Charred Corn & Black Bean Tacos

Name: Charred Corn & Black Bean Tacos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cups Sweetcorn; 400g Black Beans; 1 Red Onion; 1 Lime; 1 tsp Smoked Paprika; 1 tsp Ground Cumin; 1 Avocado; Handful Coriander; 8 small Tortillas; 2 tbsp Olive Oil

Recipe by Diego Santos ZestyPlate Kitchen

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Smoky charred sweetcorn and black beans piled into warm tortillas with avocado and lime.

These tacos prove vegetarian food can be the opposite of boring: blistered, smoky-sweet corn and warm spiced black beans, brightened with lime and cooled with creamy avocado. They come together in about 25 minutes from mostly pantry and freezer staples. Big flavour, barely any effort - exactly my kind of weeknight.

Prep 15 min Cook 10 min Total 25 min Easy

Ingredients

2 cups Sweetcorn
400g Black Beans
1 Red Onion
1 Lime
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 Avocado
Handful Coriander
8 small Tortillas
2 tbsp Olive Oil

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the well-drained corn and cook without stirring for a few minutes until charred in spots, then stir and char again.
Add the drained black beans, cumin and smoked paprika with a pinch of salt, and warm through for 2-3 minutes.
Squeeze in the juice of half the lime and stir.
Warm the tortillas in a dry pan or briefly over a flame.
Mash the avocado with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.
Build each taco with avocado, the corn-and-bean mix, thinly sliced red onion and plenty of coriander. Serve with lime wedges.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

Dry the corn really well before it hits the pan - wet corn steams instead of charring.
Use a hot pan and leave the corn undisturbed to get those smoky blackened spots.
Char the tortillas directly over a gas flame for a few seconds for extra flavour.
A crumble of feta or a drizzle of chipotle mayo makes a great optional finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

All work. Frozen is great and cheap - just thaw and dry it well. Fresh off the cob chars beautifully in summer.

It already is, as long as you skip any cheese topping. The avocado does the creamy work.

Sure - grilled halloumi, leftover chicken, or extra beans all bulk it up nicely.