I am absolutely in love with this new Garbanzo Tacos creation! Not only are they very satisfying, but they are also hearty and healthy. The garbanzo beans have the perfect texture for tacos and the liquid smoke gives it that, I don’t want to say meaty flavor but I will.
Have you ever had soyrizo? It has a special place in my heart. I was only 106 pounds when I moved back to L.A from Hood River Oregon. I am 5 ft. 3 in. and I was verging on looking anorexic. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t anorexic but I was way too skinny. I had been mildly depressed for the prior 3 years because my heart was no longer in Oregon, it was longing for my roots and friends in L.A. My diet at the time was a big cup of espresso with half and half for breakfast, a green drink for lunch and a frozen Amy’s dinner or a can of Muir Glen soup for dinner. In a feeble attempt to be healthy, I would top the soup or Amy’s dinner with nutritional yeast and a handful of prepackaged arugula.
I rented a room from my friend Brian when I first moved back to L.A. His friend Beto had rented the same room prior to me and he would stay with us every time he visited L.A. Both Brian and Beto were on a mission to put some weight on me. They both are really good cooks and they would make amazing pinto beans. Each of them had their own way of cooking them and we ate them regularly. One day, Beto brought over some soyrizo because he knows I’m a vegetarian. He cooked it up, wrapped it in a tortilla with some homemade beans and sour cream. Needless to say, I inhaled it! From that day forward, I craved soyrizo. Unfortunately, I later found out that I have a soy allergy so I haven’t eaten soyrizo for the last couple of years. Lately, I have been craving soyrizo and I decided to develop a recipe, minus the soy, that would come as close as possible to the original. The garbanzo beans work really well for this and it’s not as greasy as soyrizo. So far, I have used it in tacos, burritos and tostadas and am super excited that I now have this new incarnation in my life!
These are great with a Mexican beer of your choice or a Pinot Noir for red wine and an Albariño or Cava for white wine.
These are great with a Mexican beer of your choice or a Pinot Noir for red wine and an Albariño or Cava for white wine.
Garbanzorizo Tacos with Roasted Poblano Cayenne Salsa
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cups Dried Chickpeas uncooked - soaked 12 hours or more - 1 1/2 Cups cooked - minced in food processor
- 1/4 Cup Sun-dried Tomatoes - minced with chickpeas
- 1 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 White Onion - minced
- 2 Cloves Garlic - minced
- 8 - 10 Corn Tortillas
Sauce
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoon Water
- 1/2 Teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 Teaspoons Ancho Chili Powder (you can use already ground Ancho or grind your own in a coffee grinder
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Hot paprika
- 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/4 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/8 Teaspoon Clove Powder
Salsa
- 5 Large Tomatoes or 3 Pounds - blanched
- 1/2 Onion - blanched
- 3 Small or 1/2 pound Poblano Peppers - roasted
- 5 Fresh Cayenne Peppers or 2 Habanero - roasted
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1 Jalapeno - optional - stem removed - cut into 4 or 5 pieces
- 3 Tablespoons Lime Juice - fresh squeezed
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1 Cup Cilantro - leaves - packed
Vegetables
- 1 Cup Lettuce
- 2 Yellow Tomato - diced
- 8 Radish - thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cup Red Cabbage - minced
Garnish options
- Cilantro
- Limes
- Sour Cream optional
- Queso Fresco optional
- Corn Chips - for the remaining salsa
Instructions
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Soak the garbanzo beans overnight for at least 12 hours. I like to make the salsa the day before but you can make it the same day.
Salsa
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Core the tomatoes and add to a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. When the skin begins to crack remove them and the onion with tongs. ( approx. 1 – 2 minutes)
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Let cool and remove the skins.
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Roast the poblano, cayenne and habanero on the stovetop at medium-high heat. A gas stove works the best but it will work fine on an electric stove.
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Char the peppers on all sides turning with a pair of tongs. When good and charred, steam them for 10 minutes in a covered dish or a paper bag rolled shut to hold in the steam.
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Take a paper towel and rub off the char. It’s ok to leave a little of the char.
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Slice in half and remove the seeds and stems.
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Add everything to a food processor or blender and blend to desired texture.
Garbanzorizo
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Rinse and dry the garbanzos beans, then add the garbanzo beans and sun-dried tomatoes to a food processor. (I don’t suggest canned garbanzo beans because they are soaked and cooked, which will make a different texture and flavor.)
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Turn on and process until a fine crumble. Set aside.
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Mix all ingredients together for the sauce. Set aside.
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Add the onions to a straight-sided pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
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Add the garlic and continue cooking for 5– 7 more minutes until the garlic starts to brown.
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While onions are cooking, prepare the lettuce, tomatoes, radish and cabbage and anything else you want to put in your taco.
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When the garlic is golden, add the garbanzo mix and the sauce to the pan and cook on medium-low heat.
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You have to stir the whole time, for about 10 - 15 minutes.
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It will stick together at first and then slowly turn into a fine crumble. Just keep smashing down any clumps.
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A thin layer will stick to the pan just like the soyrizo but it's totally fine, it won't burn.
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This salsa is perfect for these tacos. It is medium hot with wonderful flavors from the roasted poblano peppers.
Assemble
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Prep all the veggies and heat the tortillas in a cast iron pan on medium heat.
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I like to serve everything on the side so everyone can build their own tacos.
Health benefits:
Garbanzo beans are super high in protein and extremely high in fiber, just one cup provides 50% of the Daily Value. Because of the fiber , hey are great for your heart, lowering blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart attack as well as help prevent constipation and digestive disorders. Just one cup provides 84.5% of the daily value of manganese, which is an antioxidant that acts as a monitor of the free radicals in the body. If you are low in energy the high iron content will help and will transport oxygen from the lungs to all the cells in the body. They also help to balance blood sugar levels while providing steady, slow-burning energy. Garbanzo beans are helpful for weight loss as they keep you full longer.
Poblano Peppers are extremely high in vitamin C; just one pepper has 95% of your daily value. They are great for your immune system and help to reduce inflammation like in arthritis and asthma. They are also helpful with the increase of oxygen helping the body to burn more calories 20 minutes after eating peppers. They are full of vitamin A, vitamin K, and potassium.
