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.
Marilyn says
I never had roasted beans before!!! Looks delicious!!
Michelle @ Greedy Gourmet says
Looks like a fab vegan lunch. Avo truly makes the world go round!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Haha! I couldn't agree more, love the stuff :D
Ali @ Home & Plate says
I've never thought to roast black beans before using them. What a great idea. I usually just use them straight out of a can. I am definitely going to try to spice them up next time I use them. This salad looks delish for Taco Tuesday in my house!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
I usually do as well but this was such a great change!
Kavey says
I've never come across roasting black beans before, lovely idea to add texture to this gorgeous salad!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thanks Kavey, I was so happy with how well the roasted black beans worked! :)
Kate @ VeggieDesserts says
Roasting the black beans is simply genius! I'm soooo desperate to try these asap!
Poppy says
I just can't get over how beautiful that looks!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Aw thanks Poppy! :)
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I was sure I already left a comment on this recipe. I must be going mad. Love this salad. Black beans are so creamy and satisfying. Yummed, stumbled, pinned and tweeted.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
LOVE taco salads! They are always such a great meal to throw together!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Somehow I find them so much more satisfying than other salads :)
Jason says
Im loving this recipe. Cant wait to try it!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Thanks Jason, let me know how you get on! :)
tanya says
Never thought to roast black beans!! I will really have to try them. I bet the almost act like a crouton or something on a salad.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Exactly! Always nice to have a bit of crunch in a salad, and they're a great vehicle for the spices too :)