Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa

Name: Black Bean Tacos with Corn Salsa
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 Olive oil cooking spray; 2 clove garlic; 2.5 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained; 0.25 cup rolled oats; 0.25 cup cornmeal; 1 tbsp chili powder; 1 tsp kosher salt, divided; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided; 8 small corn tortillas; 1 cup corn, thawed if frozen; 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped; 1 small green chile, diced; 2 scallions, chopped; 1 Juice of 2 limes; 0.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro

From the kitchen of Carly

Crispy baked black bean patties get their crunch from oats and cornmeal, then nestle into warm corn tortillas with bright corn salsa. It's a vegetarian taco that actually satisfies, no meat required.

Crispy black bean crumble is the secret to these tacos. Oats and cornmeal bind the beans while the oven toasts them until they shatter between your teeth, then you pile them into warm tortillas with a bright, chunky corn salsa. It reads vegetarian comfort food, tastes like something you'd crave.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1Olive oil cooking spray
2 clovegarlic
2 1/2 cupcanned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cuprolled oats
1/4 cupcornmeal
1 tbspchili powder
1 tspkosher salt, divided
1/2 tspfreshly ground black pepper, divided
8 smallcorn tortillas
1 cupcorn, thawed if frozen
1 mediumred bell pepper, chopped
1 smallgreen chile, diced
2scallions, chopped
1Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cupchopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Pulse the garlic in a food processor until chopped, then add the beans, oats, cornmeal, chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Process for about 1 minute, scraping down the sides once or twice, until everything comes together. Crumble the mixture with your hands directly onto the prepared sheet, spread it out, and hit it with another coat of cooking spray. Bake until firm and crisp on the bottom, 10 to 15 minutes, then break the pieces up with a spoon, spray again, and return to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes until crisp all over. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and tuck them into the oven for the last 5 minutes to warm through. While everything finishes, toss the corn, bell pepper, chile, and scallions in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and the juice of both limes. Spoon the bean crumble into the tortillas, pile on the corn salsa, and finish with a scatter of fresh cilantro.

Tips from the kitchen

The two-stage baking (crumble, flip, bake again) is what gets you truly crisp all over, not just on bottom. Don't skip that second round.
Process the beans until they just barely hold together, not into a paste. You want texture.
Make the corn salsa while the beans bake. Lime juice applied right before serving keeps the vegetables bright and crisp instead of weeping into the tortillas.

Variations

Crispy chorizo crumble: Brown 6 ounces crumbled chorizo, drain, then mix into cooked black beans with the oats and cornmeal instead of processing raw beans.
Black bean and cheese tacos: Stir grated sharp cheddar into the warm bean crumble just before serving for richness.
Blackened shrimp instead: Skip the bean crumble entirely and pile seasoned pan-seared shrimp into tortillas with the corn salsa for a seafood spin.
Bean and quinoa patties: Form the bean mixture into small patties instead of crumbling, pan-fry in olive oil until crisp, and serve as a more structured taco base.

Make ahead and storage

Store the bean crumble and corn salsa separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the crumble in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to restore crispness, then warm your tortillas fresh and assemble.