Pinto Bean Tacos

The combination of sweet pineapple and crunchy jicama in the salsa turns this regular vegan bean taco into something interesting and vibrant. If you can’t get hold of jicama you could try a crisp green apple such as a granny smith. Alternatively radish or water chestnut would give a savoury crunch. 

Yield

2 people

Ingredients list

For the salsa:

1 can pineapple chunks, 20oz (567g)

Jicama, 8oz (226g)

6 spring onions, green tops only 

1 lime, juice & zest

½ packet fresh mint, approx ½oz (14g)

Dried chili flakes, a pinch 

Salt 

For the tacos:

1 can pinto beans 15.5oz (439g)

1-2 Tablespoons spicy taco seasoning mix (use your favourite) 

1 avocado

1 lime 

4-6 tortillas 

Method 

Drain the pineapple (save the juice for making oats the next morning) and chop the chunks into smaller cubes. Chop the jicama into similar sized cubes. 

Pick and tear the mint leaves, slice the green tops of spring onions and mix both into the pineapple and jicama. 

Zest the lime, and squeeze the juice over the salsa, adding dried chili flakes and salt to taste. 

Scoop the avocado out of it’s skin, crush with a fork and give it a squeeze of lime juice, about ½ to 1 lime. 

Drain most of the liquid from the pinto beans and heat through in a small frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the taco seasoning mix, you want a little bit of liquid in the pan at this point so that the spices don’t stick to the pan and burn. Heating the beans up will take just a couple of minutes. 

Heat the tortillas in a dry pan for a few seconds on each side and then construct the tacos. I usually layer smashed avocado first, then spicy pinto beans, topped off with the salsa.