Lately tacos have been my quick and easy go to lunch since they are super easy to make and so delicious. You can even prepare the filling ahead of time to make your life just a little easier and assemble them just before it’s time to eat. These Smashed Chickpea Tacos are basically a pantry taco recipe and a great way to get some vegetables in. These Smashed Chickpea Tacos are also a great source of protein and are filling since they’re made with mushrooms which adds some heartiness and a ton of flavor. My favorite part of these tacos is the Spicy Green Crema. Crema is a Mexican sour-cream like sauce that’s tangy and salty. This recipe features a tangy and bright Spicy Green Crema which adds so much flavor to the tacos.
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
INGREDIENTS:
15 oz can chickpeas (drained, rinsed, and dried)
8 oz. mushrooms (roughly chopped into large pieces)
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 medium sized onion (diced)
½ bell pepper (diced)
1 ½ teaspoons cumin
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder (optional)
½ teaspoon dried oregano (optional)
1 tablespoon lime juice or apple cider vinegar
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Spicy Green Crema:
1/2 medium avocado
2-3 jalapeños (roughly chopped, do not remove the seeds)
1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream (to make vegan use the other half of the avocado)
1/4 cup cilantro
Zest and juice of a lime (or lemon)
Salt (to taste)
Assembly:
8 mini tortillas (use corn tortillas if gluten free)
Toppings of choice such as: salsa, pico de gallo, lettuce, jalapenos, pickled onions, cotija, sour cream, etc.
METHOD:
Start by draining and rinsing you chickpeas. Then set them aside to dry while you chop your vegetables and make the Spicy Green Crema.
You can either make the crema into a smooth sauce with a food processor or make it into a more texture sauce by finely chopping the ingredients and mixing them. To make a smooth sauce, add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. For a more textured sauce, finely chop the jalapeno and cilantro (including the stems), then mash your avocado and mix it all in with the yogurt. Add in the lime zest and juice and season to taste with garlic powder and salt and set aside.
Then dice your onion and bell pepper, roughly chop your mushrooms, and mince your garlic.
Once the chickpeas have dried a little, heat a large skillet with 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the chickpeas, onions, peppers, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook this for 3-4 minutes on a medium flame.
By now, the chickpeas should have softened a little, so using a potato masher, ladle, or a fork, smash the chickpeas.
Then add in your mushrooms and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms have significantly reduced in size and the chickpeas have started to crisp up. I like to designate a side of the pan for the mushrooms and a side for the chickpeas and vegetables at this point to make it easier to control the two components.
Once the mushrooms have cooked down and the chickpeas have crisped up, add some lime juice or apple cider vinegar and mix everything together. Then assemble your tacos with the Spicy Green Crema, the smashed chickpea mushroom mixture, and your toppings of choice.
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