This healthy tacos recipe has just become an absolute go-to in our house! We all adore Mexican cuisine in my family (even our little nearly threenager!) but Mexican food is often quite heavy on the meat and spice, which isn’t ideal when there are vegetarians and tiny toddler mouths to feed. Modern family life is pretty hectic so I’m always trying to think up quick family dinners that everyone can enjoy but are full of goodness, which is how this healthy tacos recipe was born.
What makes these healthy tacos perfect for a midweek family meal? Well, they’re really quick and easy to whip up, which is what you need when you’ve had a full-on day at work, or you’ve been busy looking after little ones. Literally, oven on, beans on, asparagus in, then ten minutes later it’s time to enjoy. Midweek dinner recipes don’t get much quicker or easier.
Another bonus is that they’re veggie tacos (and vegan if you skip the feta), so can easily be enjoyed by anyone in the family. Some meat eaters moan about a lack of protein in veggie food. But with black beans, feta and greens, they’re a really good source of vegetarian protein. Per person they have over 20g of the stuff, which should keep most people happy. Black beans are so tasty too and with a little fresh thyme, cumin and a squeeze of lime, they’re even better.
I like to eat low carb, so I went with lettuce tacos instead of traditional corn wraps. I’m certain that lettuce tacos would not be authentically Mexican, but I really feel the best bit about tacos is picking and choosing all your favourite toppings, often getting a little messy in the process, then wrapping them up and devouring. These healthy tacos still deliver all the fun and interactivity of regular tacos and are perfect if you’re after keto Mexican recipes. A word of warning, be sure to pick the right lettuce for tacos! Here are my top tips…
Lettuce taco top tips!
- Choose the right lettuce for tacos. I’ve found that Romaine lettuce is perfect. The leaves are larger and more robust so can handle being picked up and moved around.
- Hold them correctly. Just like a newborn baby, lettuce tacos need to be handled carefully. Each leaf has a long spine running through the middle. Cup them gently at either end of the leaf just how you would hold a hot dog.
- Don’t overfill them. The leaves can only hold so much, so don’t go too crazy filling them up! Also, they’re strongest at the base of the stem, so put more filling here and less towards the end of the leaf.
Of course, if you’re not following a keto or low carb diet, you could just swap out the lettuce for regular tacos.
As if you needed more reasons to try this healthy tacos recipe, here’s one more! They’re as spicy or as mild as you want them. With little ones, you don’t want a recipe that’s packed with heat. So instead of firing up with chilli and spices, I went big on the herbs instead. This means that you get tons of flavour from thyme, tarragon, mint and coriander, but no spiciness. Then all you need are a good bowl of jalapeños and some hot sauce on-hand to please even the most heat loving of individuals. Everyone’s happy.
I can’t believe I’ve got this far without mentioning my favourite seasonal ingredient of all, freshly picked asparagus. Here in the UK, English asparagus season has just kicked off (23rd April) so expect lots more seasonal recipes with beautiful British Asparagus over the coming weeks. Our allotment is full of asparagus crowns so I’m crossing everything that we get a good haul this year. For these veggie tacos instead of blanching asparagus as I usually would, I tried roasting asparagus instead and it worked beautifully. Use nice young spears, about finger width. Roasted, then tossed in fresh herbs they make an incredible taco topping, or even just a delicious asparagus side dish.
I really hope you love this recipe and if you fancy another Mexican treat then check out these Mexican Tlayudas, they’re insane!
Healthy Tacos Recipe
Ingredients
Black beans
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 1 handful fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tins cooked black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 handful coriander leaves finely chopped
Roasted asparagus
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bunches asparagus spears halved
- 1 handful tarragon leaves finely chopped
- 1 handful mint leaves finely choped
Other ingredients
- 1 Romaine lettuce leaves separated & washed
- 200 g feta crumbled
- 3 radishes finely sliced
- 1 jar pickled jalapenos
- Your favourite hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C or 390°F.
- For the black beans – In a medium frying pan on a high heat, add the olive oil. When hot add the onion, cumin & thyme and reduce heat to medium. Season carefully. Cook, stirring regularly for 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss the asparagus in oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast in oven for 8 minutes*.
- Add black beans to frying pan with onions & warm for 2 minutes. Add crushed garlic & cook for a couple more minutes. Squeeze over lime juice and sprinkle with coriander.
- Once cooked, squeeze lime on asparagus and sprinkle with tarragon & mint. Serve alongside beans and other ingredients.
Notes
Serves 4
