Black Bean Tacos with Spiralized Jicama and Avocado Mash
Try this Black Bean Tacos with Spiralized Jicama and Avocado Mash recipe.
Try this Black Bean Tacos with Spiralized Jicama and Avocado Mash recipe.
- salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- for the rest:
- for the avocado mash:
- for jicama salad:
- 1 medium jicama peeled blade c, noodles trimmed
- 1 small jalapeno minced
- 2 avocado, peeled pitted
- 2 15- oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 12 corn tortillas (or bibb lettuce if making lettuce wraps)
- Carbohydrate 0.793916576132741 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.379517290939482 g
- Fiber 0.0796250005975437 g
- Protein 0.0475904166659164 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0523296873996107 g
- Serving Size 1 1 taco (27g)
- Sodium 52.441701378154 mg
- Sugar 0.714291575535198 g
- Trans Fat 0.0150698124802455 g
- Calories 6 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the black beans and broth in a medium pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 5 minutes or until liquid reduces by about ½. Using a fork or a potato masher, roughly mash the beans. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until liquid reduces.
- While the beans cook, prepare the jicama salsa and avocado mash. Place all of the ingredients for the jicama salsa into a large mixing bowl and toss thoroughly to combine. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, place in all of the ingredients for the avocado mash and mash until the mixture is smooth with some chunks.
- When the beans are ready, build your tacos! Set out one taco and add a spoonful of beans. Top with jicama salsa and then avocado mash. Repeat to build 12 tacos.
Acid and Starch Chemistry
Fresh lime juice and red wine vinegar introduce acetic and citric acids that cut through the dense, earthy starches of the cooked black beans. Simmering the beans in vegetable broth reduces the liquid until the starches concentrate naturally, creating a thick base that clings to the corn tortillas without becoming watery. Toss the spiralized jicama in the acid mixture early so the cell walls soften slightly while retaining their crunch.
Balancing Heat and Lipids
Capsaicin from the minced jalapeno is fat-soluble, meaning the monounsaturated fats in the avocado mash will temper the spice rather than letting it overwhelm the palate. Paprika and chili powder supply fat-soluble aromatic compounds that bind to the olive oil, distributing flavor evenly across the bean mixture during the final reduction phase. Mash the avocados until mostly smooth while leaving a few small chunks to preserve distinct textural contrast.
Moisture Management
Jicama releases water rapidly once exposed to salt, so drain any excess liquid from the mixing bowl before assembly to prevent the tortillas from tearing. Warm the corn tortillas over an open flame or in a dry skillet for thirty seconds per side to gelatinize internal starches, increasing flexibility and preventing structural failure under the heavy bean and avocado layers.
