Smoky pulled aubergine & black bean tacos

These summery veggie tacos are filled with a charred, smoky aubergine and black bean ragu, topped with creamy feta and crunchy pink pickled onions. They also contain four of your 5-a-day – bonus!

Prep:10 mins
Cook:50 mins

Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 518
fat 15g
saturates 5g
carbs 65g
sugars 11g
fibre 20g
protein 21g
salt 1.6g

Ingredients

2 aubergines
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp tomato purée
400g fresh tomatoes, chopped
pinch dried oregano or thyme
½ tsp chilli powder
pinch chilli flakes
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 x 400g cans black beans, 1 drained and rinsed
½ lime, juiced, plus wedges to serve
8 small tortillas, warmed
small bunch coriander, leaves picked
50g feta cheese, crumbled
½ iceberg lettuce, shredded
pink pickled onions, to serve (see tip, below)

Tip

Make pink pickled onions

To make pink pickled onions, toss thinly sliced red onion in a bowl with some salt, sugar and lime juice. Leave to pickle for at least 1 hr at room temperature until pink. Will keep in the fridge for three to four days.

Method

Prick the aubergines all over with a fork, then set over a medium gas flame (or on the coals of a barbecue or under the grill) and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until blackened and collapsing, about 20-25 mins. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool. Peel the skin from the cooled aubergines or scoop out the flesh using a spoon. Try to remove most of the skin, but don’t worry if a few flecks remain.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan with the bay leaf and cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add the onion and garlic. Fry for about 5 mins until fragrant but not coloured, then stir in the tomato purée and cook it down for a couple of mins.
Add the tomatoes and dried oregano, and cook for a few mins more until they have collapsed into the sauce. Add the aubergine flesh, chilli powder, chilli flakes and vinegar, and cook, stirring, for 1 min, then tip in the cans of black beans, one drained and one still with its liquid. Squeeze over a little of the lime juice and cook for 5 mins until reduced and bubbling, then transfer to the oven and roast for 15-20 mins until deep, dark and fully reduced.
Season with more lime juice, if you like, and spoon the aubergine mixture into the warm tortillas with the coriander, crumbled feta, lettuce and pink pickled onions to serve