I’m sure when you are craving tacos you think of carne asada, carnitas, shredded chicken, or ground beef. While all of these are great options, where is the veggie love?! Part of my journey to improved health through food has been to greatly increase my plant based protein intake and vegetable intake. Of course this meant I had to figure out a delicious vegetarian taco dish that satisfies the palate and stomach. These Butternut Squash Tacos were born from this search and trust me these vegan tacos, you will not be disappointed.
As you can see, this tacos are very simple. The taco filling is just 4 simple ingredients and some spices. The only thing missing above is the black beans. There isn’t a trick or catch, just chop some vegetables, cook them the right way, and throw it on a taco shell with your favorite toppings. Let’s get cooking.
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Filling:
Preheat your oven to 425° Fahrenheit and set aside a metal baking tray. You can do non-stick or uncoated for your pan because the squash will be tossed in oil. You can use a stoneware pan or casserole dish if that is what you have at your disposal but you will definitely develop a better crisp on the squash with a metal pan. Peel and dice the squash into 1/2″ cubes. Toss the squash with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and spread on your pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and get it roasting.
While the squash is roasting, about 25-30 minutes or until the bottoms are brown and toasted, prepare the rest of the taco filling. Dice the yellow onion and poblano pepper. Don’t stress on the size of your dice. Figure out the bite size you like and go with it. Once the remainder of your ingredients are prepared, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Start by sautéing the onions for about 5 minutes or until they soften and start to turn translucent. Add in your poblano peppers and cook for 3 more minutes.
Add your rinsed black beans, stir to combine, and then add your spice mixture. Stir to coat everything evenly and allow the mix to cook until beans have warmed through. If your squash is not ready yet, remove the pan from the heat to prevent overcooking.
Move your pan back to the heat and add your squash to the pan, stir to combine. There you have it, a delectable squash taco filling!
Slaw:
Before you start building your tacos, let’s make a fresh garnish to bring some extra life to your plate.
To top this taco we are going to make an apple and cabbage slaw. Purple cabbage, raddish, granny smith apples, and cilantro dressed with lime juice, oil and honey bring a burst of fresh and bright flavors with a great crunch when you bite into it.
Start by chopping the cabbage. Aim for thin strips when cutting. If you have a mandolin slicer, make your life easy and shred the cabbage thinly on that. After the cabbage is prepped, chop the apple and radish into rough matchsticks. Roughly chop some fresh cilantro and add it into the mix. Whisk together the lime juice, oil, and honey to make your dressing. Pour the dressing over all of the other ingredients and toss to coat everything evenly. That’s it! Simple and super flavorful!
There you have it, a pretty quick vegetarian taco recipe that is everything you want in a taco. Spicy, smokey, sweet, and filling! Toast up a tortilla, add your squash filling, garnish with the apple and cabbage slaw and some queso fresco. Dig in, and say hello to your new favorite taco!
Ingredients
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Filling
- 1 cup Yellow Onion diced
- 1 Large Poblano Pepper diced
- 5 Cups Butternut Squash 1/2 – 1" cubes
- 1 15 oz can Black Beans rinsed, drained
- 12 grams Chile Powder ground
- 3 grams Cumin ground
- 1 gram Garlic Powder
- 1 small pinch Oregano Mexican
- 1 gram Smoked Paprika ground
- 1 pinch Red Chili Flake
- 4 grams Salt
- 1 small pinch Black Peppercorn ground
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
Apple & Cabbage Slaw
- 1 cups Purple Cabbage shredded
- 1/2 cup Raddish matchstick
- 1/2 cup Granny Smith Apple matchstick
- 1/2 cup Cilantro rough chopped
- 1 whole Fresh Lime Juice
- 1/2 tbsp Honey
- 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
Serve:
- 16 Tortilla toasted
Instructions
Butternut Squash and Black Bean Filling:
- Preheat oven to 425° fahrenheit.
- Peel and cube butternut squash into 1/2" cubes. Toss with a generous amount of olive oil and spread on a sheet pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until dark brown on the bottom.
- Dice the yellow onion and poblano pepper. Mix together all spices and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften and become translucent. Add poblano pepper and saute for an additional 3 minutes.
- Add rinsed black beans to your saute pan and stir to combine. Sprinkle seasoning mixture over the mixture and stir to coat evenly. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Once your butternut squash is ready add it to the pan, stir to combine.
Apple & Cabbage Slaw:
- Prepare purple cabbage, radishes, apples, and cilantro.
- Whisk together the lime juice, honey, and olive oil in a bowl.
- Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and toss to coat evenly.
To Serve:
- On a toasted flour tortilla, place a hearty scoop of the filling. Top with the slaw and queso fresco.
1 Comment.
I have eaten these, they are delicious!!!