Black Bean Tacos with Mango and Arugula
These black bean tacos with creamy white bean dip, juicy mangos, fresh arugula, and quick pickled carrots and radishes are always a hit!
Yield: 12 small Tacos
Ingredients
Tacos:
- 12 wheat tortillas, 5-inch (12 cm) in diameter (you can substitute corn tortillas)
- 1 cup white bean dip, see recipe below (you can substitute a store-bought spread like hummus)
- 4 handful arugula, rinsed and drained
- 1 mango, diced (I used Mexican Ataulfo, the small, yellow kind)
- 3/4 cup quick pickled carrots and radishes (see note)
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans
- 2 teaspoons chili powder (spice mix)
- Salt and black pepper to taste (amount depends on the saltiness of the beans)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
White bean dip:
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed (cannelli, great white, white kidney,…)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini sesame paste
- 15 large basil leaves, chopped (see note)
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (or any other vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons water (or more if needed)
- 1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon fine salt (amount depends on the saltiness of the beans)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
White bean dip:
- Sauté the minced garlic in a small pan with ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden (it shoulnd’t brown). Set aside.
- Blend the beans together with the garlic (including the oil), the rest of the olive oil, tahini, basil, vinegar and water in a blender or small food processor. The dip should have a creamy consistency, similar to hummus. Add a little more water if needed.
Tacos:
- Drain and rinse the black beans.
- Add the black beans to a pan with oil and heat over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring. Add chili powder and salt & pepper to taste and continue to stir for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm. Add a splash of water if they get too dry.
- While you heat the beans, you can start reheating the tortillas. Heat a pan without oil and add the tortillas, turning them when they start to get a a bit of color. Don’t overdo it with the reheating as they can get firm and too crispy.
Assemble tacos:
- First spread a layer of white bean dip onto the tortillas. Top with black beans, arugula leaves, mango, and pickled carrots & radishes. Enjoy!
Notes
Pickles: It's best to make pickled carrots and radishes 1 day ahead - or at least a couple of hours. For a quicker option that is ready within 30 minutes, you could use pickled red onions.
Basil leaves: If you don’t have fresh basil on hand, you can use ½ to 1 teaspoon basil pesto.