Nashville boasts an impressive restaurant scene, with many outstanding places to eat. Still, eating out every day can get expensive. One of my favorite spots in East Nashville is a vegan restaurant called The Wild Cow, where I always order the same dish: Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos with garlicky kale. Since I can’t dine there daily, I recreate a version of those tacos at home—my recipe differs slightly but is equally delicious.
These tacos are easy to make and are perfect for batch cooking. Roast the sweet potatoes, prepare the black beans and the lime slaw, and make the avocado sauce. All components store well in the fridge for several days, so you can reheat the sweet potatoes and beans and assemble tacos whenever you’re ready to eat.
Start by chopping a large sweet potato into roughly 1-inch pieces, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then spread them evenly on a baking sheet and roast at 375°F for about 20 minutes until tender and caramelized.
While the sweet potatoes roast, prepare the lime slaw and the avocado sauce. I often use a pre-shredded slaw mix for convenience, but homemade shredded cabbage works just as well. For the slaw dressing, whisk together melted coconut oil (or another neutral oil), lime juice, cumin, white wine or apple cider vinegar, and a touch of honey until smooth. Toss the dressing with the slaw and chopped cilantro so the cabbage is evenly coated.
The avocado sauce is worth the extra step—it brings creaminess and brightness to the tacos. Blend avocado, sour cream (or a vegan alternative), a small handful of cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper until smooth. If you prefer a spicier finish, add a drizzle of sriracha or a pinch of cayenne.
Warm a can of black beans on the stove or in the microwave and warm the corn tortillas before assembling. To build each taco: spread a spoonful of warm black beans onto a tortilla, top with roasted sweet potatoes, a generous handful of lime slaw, and finish with the avocado sauce. Garnish with extra cilantro if desired.
These tacos have a bright, summery flavor from the lime and cilantro, with comforting sweetness from the roasted potatoes and satisfying protein from the black beans. They’re easy to adapt—use vegan sour cream to keep them plant-based, swap honey for maple syrup for a vegan slaw dressing, or add extra heat with sliced jalapeños.
These tacos always brighten my day and make me feel like it’s summer—perfect for a casual weeknight meal or for serving friends.
Have a lovely weekend!
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
Tacos:
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- S&P to taste
- 1 15 oz can of black beans, warmed up
- white corn tortillas
Slaw:
- ½ bag, ~8 ounces of shredded cabbage/ coleslaw (broccoli slaw would also work well)
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil, or another neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
Avocado Sauce:
- ½ cup sour cream (use a vegan alternative if desired)
- 1 avocado, pitted and skinned
- small handful of chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- S&P to taste
- Optional garnish: extra cilantro
- Sriracha (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
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Toss diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
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Spread the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
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Prepare the slaw: whisk melted coconut oil, lime juice, cumin, vinegar, and honey together, then toss with the shredded cabbage and cilantro. Set aside.
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Make the avocado sauce by blending avocado, sour cream (or vegan alternative), cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper until smooth.
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Heat the black beans on the stove or in the microwave.
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Assemble tacos by layering black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, slaw, and avocado sauce on warmed corn tortillas.
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Enjoy!