You won’t miss the meat in these loaded vegan tacos

You don’t have to stick with traditional veggies as a filling for vegan tacos. Why not try adding eggplant and asparagus for your next batch? They have great texture and taste, and with smoky, spicy seasonings tossed into the mix, you’ll have a great Mexican-inspired meal.

I made an easy vegan sour cream to drizzle over the top of these handheld taco treats, but you can use prepared vegan sour cream if you like. I blended silken tofu, salt and pepper, a bit of lemon juice and a bit of apple cider vinegar to make the sour cream, then refrigerated it for a short time.

Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the tops of the filling mixture, and serve with lime wedges for added fresh flavor. These tacos are easy to make, and you’ll love the unique ingredients.

Note: Vegan foods are made without any animal or animal-derived products. Carefully check the packaging labels of food products you use for these recipes to ensure they are vegan.

Vegan eggplant, asparagus and black bean tacos recipe

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 inch) whole-wheat tortillas, warmed prior to serving
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 small eggplant, stem end removed, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 bunch thin asparagus, stem ends removed
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra to season the vegetables
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus extra to season the vegetables
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons sauce from 1 (4 ounce) can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (reserve the remaining sauce and peppers for another recipe)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped, plus extra for garnish
• Lime wedges, for garnish (optional)
• Vegan sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill to medium heat. Lightly brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil over both sides of the eggplant rounds and the asparagus spears, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Grill the vegetables, flipping once, until done. The asparagus will take only about 4 minutes to grill, while the eggplant will take approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Remove the vegetables from the grill, and chop them into bite-size pieces. Set them aside.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, add the remaining olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and cook for several minutes or until the onion softens. Add the garlic, and stir. Add the salt, black pepper and cumin to the mixture, and stir.
5. Add the adobo sauce, stirring, along with the black beans. Remove the mixture from the heat, and stir in the eggplant, asparagus and cilantro, tossing to combine.
6. Equally divide, and spoon the vegetable mixture between the warmed tortillas.
7. Serve immediately garnished with extra cilantro, lime wedges and vegan sour cream.

Spoon flavorful ingredients into your next taco meal.

More vegan recipes

Vegan Thousand Island dressing
Vegan coleslaw with creamy avocado dressing
Vegan grilled tofu with chimichurri sauce