vegan / vegetarian / gluten free

I’m a little bit behind. I realize – today is Ocho de Mayo and I’m late to the game with a salsa & taco recipe. But the way I see it – every day can be taco day. Aside from avocado smashed on toast, “stuff in a tortilla,” is my next go-to meal.

I came up with this recipe a little bit by accident. A few weeks ago, I was in Chicago visiting my family, cooking with whatever was around my mom’s kitchen. On that particular day: a few tomatoes, an avocado, some onions, etc… Halfway through chopping all of these salsa components, I realized I had no jalapeño. Now, I’ve been living in Texas long enough to know that salsa is not salsa without some sort of hot pepper. So I searched for the next spicy thing and found sambal oelek.

I would have never thought to pair sambal with salsa, but it totally did the trick (plus it just sounds fun). If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a chile garlic paste similar to sriracha. (In fact, you could use sriracha here if that’s what you have).

Because it’s a paste, the sambal incorporated smoothly with the tomatoes. But the best part – no more painful “jalapeno hands.”

I made this salsa again other night with some lovely local(ish) tomatoes from Marfa. To make it a meal, I scooped it on top of sprouted corn tortillas with black beans and a little bit of crumbly cheese. Simple and delicious.

sambal salsa & black bean tacos

  PrintAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioServes: makes about 1.5 cup of salsa, enough for about 5 tacosIngredientsfor the salsa:

• 2-3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup diced red onion
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• juice & zest of 2 small limes
• 1-2 teaspoons sambal chile paste
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• salt & pepper
• ½ teaspoon ginger, minced (optional)
• pinch of sugar or a tiny bit of honey (optional)
• chopped avocado

for the tacos:'

• tortillas
• black beans
• cotija cheese (optional)
• serve with extra limes

Instructions

Mix all salsa ingredients together. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes for the flavors to come together. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Mix in chopped avocado just before serving. (taste & adjust again).

Assemble tacos with black beans, salsa, and crumbly cheese (if using). Serve with extra limes.

NotesYou can find sambal in the asian section of most grocery stores.

Pictured are sprouted corn tortillas, which are vegan and gluten free. If you're gf, check the labels of your tortillas, not all corn tortillas are gluten free.

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