Black Bean Nachos & the Story of My Irrational Jealousy of Black Beans

I wish my husband talked about me the way he talks about black beans. He is in love! Perhaps even obsessed! He is so enamored that he is willing to drive an hour to the Indianapolis Costco to buy cans of black beans in bulk (and we are not the type to keep many cans of anything on hand, mind you). And, the bulk black beans go in so many dishes that they do not last long. Is it irrational for me to be jealous of black beans? Probably 🙂

Fortunately, I also like black beans a lot, enough to allow his love affair with them to continue.

This recipe for Black Bean Nachos is one of many black bean Mexican-style dishes for which my husband is responsible. He invented the dish, variations of which we have on a weekly basis. When we prepare Black Bean Nachos for dinner, I play “sous chef” and my husband plays “head chef.” So obediently focused on chopping vegetables, I’ve never really understood what he does to cook and season my offerings, and have been hesitant to replicate the dish without having a recipe at hand. Finally I got him to articulate exactly what he does so I can post it.

Turns out, the recipe is not complicated at all, and is actually very versatile. We use the same combination of black beans/corn/onions/red pepper in tacos. Using this combination of veggies is a great healthy, vegetarian alternative to making nachos with fake beef (although that is really good to have on occasion, too).

Black Bean Nachos/Tacos

Ingredients:

• 15.5 oz can of black beans, rinsed
• 10 oz can of diced tomatoes & green chiles
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 cup of frozen yellow sweet corn
• 1/4 of a large onion, diced
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Tortilla chips (or taco shells)
• Optional toppings: chopped cilantro, spinach, shredded Mexican cheese, sour cream, avocado, salsa

Preparation:

• Use an indoor panini grill or outdoor grill to char corn and red pepper. After cooling, dice red pepper.
• Add canola oil to a pan over medium-high heat . Add onions and can of rinsed black beans. Cook for approximately 4 minutes. Add corn, red pepper, and can of tomatoes. Cook for approximately 3 more minutes. Add cumin, salt, and pepper (to taste). Stir in chopped cilantro, if desired.
• Top tortilla chips with desired toppings (e.g. spinach, cheese, sour cream, avocado, salsa) *Suggestion: try melting cheese over the tortilla chips in the microwave for a few seconds before topping with the veggie mixture and condiments. If making tacos, warm tortilla shells in the oven before filling with veggie mixture and condiments.

Makes 2-3 servings if you like a big plate of nachos, like us.

Such vibrant colors!