Roasted black bean taco salad with avocado lime dressing - a healthy vegan Mexican inspired recipe. The spicy beans add a great crunch!
You may know by now how obsessed I am with anything remotely Mexican. Enchiladas, tacos, burritos, they're all welcome in my house - we even spent our honeymoon in Mexico, and ate our weight in tortillas and guacamole (no complaints here).
Often though, Mexican food isn't exactly the healthiest option - not the way I make it, anyway (I may occasionally go a little overboard on the cheese...).
So today I thought I'd offer a healthier way to enjoy your favourite Mexican-inspired flavours, with this super easy roasted black bean taco salad - complete with a creamy avocado dressing.
Sooo yum.
Spicy roasted black beans
The spicy roasted black beans were a bit of an experiment, but since I love roasting chickpeas, I figured you can roast black beans too - and I was right! You don't want them to end up like bullets - just roast them long enough that they get slightly crispy. They add a brilliant crunch to this taco salad, as well as being a great vessel for all those smoky spices. I used paprika, cumin and chilli, but go crazy.
Taco salad
The roasted black beans may be the star of the show in this taco salad, but you need a great base too. I used Florette's Classic Crispy salad, which contains a really nice mixture of lettuces - some frizzy leaves, some round leaves, and a few purple leaves for that big flavour. One of the best things about taco salads is that every bite is different, and the same can be said for these salad mixes - I love having a bit of everything in one bowl.
Just fill your bowl with the Florette salad, top it with corn, avocado, tomatoes, and whatever other veggies you've got your eye on, and then scatter over those crispy roasted black beans. Don't forget the avocado lime dressing! It gives a lovely creamy texture.
I think taco salads usually contain some crispy tortilla pieces (I guess that's what makes them taco-inspired), but I skipped those - they're just not necessary when you've got the crispy roasted black beans anyway. So I suppose this probably isn't technically a taco salad, but oh well. When something's this delicious, I'm not worried about the technicalities.
Have you ever made a taco salad? What else would you add to your Florette crispy salad to transform it into a tasty dinner?
Roasted Black Bean Taco Salad
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
For the roasted black beans:
- 400 g tin black beans, drained and rinsed (240g, or ~ 1 ¼ cups, when drained)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
For the avocado lime dressing:
- Small handful fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 1 small clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- ½ large avocado
- Salt
- Black pepper
To assemble the taco salad:
- 2 leaves large handfuls salad
- ~ 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoon sweetcorn kernels
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- ½ avocado, sliced
Instructions
- Add the rinsed black beans to a large bowl with a dash of oil and the spices. Toss well to coat, then spread them out in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway, until crispy but not overly hard.
- To make the dressing, add the fresh coriander (cilantro) to a mini food processor, along with the garlic. Blitz well until finely chopped. Add the lime juice and half an avocado, and blitz again until smooth. Season to taste.
- To assemble the taco salad, fill two large bowls with salad leaves, then top with the tomatoes, sweetcorn, chopped spring onions, and ½ an avocado. Finish with the roasted black beans and the avocado lime dressing, and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
Emma says
I promised my sister I'd cook her a healthy Mexican meal at the weekend and knew you'd have tonnes of inspiration. I'm not sure she will settle for a salad but I will definitely be making this for my lunches over the coming weeks.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Aw thanks Emma! Serve up plenty of grated cheese and sour cream on the side and I bet even she'd be converted by this one ;)
Elizabeth says
My goodness this sounds absolutely heavenly! All your recipes are just so mouthwatering!
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
Oh yeah - this dish speaks to me on so many levels! Not sure those black beans would make it onto the salad - I see myself eating them straight off the pan. :)
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I wouldn't blame you one bit :D
Diana says
Taco salads are the best! And there are so many yummy ingredients that you can add to the salad. Love how you added roasted black bean yum!
Judy says
What a delicious taco salad! I love them and really like the idea of roasted black beans. Thanks so much!
Molly Kumar says
What a healthy n Delicious looking salad and the roasted black beans look super yum. Pinning for later use.
Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas says
I love the idea of roasting the black beans. Brilliant! I too have roasted chickpeas but didn't realise this would apply to other legumes. The flavour combinations in this salad sound delicious.
Charla @ That Girl Cooks Healthy says
This is ingenious, love the roasted black beans in a taco salad, very different!
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
Loving all the flavours of this Tex-Mex salad. This is perfect for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner.