These Vegetarian Black Bean and Crispy Kale Tacos are healthy and delish! Creamy slow cooker refried beans are topped with tangy pickled red onions and crunchy roasted kale. An easy plant-based recipe perfect for Meatless Mondays or Taco Tuesdays!
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Before we start, DO NOT let the length of this recipe scare you away. It is super simple! I promise!
During the past several months, Tom and I have made a number of trips to Fredericksburg looking for a new home. These trips, combined with selling our house, resulted in us eating out way more than usual. I tried to balance my flat out unhealthy choices with options that were more nutritious.
On one of our house hunting trips in Fredericksburg, we ate at Tubby’s Ice House which is one of Tricia’s favorite places to get tacos. It’s a little neighborhood burger and taco joint that has a fun outdoor patio. The menu had some unique tacos like goat vindaloo, curry shrimp, and black bean and kale.
I chose the black bean and kale tacos. I was not quite sure about the kale on my taco so I only ordered one. Y’ALL, it was love at first bite! I devoured it and ordered another one. LOL!
They were so good I decided to make my own using my recipe for Slow Cooker Refried Beans Minus The Refry. I just substituted black beans for the pinto beans and reduced the broth a little since black beans are smaller than pinto beans.
The kale and onions can both be made ahead of time which makes this an easy weeknight meal. So simple and sooo dang GOOD!
Tammy’s Tips For Black Bean and Kale Tacos
Kale – Don’t be afraid of the kale! It adds the perfect crunch to the tacos and does not have a strong flavor. Be sure to keep an eye on your kale when you roast it so that it doesn’t burn. I store leftover kale in a sealed container in the fridge. It stays nice and crispy!
Pickled Onions – Tom has been making these pickled onions for years. They are amazing and so easy to make! We love them on tacos, in our pitas, on sandwiches, in salads, and they are a fabulous addition to charcuterie boards, chili bars, and bagel bars.
The onions need to marinate at room temperature for at least one hour. The longer they marinate the better they taste. After they sit at room temp for 1-hour, refrigerate in an airtight container with the brine. You can make up to 2 weeks ahead of time.
Warning! They are addicting. Be careful not to make too far ahead of time because they may disappear before Taco Tuesday!
We like to add sumac to our pickled onions to give them a tangy tart flavor. Sumac is a red spice used in Middle Eastern cooking. It comes from the berries of the wild sumac flower. Sumac is a powerful antioxidant and is packed with Vitamin C. You can use it as a dry rub or add it to marinades and dressing instead of lemon juice. If you aren’t able to find sumac in your grocery store and do not want to order it online, no worries. The onions are still delish without it. Although, I do highly recommend trying sumac!
Additional Taco Toppings – You can add your favorite toppings to these tacos. I like to add a bit of cilantro, avocado, a little squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a sprinkle of queso fresco.
Black Beans – Making your own refried black beans in the slow cooker is super simple and takes just a few minutes in the morning. You can even chop your onion and garlic the night before. If you are short on time, you can always use canned organic refried black beans that do not have any refined oil or highly processed ingredients. I keep some on hand for last-minute emergency meals, but nothing beats homemade!!! You can check out my slow cooker refried pinto bean post for additional tips.
This is my kind of recipe! Easy, healthy, and so YUMMY! Enjoy!
Black Bean and Crispy Kale Tacos
These Vegetarian Black Bean and Crispy Kale Tacos are healthy and delish! Creamy slow cooker refried beans are topped with tangy pickled red onions and crunchy roasted kale. An easy plant-based recipe perfect for Meatless Mondays or Taco Tuesdays!
Ingredients
For the Black Beans
- 2 cups dry black beans rinsed you do not have to soak the beans
- 2 cups onion, chopped (1 medium)
- 5 cups your choice of broth or water I usually use homemade chicken bone broth
- 1 whole poblano pepper
- 1 whole jalapeno
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Kale
- 6 cups curly kale, washed and dried thoroughly
- olive oil
- sea salt
For the Pickled Onions
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp ground sumac or a little fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
For the Tacos
- corn tortillas
- your favorite additional taco toppings
Instructions
For the Black Beans
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Add all of the ingredients to slow cooker and stir to combine.
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Cook on high 6-8 hours or until beans are completely soft.
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Once beans are cooked, remove the jalapeno and poblano peppers and discard. If there is a large amount of liquid left drain and reserve.
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Using a potato masher, mash the beans until they reach desired consistency, adding in reserved liquid as needed. If you would like your beans completely smooth, you can use an immersion blender instead of the potato masher.
For the Pickled Onions
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Add onion, sumac, salt, and pepper to a bowl and mix. Pour in vinegar and honey and stir. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Can be made up to 2 weeks ahead.
For the Kale
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut or tear into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Add kale to a bowl and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and small pinch of sea salt.
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Bake kale until crisp, about 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
For the Tacos
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Fill corn tortilla with black beans, top with pickled red onions, kale, and any of your favorite taco toppings.
Recipe Notes
We recommend using organic ingredients whenever possible.
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