Roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, mashed avocado, + a cilantro ranch slaw all wrapped in your favorite charred tortilla = the BEST taco night EVER. Gluten free with a vegan option.

This one is for all the taco lovers out there (me, me, me!!!).

I’m coming at you with a super simple taco dinner that you’ll want to make again and again.

I’m pretty excited to share this recipe because there was a time when my body didn’t tolerate beans. But since spending time healing my body and my gut, I can eat beans again. Yay!

What I LOVE about these sweet potato black bean tacos:

so many flavors – cilantro, lime, avocado, sweet potato, taco seasoning
loaded with veggies
the cilantro ranch slaw (such nice texture)
easy to throw together
can be prepped ahead of time

Summer is here, and that means I’m spending less time in the kitchen and more time outside in the garden and swimming at the river. So having easy meals I can meal prep ahead of time and quickly throw together is so helpful.

And who doesn’t love a good taco night?

These sweet potato black bean tacos have been a huge hit in our family. They’re hearty and filling and loaded with flavor. And the secret to these tacos really is the charred tortilla.

How to Char a Tortilla

For this recipe you can use any tortillas that you like. My current fav are THESE.

My favorite way to warm up tortillas is by charring them. They look and feel like authentic handmade tortillas, have an added smoky flavor and it gives them a touch of texture.

Simply turn on the flame of your gas stove to low medium and place the tortilla on the burner. As the tortilla begins to char, move the tortilla around so you get a nice char all around. Use metal tongs if it’s too hot on your fingers. Flip and char the other side, being careful not to over cook it so you don’t end up with a dry tortilla.

Once you get better at the technique, you can do multiple tortillas on multiple burners. Place charred tortillas inside a clean tea towel as you work to keep them warm.

A Word about Black Beans

Beans are notorious to creating gas and digestive upset. But you can increase the digestibility of beans by soaking them for at least 12 hours before cooking and then cooking them until they are very soft and well done.

I highly recommend cooking your own beans instead of using canned beans for this reason. Canned beans are often hard and not cooked enough for my liking. It’s also good to avoid canned foods because the cans are often lined with BPA (bisphenol-A), which has been linked to many health issue.

My Favorite Way to Cook Black Beans

I like to cook my black beans in my Instant Pot. It’s easy, mostly hands off, and my beans are perfectly cooked every time.

After soaking 2 cups of beans overnight, drain and rinse well. Add beans to Instant Pot insert along with 5 cups of water. Add in 2 bay leaves, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 1/4 tsp oregano. Lock lid on IP and turn the vent valve to “sealing.” Cook on HIGH for 10 minutes then slow release for 20 minutes. Salt to taste after cooking.

Beans are easy to store in the freezer for later. I use THESE jars to freeze individual portions that are perfect for my family’s taco nights. The trick to freezing them is to not overfill them and to not tighten the lid until they are frozen solid because this keeps the jars from cracking under pressure as the beans will expand as they freeze.

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Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Ranch Slaw

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Author: Katja Heino
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: feeds 3-4 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tbsp avocado oil (like this)
1 and 1/2 tsp taco seasoning (like this)
salt to taste
1 and 3/4 cups cooked black bean (or a 15 ounce can)
1 and 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
your favorite tortillas (I use THESE)

FOR CILANTRO RANCH DRESSING

1/2 cup mayonnaise or plain dairy free yogurt (I use THIS)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
juice from one lime
1/2 – 1 clove garlic (depending on your garlic preference)
pinch of cumin powder
salt to taste
water to thin, if necessary

FOR MASHED AVOCADO

one avocado
juice from 1/2 of a lime
salt to taste

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 425’F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss cubed sweet potato in avocado oil and taco seasoning until well coated. Spread single layer and evenly onto baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are are soft and tender. Remove from oven and salt to taste.
While sweet potatoes cook, make cilantro ranch dressing by blending mayonnaise, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and cumin in a food processor or blender until creamy smooth. Salt to taste and thin with water to a salad dressing consistency if necessary. Combine shredded cabbage and 1/4 cup cilantro leaves in a small bowl drizzle on cilantro ranch dressing and toss until coated. Set aside.
To make mashed avocado, use a fork to mash avocado, lime, and salt together. Set aside.
Warm black beans in a small pot.
Char tortillas in the open flame of a gas stove until lightly charred. Stack them under a clean tea towel as you work.
TO ASSEMBLE TACOS: Add a small amount of mashed avocado to each tortilla, load on sweet potatoes and black beans, and then some cilantro ranch slaw. Enjoy!

Notes

If you don’t have taco seasoning, you can make a mix of chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and oregano.

This meal can be prepped ahead of time by cooking sweet potatoes, making cilantro ranch slaw, and mashed avocado ahead of time. Simply warm up beans and tortillas just before serving.

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