By Rachel Wilhelm
Tired of the same old, same old tacos?
Bring some new flavors to the table with this vegetarian taco recipe from recipe developer Rachel that perfectly combines a little bit of heat with a little bit of sweet.
This recipe cuts back on meat, but not on flavor. These sweet and spicy vegetarian tacos will make everyone happy! Instead of beef, steak or chicken, peppers take center stage. With peppers as the main focus, you may be concerned that these tacos will be too spicy. But don’t worry poblano peppers have much more flavor than heat and are actually lower on the Scoville Scale of heat than jalapeños.
And, as for the jalapeños, Rachel devised a devilishly delicious way to contain their heat and add a new dimension to the dish at the same time. Using a little bit of sugar, water and a hot pan, this recipe candies the jalapeños! Making the jalapeños candied helps cut the heat by giving them some yummy sweetness! Also, having a crema will add a cool, creamy element to the dish.
Crunchy corn gives these tacos great texture change-ups and our black beans give a little extra creaminess that helps tie the whole dish together: a little bit of spicy, sweet, crunchy and creamy.
Best of all, you don’t have to jump through hoops to make this recipe. All of these ingredients are easy to find at your local Kroger (including our beans)! Also, from prep to plate, this vegetarian taco recipe only takes about 30 minutes.
This recipe makes 6 tacos.
Ingredients
- 3 poblano peppers
- 2 jalapeño peppers
- 2 medium avocados
- 1 bag of pre-washed and trimmed kale
- 1 can of sweet corn
- 1 15.4oz. jar of Randall Beans Black Beans
- 1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning
- Taco sized soft tortillas
- 8 oz. sour cream
- crumbled queso fresco cheese to top
- 1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro
- 2 limes
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Instructions
- Wash all produce, chop cilantro, and set oven to 400 degrees.
- Slice poblano peppers in half length-wise and cut into strips, fajita style. Toss in olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and spread in a single layer on a treated cookie sheet.
- Toss kale leaves in olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic seasoning, salt, and pepper. Spread on a treated cookie sheet.
- Put both trays in oven and roast for 20 minutes.
- While kale and poblanos are roasting, slice both jalapeños into thin rounds, discarding seeds if less heat is desired. Toss 1/4 cup of sugar in a saucepan with jalapeños and enough water to dissolve sugar. Saute over medium-high heat until sugar bubbles and thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir often to prevent clumping. Remove pan from heat.
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat on stovetop with one tablespoon of olive oil. Drain jar of black beans and can of sweet corn before adding to pan. Add packet of taco seasoning and stir until combined. Cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.
- To make the crema, add the juice of one lime and a tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro into small bowl. Add 8 oz. of sour cream and mix well.
- Cut avocado in half, remove pit and skin, and thinly slice.
- Once peppers and kale are finished roasting, remove from oven to cool.
- While oven is still warm, add tortillas directly to oven rack in a single layer for a few minutes. They may puff up, which is normal.
- Plate! Place a scoop of corn and black bean mixture in the center of warm tortilla. Add roasted kale and poblano peppers. Then add avocado slices and as many candied jalapeños as desired. Finish with some crumbled queso fresco and drizzle with crema. Serve with lime wedges.
Can’t get enough Mexican-inspired bean recipes? Take a look at our recipes page.
