Jerk aubergine tacos
Jerk-spiced pulled aubergine with nutty black beans is a veggie alternative to traditional taco fillings. Add in guacamole, lettuce, pickled onion and you have a fantastic vegan family sharer.
Ingredients
For the tacos
- 2 large aubergines, pricked all over with a fork
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1–3 heaped tbsp jerk seasoning paste (to taste)
- 1 x 400g/14oz tin black beans, drained
- salt and ground black pepper
For the quick pink pickled onion
To serve
- corn or wheat flour tortillas
- guacamole
- finely shredded Little Gem lettuce
Method
To make the quick pink pickled onion, mix the the onion and the lime along with a good pinch sea salt, for 10 seconds or so until all well combined. Leave to steep for an hour or so – the mixture will turn bright pink.
Preheat your grill to hot, then cook the aubergine under the grill until blackened and soft all over, about 20–30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pan over a medium heat. (You can always use a standard frying pan and transfer to a roasting dish for the oven.) Fry the onion until softened and golden-brown, about 10 minutes.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Pull the flesh from the cooled aubergine, discarding the skin. Add the aubergine flesh to the pan with the onion, then add the jerk marinade or paste. Give it a stir until the aromas hit you, then add the black beans and some salt and pepper. Stir again and pop into the oven to cook for about 10–15 minutes until rich and thickened.
Serve piled into warmed tortillas, topped with pink pickled onion, shredded Little Gem and guacamole.
Recipe Tips
You can make this recipe on the barbecue - cook the aubergines whole until they are blackened and soft all over. Fry the onion in a pan that can sit on the barbecue, then mix the aubergine flesh and beans and jerk paste all together in the pan. Cook on the barbecue (preferably with a lid) for 15 minutes, stirring every so often.
Other roast or grilled vegetables can be used alongside the aubergine - peppers, courgettes, squash, sweetcorn all work really well.