Quinoa Black Bean Tacos with Creamy Avocado Sauce

https://cookieandkate.com/quinoa-black-bean-tacos-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

Quinoa and black bean filling

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 cup chopped red onion

• 2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon ground chili powder

• ½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well in a fine mesh colander

• 1 cup vegetable broth or water

• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

• ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Avocado sauce

• 1 large avocado, sliced into long strips

• 1 to 2 medium limes, juiced

• 1 medium jalapeño, deseeded, membranes removed and roughly chopped

• 1 handful fresh cilantro¼ teaspoon salt

Everything else

• 6 to 8 small, round corn tortillas (certified gluten-free if necessary)

• 1 ½ cups roughly chopped romaine lettuce or spring greens

• Optional garnishes: pickled jalapeños or radishes,

• crumbled feta cheese

Salsa ( https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fresh_tomato_salsa/ )

• 2 to 3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (1 to 1 1/2 pounds), stems removed

• 1/2 red onion

• 1/2 red/yellow or orange bell pepper diced

• 2 serrano chiles or 1 jalapeño chile (stems, ribs, seeds removed), less or more to taste

• Juice of one lime

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Pinch dried oregano (crumble in your fingers before adding), more to taste

• Pinch ground cumin, more to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the filling, warm the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic with a dash of salt for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onions are softened and turning translucent. Add the tomato paste, cumin and chili powder and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly.

Add the rinsed quinoa and 1 cup broth or water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, drain off any excess liquid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Stir in the drained black beans and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and set aside for a couple of minutes to warm up the beans.

To make the avocado sauce: Simply combine the ingredients as listed in a food processor or blender. Blend well and season with salt, to taste.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the tortillas in a single layer, flipping halfway. Wrap the warmed tortillas with a lint-free tea towel until ready to serve. To assemble the tacos, spread quinoa and black bean filling down the center of the tortilla, then top with a generous drizzle of avocado crema, a handful of chopped romaine and any additional garnishes you’d like to add. Eat up!