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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos (Vegan)

Tacos live or die by contrast. Here that means sweet, smoky roasted potato, creamy avocado, crunchy lime slaw and sharp pink onions. Pickle the onions first; ten minutes is enough. Everything else comes together while the sweet potato roasts.

Dinner

40

Serves 2

Corn tortilla tacos filled with roasted sweet potato, black beans, red cabbage slaw, avocado, pickled red onion and coriander

Ingredients

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 400g), cut into 2cm cubes
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin and a pinch of chilli flakes
  • 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed (240g)
  • 6 small corn tortillas (about 150g in total)
  • For the pickled onion
  • Half a small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp vinegar (cider or red wine) and a pinch of salt
  • For the slaw and avocado
  • 100g red cabbage, finely shredded
  • Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges to serve
  • Half a large avocado (100g)
  • A handful of coriander

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan). Toss the sweet potato with the oil, spices and a pinch of salt, and spread out on a lined tray. Roast for 25 minutes, turning halfway, until soft and caramelised at the edges.
  2. Meanwhile, put the onion in a small bowl with the vinegar and salt, and scrunch with your fingers. Leave for at least 10 minutes, until bright pink.
  3. Toss the cabbage with half the lime juice and a pinch of salt.
  4. Mash the avocado with the remaining lime juice and a little salt.
  5. Warm the beans in a pan with 2 tbsp water and a pinch of cumin, lightly crushing a few of them so they hold together.
  6. Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry pan for 30 seconds a side, then wrap them in a clean tea towel to keep soft.
  7. Spread each tortilla with avocado, then add the beans, sweet potato, slaw and pickled onion. Finish with coriander and serve with lime wedges.

Why it works

A serving of three tacos has about 25g of fibre. That is most of the 30g a day the NHS recommends, in one meal, when most adults in the UK eat about 20g a day in total. It comes from the black beans, sweet potato, cabbage, avocado and corn tortillas.

Why it keeps you full. Fibre and the slow-release carbohydrate in beans slow down digestion, which is why this is tagged for blood sugar and why it feels more filling than its size suggests.

Sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A, and counts as one of your 5 a day, unlike ordinary potatoes. The cabbage and lime add vitamin C, which helps the body absorb the iron in the beans.

The honest part is the protein. At about 20g a serving, it is lower than most dinners on this site. If you train, add a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds, serve with a dollop of soya yogurt, or use some crumbled extra-firm tofu alongside the beans. At about 680 calories, it is also a full meal; have two tacos each for a lighter dinner.

Corn tortillas made only from maize are naturally gluten-free, but many UK brands contain wheat flour, so check the label. For another meal built on black beans, try the huevos rancheros. For eating around menopause, see the best diet for menopause.