Black Bean Quinoa Taco "Meat" with Aquafaba Crema
Often confused as a grain, quinoa is actually a seed. Like chia seeds, it’s also a complete protein, and the combination of quinoa, beans, and vegetables in this dish makes it a highly nutritious, hearty, and delicious stuffing for tacos, burritos, and roasted vegetables. Plus an oh-so-creamy & tangy sauce made from aquafaba that makes for a delicious drizzle. Recipe adapted from Thug Kitchen
Ingredients
Black Bean Quinoa Taco Filling
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 1 jalapeño (optional) seeded and minced
- 1 1 medium carrot (optional) chopped
- 3-6 3-6 mushrooms (optional) chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 C cooked quinoa
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- ½ Tbsp chipotle powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 ½ C cooked black beans equal to one 15-oz can, preferably soaked beforehand*, blitzed in a food processor for 5 seconds or mashed with a potato masher
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
Aquafaba Crema (optional)
- Liquid from 1 can of chickpeas around ½ cup
- 1 tsp mustard powder or regular/spicy mustard
- ½-1 C oil amount depending on desired consistency - the more oil, the thicker the crema; I used walnut oil, but a neutral oil would work well
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Variation
- Substitute the juice of 1 whole lime for the lemon and add 1 tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a large skillet or wok.
- Chop, dice, and mince all vegetables. For speedy preparation, place roughly chopped vegetables into a food processor and blitz until chunky.
- Add all vegetables, except for the garlic, into the warmed skillet or wok. Sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until onion is translucent and (optional) carrots have softened.
- Add garlic and spices, stir until everything is coated, and sauté for another minute or so, until your kitchen begins to smell amazing.
- Drain and rinse black beans if using canned, then mash.
- Fold in the mashed black beans, cooked quinoa, lime juice, and Braggs, and cook until beans are just warm. Remove from heat.
- Serve hot or cold. This mixture can be eaten on its own, but is excellent as a stuffing for roasted vegetables (e.g. sweet peppers, portobella mushrooms), tacos, and burritos.
Aquafaba Crema
- In a high-powered blender or food processor, blend the chickpea liquid ("aquafaba") with the mustard powder until frothy.
- Slowly drizzle in the oil over medium-high speed. You're creating an emulsion and the liquid should steadily get thicker and whiter as more oil is added. Be careful not to pour too fast, which will break the emulsion. Add oil until the crema reaches your desired consistency (I stop before it attains the thickness of mayonnaise).
- Add your flavorings and blend on low speed to incorporate. Taste and adjust flavors, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy/nuttiness, lemon juice for tang/acidity, maple syrup for sweetness, garlic powder for garlic, and salt to bring out the overall flavor.