Veggie Tacos

These vegetarian tacos are a crowd-pleaser. Black beans, corn tortillas, fresh veggies all get together for this nutritious, delicious meal.

Let me set the scene for these veggie tacos. This summer we headed west to the mountains to escape the heat. Our cool, mountain destination was the perfect anchor spot for a number of friends who also wanted to escape the heat, each for a few days at a time. We promised each set of visitors that we would make dinner on the first night. Each time we were the only vegetarians at the table, so we had to make sure everyone got their protein and had a good, go-back-for-seconds kind of meal. Enter veggie tacos.

The beans and the corn make a complete protein. For more on bean/grain combos, read Grains, Beans, and Bowls. But a good meal isn’t all about the practical side of things. It has to taste great, right? Oh, wait – and be easy to cook too. And don’t forget to add some color so it’s easy on the eyes and looks appetizing. That’s a tall order, but these veggie tacos deliver every time.

Ingredients

Before you go any further, ask yourself, “What are my favorite veggies?” We love bell peppers, cooked or raw. We feel the same way about spinach, mushrooms, and cabbage. But what do you like? Onions and garlic add a lot of flavor. If you’re not a fan of spinach, what about kale or swiss chard? Squash is good too. We used yellow today, but we’ve used zucchini squash and Mexican squash. Any kind of beans will do but we chose black beans. That darkness contrasts nicely with an otherwise pale corn tortilla and the colorful bell peppers and veggies.

Making Veggie Tacos

The prep for this meal has three parts, but don’t worry, each part is easy.

Part one: Make the beans.

You can make them yourself or just open a can. Either way is fine. We use our Instant Pot Bean method. We just substituted black beans for pinto beans in the recipe. If you use canned beans, add a little salt and pepper, plus some cumin or chili powder to spice them up a bit. If you make your own beans, prepare them ahead of time to make things go faster at meal-time.

Part two: Slice up the veggies and sauté them.

After you’ve sliced the veggies, add a little olive or avocado oil to a skillet set on medium heat. Put the onion slices, the minced garlic, and the mushrooms in first and sauté those ingredients for 3-4 minutes. These items take a little bit longer to cook. Add in the rest of the vegetables and cook everything for another 3-4 minutes. Right before you’re ready to serve the veggie tacos, add the spinach, stirring it in as you add.

When we were preparing this dish for a crowd, we used an electric skillet, but at home, we use a non-stick skillet and make just enough for two. You can grill the veggies if you want. One night when we made these for guests, we had a grill going so we sealed the veggies in foil and put them on the grill. They do well right on the grill too. However, the easiest way to prepare them is with a little oil in a large skillet.

Part three: Warm the corn tortillas.

We’re into easy, so we wrap them in a damp cloth and put them in the microwave. You can warm them individually in a skillet and wrap them in a cloth to keep them warm if you prefer. If you use this method, be quick about it because they can dry out and crack. The method described here is for soft tacos. If you prefer crispy tacos, use prepared crispy taco shells.

Serving Veggie Tacos

To assemble the veggie tacos, put the corn tortillas on a plate, scoop some beans onto each tortilla, spread the cooked veggies alongside the beans, and add your salsa of choice. I usually sprinkle some shredded cheese on top of mine, but they taste great without cheese too. Fold them over and eat them by hand – careful, they’re messy – or use a fork. If you’re not a fan of formality, your guests or family can line up and assemble things right from the pan and skillet. It’s also fun to set the table, put all the ingredients out there and let everyone dive in that way.

However you serve them, these veggie tacos make a colorful, delicious, nutritious meal that’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Veggie Tacos

These vegetarian tacos are a crowd-pleaser. Black beans, corn tortillas, fresh veggies all get together for this nutritious, delicious meal.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: tacos with black beans, vegetarian tacos, veggie tacos

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 veggie tacos

Author: Julia

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• Six corn tortillas
• 3 cups of sliced vegetables see suggestions below
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 cups cooked black or pinto beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil safflower oil, or avocado oil
• Salsa optional

Instructions

• Make the beans ahead of time using your method of choice or heat one can of beans.
• Slice the vegetables.
• Mince the garlic or use a garlic press.
• Sauté the onions, mushrooms, and garlic for about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
• At the last minute, add the spinach and stir it into the cooked vegetables.
• Put the corn tortillas in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a damp cloth
•  Microwave the tortillas for 45 seconds, turn them over (all together) and microwave them for 45 more seconds.

Notes

Use whatever veggies you like, but here are some suggestions: onions, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, squash, bell peppers, and cabbage.

If you’re a fan of tacos, try my lentil tacos and shrimp tacos too! Try my veggie enchiladas for another take on vegetarian Mexican food.