Smoky vegan tacos with roasted aubergine & cashew crema
Smoky vegan tacos with roasted aubergine, spiced black beans, quick-pickled onion and a silky chipotle cashew crema.
These smoky vegan tacos are the sort of midweek magic that makes veg feel indulgent. Roasted aubergine and courgette get sticky and caramelised, black beans add heft, and a chipotle cashew crema finishes everything with luxe creaminess without dairy.
Make them when you want fuss-free cooking with big flavours — excellent for guests or a weekend taco night. They come together with a bit of chopping, a roast and a quick blitz of soaked cashews for that silky sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1 aubergine — about 400 g
- 1 courgette — medium
- 1 red pepper
- 45 ml olive oil
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml sea salt — divided
- 5 ml black pepper — divided
- 400 g tinned black beans — drained weight of tin ~240 g; drain before use
- 2 garlic cloves — peeled
- 100 g raw cashews
- 180 ml cold water — total: for soaking/blending and pickling
- 5 ml chipotle powder
- 5 ml maple syrup
- 2 limes — juice and wedges
- 1 small red onion
- 60 ml apple cider vinegar
- 10 g caster sugar
- 150 g red cabbage — thinly shredded
- 1 avocado — ripe
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
Equipment
- blender
- baking tray
Instructions
Soak the cashews: put raw cashews in a bowl and cover with cold water (use about 120 ml). Leave to soak for 2 hours at room temperature until soft.
Quick-pickle the onion: thinly slice the small red onion and put in a jar. Stir apple cider vinegar, 60 ml cold water, caster sugar and a pinch of sea salt until dissolved, pour over the onion and leave to sit for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Prepare and roast the veg: chop the aubergine into 2 cm cubes, halved lengthways and thickly sliced the courgette, and dice the red pepper. Toss on the baking tray with 2 tbsp olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, 3/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper so everything is lightly but evenly coated. Spread in a single layer and roast for 25 minutes, turning once, until golden and caramelised.
Warm and flavour the beans: heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic (finely chopped) and fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Drain the tinned black beans and add to the pan with ground coriander, a pinch of smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp sea salt and a good grind of black pepper. Mash lightly with the back of a spoon and cook for 6–8 minutes until warmed through and slightly thickened.
Make the cashew crema: drain the soaked cashews and add to a blender with 120 ml cold water, juice of 1 lime, chipotle powder, maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt. Blitz until completely smooth — about 45–60 seconds; add a splash more water if too thick.
Warm the tortillas: heat a clean frying pan over medium-high heat and warm each small corn tortilla for 20–30 seconds per side until pliable and lightly charred in spots. Keep wrapped in a tea towel to stay warm.
Assemble the tacos: divide roasted aubergine, courgette and red pepper between the tortillas, add a spoonful of the spiced black beans, a little shredded red cabbage for crunch, a few slices of avocado, a spoon of pickled onion (drain first), drizzle the chipotle cashew crema and scatter fresh coriander. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over.
Tips
- Soak cashews for at least 2 hours for the smoothest crema. If short on time, cover with boiling water and soak 30 minutes — crema will be slightly grainier.
- Cut aubergine into even-sized pieces so it roasts uniformly; toss with plenty of oil to encourage caramelisation.
- Keep warmed tortillas wrapped in a clean tea towel while you assemble so they stay soft but slightly charred.
- Make the pickled onions up to 24 hours ahead — they keep in the fridge and only improve in flavour.
- Leftover crema keeps 2–3 days in the fridge in a sealed container; stir before using.
Substitutions
raw cashews → silken tofu (100 g) blended with 1 tbsp tahini for a nut-free crema
Noticeably differentsmall corn tortillas → small flour tortillas (8) — softer and more pliable
Stays closetinned black beans → tinned kidney beans (400 g) — similar texture, slightly sweeter
Stays closechipotle powder → smoked paprika plus 1/4 tsp cayenne — keeps smokiness but increases heat control
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 522
- Calories
- 13 g
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 520 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the cashew crema nut-free?
Yes — swap the cashews for silken tofu plus 1 tbsp tahini and blend until smooth. Texture will be similar though the flavour is noticeably different.
How do I store leftovers?
Store components separately: roasted veg and beans in the fridge for up to 3 days, crema in a sealed jar for 2–3 days and pickled onions up to 1 week. Reheat beans and veg before assembling.
Can I freeze the roasted veg or beans?
You can freeze the cooked black beans (up to 3 months) but roasted aubergine becomes softer after freezing — it's fine for stews but loses some texture for tacos.
Are these tacos gluten-free?
As written, yes — corn tortillas are gluten-free. Check the label to be sure there’s no wheat added.
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