Tacos can be a challenge for those abstaining from meat for health or religious reasons. This seems so unfair for anyone not wanting a meat filled taco, especially with Taco Tuesdays or Cinco de Mayo on the horizon. We pondered for a long time on what could give us the substance of a delicious taco without the meat…. or tofu.
Of course our magically easy to cook in 15 minutes pearl barley had to come into play because it’s the most versatile grain we know and can hold up in texture. Not to mention all the amazing Nutritional benefits, don’t believe us? Check out the nutritional facts of barley. So we proceeded to come up with this delicious recipe, barley and all.
Garlic and onions seem like the essential flavor bang that make our taste buds tingle with joy.
Let’s throw some heat in there too…
We wish you could smell this…..
It even looks beautiful with the barley contrast, simple but flavorful.
Voila, the most flavorful, meatless tacos just in time for Cinco de Mayo.
May we suggest you wash them down with Smitten Kitchen’s amazing blood orange margaritas.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Moch Barley
- 2 cups vegetable broth ( or 2 cups chicken broth for non-vegan)
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 red onion, minced
- 1 jalapeno, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons cumin
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 can corn
- 1 can black beans
- 8 hard shells
- Shredded lettuce and soy cheese to serve (or dairy based cheddar for non-vegan)
Directions:
- Cook the barley first. Pour Mochi Barley and the broth into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook the barley for 15 minutes, no really just 15.
- While the barley is cooking away begin prepping the onion, jalapeno and garlic.
- Pour the olive oil into a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once its reached optimal temperature, add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, cumin and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until they are soft.
- Drain the barley and add it to the skillet.
- Then add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, black beans and corn. Stir everything so it is mixed together and cook until warm. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Simply allow everyone to fill the corn tortillas with the barley mixture and add any lettuce and cheese or other taco fixings they like.
NOTE: If you’re not using quick-cooking pearled barley, which takes 15 minutes to cook in boiling water vs 60 you could save some time in the kitchen by soaking your grains a day before. That makes working with traditional pearled barley SO much easier when considering that NOBODY has time to wait 60 minutes in the kitchen anymore.
Then again, if you have a day to soak your grains, you might as well just order up some today!
