The Canned Shortcut To Flavor-Bomb Tacos

While you could spend hours searing and simmering beef chuck for some delicious birria tacos, wouldn't it be better to have a batch of flavorful tacos ready in a quarter of the time? With a can of black bean soup, you can make that dream a reality.

Canned black bean soup is a simple, flavor-packed base full of lush, sauteed veggies like onion and sweet tomato, and even more tasty spices and seasonings, from cumin to oregano. Since this canned soup comes packed with plenty of natural protein, you only need to jazz it up with simple thickeners like shredded cheese or meat to turn this dish into a dynamic filling that will complete taco night— and hey, if you choose to forgo adding meat to this soup, this dish can easily become a delightful choice for vegetarians too.

Top this bean soup with some refreshing greens like chopped cilantro and lime, and don't forget a margarita on the side. A filling, savory supper of black bean tacos can be done in minutes. Perfect for a last-minute supper, this dish is a great choice for chefs of any level to try.

The hearty texture of canned black bean soup makes it a truly perfect filling for tacos. Still, to thicken this aromatic dish even more to help it really stick inside of a soft tortilla, simply heat up the canned contents in a pot until the liquid reduces, and add thickeners like cheese or meat. That's really all you need to do. Of course, to make the soup even more filling, you can also add any other additions of your choice too. Saute some vibrant vegetables or add an additional can of drained black beans for more texture — and if you're wondering why drained is better, check out our case for rinsing your canned beans.

Finally, season this pot to perfection and let it simmer until fragrant and cooked through. Quick, healthy, and affordable, this soup makes a really well-rounded filling for tacos, and it's a great recipe to keep in your back pocket.

While black bean soup is a pretty flavorful dish all on its own, there are plenty of other easy ways to jazz this dish up to make it even more of a crowd-pleaser. For starters, protein lovers might like extra additives beyond meat and cheese, such as tofu or sweet potato. To fully reap the benefits of these additions, make sure to simmer them in the soup along with the other ingredients to infuse them fully with flavors.

If it's simply a change in flavor you're seeking rather than texture, some other ingredients that will take canned beans up a notch are common acidic additions. Splashing some acid into the soup is a great way to break up all that savory goodness with a punch of something opposite, so incorporating some freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice can help brighten up these tacos. Any hot sauce or other spicy ingredient, such as chopped jalapeño, can also help to liven up this dish — just make sure to add these at the end of the simmering process to prevent the acid from turning bitter. With all these flavor-enhancing tricks in mind, get ready to taste some effortlessly easy and truly flavorful black bean tacos.