"Meaty" Vegan Tacos

I call these tacos "meaty" since this is how my husband, a committed carnivore, described them. After a hectic day of running around I wanted something quick, easy and satisfying for dinner. These took just under a half-hour to prepare and cook. The "meaty" taste comes from the rich textures and the strong "umami" (savory) taste of the caramelized sweet red peppers and smoked jalapenos (chipotles).  Using chipotles in adobo sauce cuts down on prep time since they pack a lot of flavor and you don't need to use other spices or cook the taco fillings long in order for the flavors to intensify.


2 sweet red peppers - sliced thin
1 small red onion- sliced
1 can 15.5 oz black beans - rinsed, drained
2 chipotles in adobo sauce* (you can use more if you're feeling adventurous),
      chopped, divided
2 cloves garlic - minced, divided
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 avocado, peeled, chopped
5 or 6  6" corn tortillas  (you can use regular flour tortillas, but I use corn
        tortillas since my husband has Celiac Disease)
salt and pepper to taste

Makes two servings of 2-3 tacos each.

optional: lime juice, chopped cilantro, fresh tomato salsa (all tasty if you have them on hand, but not necessary)
* You can usually find chipotles in adobo sauce in the Mexican or Latin food section of the supermarket.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in frying pan. Add onion and sweet red pepper. Saute until soft and lightly browned (caramelized) about 15 minutes.  Add 1 minced garlic clove and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 chopped chipotle pepper. Stir and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

While peppers are caramelizing, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in separate sauce pan, add 1 clove minced garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add black beans and 1 chopped chipotle. Cook until heated through for about 3-4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Warm up tortillas. Spoon beans onto tortillas, then add the sweet bell pepper mixture and top with chopped avocado. Add a squeeze of lime juice and you're done!

You can make these "your own". In the past I've made them with leftover lentil chili, black eyed peas, chopped green onion, guacamole, caramelized mushrooms and carrot, etc. You don't have to go crazy looking for items. Choose items that look fresh at your local supermarket. You can use tempeh or tofu, but I try not to rely on soy products too much.  It's good to stock the pantry with items like the chipotles in adobo sauce. They give you instant South of the Border flavor with minimal effort. Also, in order to get a nice "umami" taste from your caramelized veggies, make sure you use a large frying pan and don't crowd or cover  the veggies, otherwise they will be steamed veggies and won't taste very savory.