File this under easy weeknight meals! I cooked the beans from dry in a pressure cooker, which is an easy and quick way to make dried beans. Alternately just two drained cans of black beans. The cabbage feta slaw is simple, and adds a lot of flavor. You can just scoop these up in warm tortillas, fold them into larger ones, or try the added step of making them crispy in a skillet – it’s worth it! This is a recipe that works great in the summer and winter months. In the summer use red onion and sweet red or bell pepper in the beans. In the winter use storage onions and skip the peppers. Ground beef or grilled chicken could be added to beans, put cilantro in the slaw if you have it, skip it if you don’t. I like the flavors with just the cabbage and beans, but feel free to add salsa, sour cream, avocado, etc.
Whichever bean cooking method you choose, start with sweating the onions, garlic, and red pepper in oil before adding the cumin and coriander. If you’re cooking dried beans add a dried chile (optional) and cook according to your pressure cooker’s directions. For canned beans, drain them and add to the onion mixture, you’ll just lightly cook them before mashing them. This recipe makes a drier bean mixture which is great for crisping up the tacos, soupy beans would make a mess.
I doubled the slaw from the original recipe because feta+lime+cabbage sounds awesome to me and we enjoyed it on the side as well. Also this planting of cabbage is yielding some large cabbage! Half the slaw recipe if you don’t want leftovers.
To crisp the tacos, heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Lay the tortillas in the skillet and place black beans over half of each tortilla. Gently fold in half and cook about a minute per side until crispy. Fill with slaw and serve with hot sauce or extra taco ingredients.
Black Bean & Cabbage Crispy Tacos
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
To serve four generous servings:
2 cans black beans, drained or see dry bean cooking directions at the end
1 yellow or red onion, diced
Optional: 1 sweet italian pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and lime juice to taste
For the slaw:
4 cups cabbage, shredded
juice from half a lime
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
1/4 cup cilantro – optional
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 corn tortillas
2 more tablespoons olive oil
Cook the black beans. Sweat the onions, peppers, and garlic over medium heat until the onions are cooked through and turning translucent. Add cumin and coriander to the pan with the drained black beans. Cook over medium heat 5 – 10 minutes until beans are cooked through. Add a little water if pan gets too dry, but not so much that the beans will be saucy. Turn off heat and mash with a potato masher. Taste and season with sea salt and lime juice. Combine slaw ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add tortillas in a layer (you can probably fit 4 at a time, but I did 2 at a time) Cover half of each tortilla with some of the bean mixture, gently fold tacos and cook a minute or two until crispy. Fill tacos with slaw and serve.
Dried Black Beans
2 cups black beans soaked overnight or using quick-soak method and drained
1 yellow or red onion, diced
Optional: 1 sweet italian pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and lime juice to taste
1 – 2 dried ancho or chipotle chilies
Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium low heat. Sweat the onions, peppers, and garlic over medium heat until the onions are cooked through and turning translucent. Add cumin and coriander to the pan with the drained black beans. Cover beans with water, add dried chili to the pan if using, and cook according to your pressure cooker’s instructions. Let pressure drop naturally. Drain beans and mash with a potato masher. Follow the rest of the directions as written.
