a few times and checking on them. Remove when they are crispy on the outside and easily poked with a fork. If you like crunchy tacos, fry small corn tortillas in a large pot (helps prevent splattering) filled with about one inch of hot olive oil. Fold them in half in the oil so they’ll hold their shape.

Then, it’s taco-and-toppings time! Try sautéed onions and peppers, chopped romaine, salsa, sour cream, grated cheese, quick-pickled shallots, shredded cabbage, chopped tomatoes, fresh corn, or sliced avocado (always). Serve with a nice salty margarita.

Leftovers

These fillings made for spectacular breakfast burritos! We reheated everything, scrambled some eggs, and wrapped it all up in larger flour tortillas.

Joe’s Vegan Tortilla Soup

Apparently it’s soup-with-toppings month around here… A great way to warm up your January, don’t you think?

Joe has been tweaking and perfecting his Vegan Tortilla Soup for years—mostly because Megan was jealous of all those omnivores who got to put AVOCADO into their soup (genius!)—and we encourage you to do the same. We are offering this recipe as a starting point, so just remember that there are lots of alterations you can make so that the flavors, spiciness, and ingredients suit your own tastes. And we would of course love to hear about those alterations that you come up with!

We love recipes that taste good and are also easy enough to make when we are busy. Our past variations have used roasted peppers out of a jar, or canned tomatoes with green chiles already in them. This weekend we had some extra time and dedicated it to roasting our own red pepper and poblano pepper—yum! We usually keep some homemade vegetable brother in our freezer (look for that recipe soon).

Our favorite toppings are crushed tortilla chips and lots of avocado. Let each person add these to their individual bowls and eat immediately. Grated cheese got a little too stringy for us, but maybe it’ll taste just right to you. You could also try a dollop of sour cream.

Tortilla soup is, of course, traditionally made with chicken and chicken stock. Do you have a great non-vegetarian recipe you’d like to share with us? Maybe Joe will try it while Megan is out of town.

Leftovers

This soup reheats very well, though we recommend just once to keep the corn and beans from getting too mushy. At mealtime, heat up only the amount you plan to eat at that meal. Toppings should be prepared and served fresh each time (no one likes brown avocados).

Most likely you’ll also end up with some extra ingredients that you didn’t use, such as beans, corn, onions, and/or roasted peppers. We consider this a bonus: they make for awesome nacho toppings or quesadilla fillings. Or how about a spicy breakfast burrito or southwestern salad (maybe like this one)? A fast and easy egg scramble before heading to work?

We hope you enjoy the soup, and can’t wait to hear about changes and suggestions you’ve tried.

The Recipe (for printer-friendly version, click here)

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions (130 grams)
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped (15 grams)
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (400 grams)
• ¾ cup roasted diced red pepper (100 grams)
• ¼ cup roasted diced poblano pepper (30 grams)
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup corn (130 grams), cut off the cob or drained from a can
• 1 cup black beans (130 grams), drained
• Cumin, cayenne, and salt, to taste

Toppings (amounts will vary)

• Chopped avocado
• Crushed tortilla chips
• Grated cheese
• Sour cream

Directions

If roasting your own peppers, roast them whole on a cookie sheet covered in foil at 375˚ for 40 minutes, turning once about halfway through. Skin should be blackened and slightly bubbly. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel off the skin and dice.

For soup, sauté the oil and onion for about three minutes over medium heat, then add garlic and continue to sauté a few more minutes. Add peppers (if canned, drain first), tomatoes with their liquid, and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 15 minutes, covered with the lid slightly ajar. Remove from heat and stir in corn and beans. Season with cumin, cayenne, and salt to your liking. Let sit, covered, at least 30 minutes to soften beans and corn. Reheat only the desired portion when you are ready to eat.

Serve with chopped avocado and crushed up tortilla chips (we suggest yellow corn tortilla chips) on the side. Feel free to add a little at the beginning and replenish as you eat to keep the chips from going too mushy.

Notes

Many of the ingredients (beans, corn, tomatoes, roasted peppers) can be cooked fresh or, for an easier version of the soup, used out of a can—both ways taste great. Some stores offer a can of diced tomatoes with green chile already in it, which is a nice, flavorful option.

This recipe uses equal amounts onions, peppers (red and poblano together), corn, and black beans, but you can adjust proportions to your taste if desired.