an irresistible lettuce taco!

with black beans and tangy lime vinaigrette

Hey Health Foodies!

Can we get an amen for beans? AMEN!

They’re the answer when you’re in a pinch, when you need to bulk up a recipe, when you need to make a dip in less than a minute, or when you need to add more plant-based protein to a meal.

And that’s how these lettuce tacos came about. I was short on time and having a summer hangry episode.

It’s getting hot hot hot (and about to get hotter) here in Taipei and even with all the AC I still prefer fresh, crisp, lighter meals. I probably eat twice as often but my meals are a smaller. This time of year mangos and fresh herbs abound too and all these factors brought this meal together. It takes about 15 minutes to execute, 20 minutes if you’re taking your time.

Again, due to my emotional state (I call it my food mood) I’m sure I tore through the kitchen like a tornado and had these on the table in under 10 minutes.

The foundation of the recipe is a bright, happy, and delish bean filling that gets spooned into sturdy lettuce leaves. However, you could offer the bean mixture as a summer salad on its own. It could also triple as a side dish — maybe alongside a burger at a BBQ. I plan on using it as a salsa on top of some tempeh tacos (recipe from The Plant-Based Cookbook) later this week. It’s one of those recipes that comes in handy and does the job you need it to do!

The vinaigrette is light and fresh and made without any oil!