Don’t let the long list of ingredients intimidate you! These vegetarian or vegan delights are so good that you’ll be talking about these long after the pandemic is done and gone.
Total prep and cook time: 15 minutes prep, 40-45 minutes baking and cooking, most of which can happen concurrently.
Yields
8-12 tacos
Ingredients
3 medium bell peppers, thinly sliced (preferably various colors)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
4 thyme sprigs (or a generous pinch of dried)
1 14-oz can of black beans, drained
1 14-oz can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with their liquid
1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced (or 2 teaspoons of granulated)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 lime, in wedges
Sliced avocado, for serving
Crumbled queso fresco (optional)
Method
Heat oven to 400 degrees and arrange racks in the top and bottom thirds of oven.
On a rimmed sheet pan, toss together peppers, onion, 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and sage, then spread vegetables out in an even layer. Top with thyme sprigs and roast on the top rack until tender and lightly browned, 35 to 45 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so.
On a separate rimmed sheet pan, toss together beans, tomatoes, 1/4 cup oil, chipotle chile and sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt to taste. Roast on the bottom rack, stirring every 10 minutes, until juices have thickened, 25 to 35 minutes.
Brush tortillas on both sides with oil, then arrange in an even layer on a third rimmed baking sheet (it’s O.K. if the tortillas overlap slightly). Bake until crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Or fry them in a non-stick pan over the stove. Sprinkle with salt while they are still hot.
To serve, top tortillas with beans, peppers, avocado, queso fresco (if desired), cilantro and a squeeze of lime from the wedges.
Note: Just make a line on the kitchen counter with all the ingredients still in their cooking trays… Let people do the work, not you. For vegan application, remove the offenders like the queso. Also, don’t have the prescribed beans? Used the beans you got.