If you’re in the mood for fancy tacos, here’s your recipe: turmeric-roasted cauliflower and refried black beans smothered in a savory, chipotle aïoli. Inspired by a meal I had in Austin, Texas, the aïoli whisks together in a minute; it’s essentially a homemade mayonnaise. Topped with cilantro, lime, pepitas, and radishes, the contrast of flavors and textures is divine. The finishing touch is another trick I learned in Texas from our friend Jeanine Donofrio, author of The Love and Lemons Cookbook: blackening the tortillas over an open flame on the stovetop softens them and adds a charred flavor. If you’re looking for quick weeknight tacos, try our Quick Fix Pinto Bean Tacos instead.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAULIFLOWER
- Double recipe Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
FOR THE BEANS
- 1 small white onion
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE CHIPOTLE AïOLI*
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from 1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
How to Make It
- Make the cauliflower: Make a double recipe following the instructions here.
- Make the refried beans: Peel and halve the onion, then thinly slice it into half-moon shapes. Drain the beans, reserving ½ cup of the can liquid. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beans, reserved can liquid, kosher salt, chili powder, and black pepper. Turn the heat to medium low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often and smashing the beans toward the end of the cook time, until most of the liquid has cooked out and the texture is mashed and thick. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan as necessary. Taste and season with additional salt as desired.
- Make the chipotle aïoli: Place a medium-sized, flat-bottomed bowl on top of a folded dish towel to keep it secure while whisking. The size of the bowl is important, as it must be large enough to allow for whisking vigorously. Add the egg yolk and mustard to the bowl and whisk until thick and creamy. Pour the olive oil into a liquid measuring cup. Starting one drop at a time, slowly add the olive oil into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Allow the olive oil to become completely incorporated before continuing to add more olive oil; the drizzling can become gradually faster as you go. Whisk until all of the oil is fully incorporated and the aïoli is thickened. Peel and mince the garlic clove. Sprinkle it with a very small pinch of salt, then holding the blunt edge of the knife, scrape the sharp edge of the blade over the minced garlic, holding the knife at an angle and mashing the garlic into a paste. Stir the garlic paste, kosher salt, and adobo sauce into the aïoli. (Store the leftover aïoli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks; bring to room temperature before serving.)
- Char the tortillas: Turn on a gas burner to medium heat and place the tortilla directly on the grate. After about 15 seconds when the edges are lightly charred, use tongs to flip the tortilla and heat on the opposite side until lightly charred. Repeat for all tortillas, taking care that they do not catch fire.
- Prepare the garnishes: Thinly slice the radishes. Slice the lime into wedges. To serve, place a layer of refried black beans in a tortilla, then top with roasted cauliflower. Add pepitas, torn cilantro leaves, a squeeze of lime, radishes, and a drizzle of chipotle aïoli.
