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The Meatless Monday Taco Recipe Eric Adams Learned From Paul McCartney (Yes, Really)

Eliza Sullivan
Author:
October 18, 2020
Eliza Sullivan
mbg Nutrition & Health Writer
By Eliza Sullivan
mbg Nutrition & Health Writer
Eliza Sullivan is a food writer and SEO editor at mindbodygreen. She writes about food, recipes, and nutrition—among other things. She studied journalism at Boston University.
Tacos
Image by Sean Locke / Stocksy
October 18, 2020
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In his new book, Healthy at Last, Brooklyn Borough president Eric Adams shares a range of his favorite plant-based recipes—including this super-simple black bean taco recipe he credits to none other than Paul McCartney. In addition to his career as one of the most well-known musicians in the world, McCartney is also the co-founder of the Meat-Free Mondays campaign.

Through the campaign, McCartney (and his co-founders, daughters Mary and Stella McCartney) aim to bring awareness to the major difference that even one day a week of plant-based eating can make for the planet. According to the website, "The campaign encourages people to help slow climate change, conserve precious natural resources, and improve their health by having at least one plant-based day each week."

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For Adams, switching to a plant-based diet was a big part of his health recovery—in fact, it was one of the five health tips he shared with mindbodygreen when he appeared on the podcast. This über-simple recipe is a perfect starter point for introducing a Meat-Free Monday to your week, but it's still worth saving even if you're a seasoned plant-based eater for a quick and easy dinner any night of the week.

Black Bean Tacos

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, or a small bunch of spring onions, chopped
  • One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 medium tomatoes chopped
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons hot chili sauce (options)
  • 4 taco shells
  • 1 lime, quartered
  • 1 head Little Gem lettuce, shredded
  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
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Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft but not browned.
  2. Stir in the black beans and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, paprika, and cumin, and cook, stirring until heated through. Season with salt. If you like your tacos spicy, add hot chili sauce.
  3. To serve, warm the tacos shells according to the instructions on the package, and fill halfway with the bean mixture. Add a squeeze of lime and top with shredded lettuce and sliced avocado.
Recipe excerpted with permission from Healthy at Last: A Plant-Based Approach to Preventing and Reversing Diabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses by Eric Adams (Hay House Inc., October 13, 2020).
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Eliza Sullivan author page.
Eliza Sullivan
mbg Nutrition & Health Writer

Eliza Sullivan is an SEO Editor at mindbodygreen, where she writes about food, recipes, and nutrition—among other things. She received a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in english literature with honors from Boston University, and she has previously written for Boston Magazine, TheTaste.ie, and SUITCASE magazine.