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Black Bean Chilaquiles Verdes

By Sam Block

Published on December 14, 2021

Yield

Serves 4

Black Bean Chilaquiles Verdes

Ingredients

¼ cup plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt 1 teaspoon grated lime zest 1 tablespoon plus 1 cup water, divided12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed (1 chopped coarse, 1 sliced thin)1 onion, chopped fine, divided½ teaspoon table salt 6 garlic cloves, minced1½ teaspoons ground cumin 1 (26-ounce) can whole tomatillos, drained¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves, divided2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces4 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin

Before You Begin

To make this dish less spicy, remove the ribs and seeds from your jalapeño.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine yogurt, lime zest, and 1 tablespoon water together in small bowl; set aside until ready to serve.
  2.  Toss tortillas with 2 tablespoons oil, then spread over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until brown and dried, 16 to 25 minutes, flipping tortillas halfway through baking; set aside to cool.
  3.  While tortillas bake, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add poblanos, coarsely chopped jalapeño, ¾ cup onion, and salt and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
  4.  Stir in garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in canned tomatillos and remaining 1 cup water and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Carefully transfer pepper mixture to blender, along with ½ cup cilantro, and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
  5.  Return sauce to now-empty pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Add beans and cook, stirring frequently, until beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cooled tortillas and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle yogurt mixture over top and sprinkle with avocado, radishes, thinly sliced jalapeño, remaining ¼ cup onion, and remaining ¼ cup cilantro. Serve.
Black Bean Chilaquiles Verdes
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Christie Morrison.

Black Bean Chilaquiles Verdes

Headshot of Sam Block
By Sam Block
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Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

¼ cup plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup water, divided
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed (1 chopped coarse, 1 sliced thin)
1 onion, chopped fine, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 (26-ounce) can whole tomatillos, drained
¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves, divided
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
4 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin

Ingredients

¼ cup plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup water, divided
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed (1 chopped coarse, 1 sliced thin)
1 onion, chopped fine, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 (26-ounce) can whole tomatillos, drained
¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves, divided
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
4 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin

Ingredients

¼ cup plain plant-based yogurt or dairy yogurt
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon plus 1 cup water, divided
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, each cut into 8 wedges
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed (1 chopped coarse, 1 sliced thin)
1 onion, chopped fine, divided
½ teaspoon table salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 (26-ounce) can whole tomatillos, drained
¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves, divided
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into ½-inch pieces
4 radishes, trimmed and sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

Nothing says Mexican comfort food quite like chilaquiles. Comprised of fried tortilla wedges tossed in a deeply flavored chile sauce, this dish is jam-packed with bright flavor and varying textures—and loaded with veggies. We started with the chips: Store-bought tortilla chips became instantly soggy after being tossed in our sauce, but by baking—not frying—our own, we got chips that gave us an irresistible “crunchewy” result. Rather than going down the classic red chile sauce route, we decided to go green with a salsa verde. To build a flavorful sauce base, we went heavy on aromatics: onions, mild poblanos, spicier jalapeño, and lots of garlic. Fresh tomatillos are delicious but not always easy to find, so we simplified the whole dish by using canned. In order to really up the “verde” factor, we added a hefty ½ cup of cilantro leaves. Shredded meat is a common addition, but for a plant-based protein boost we opted for black beans. (You could use whatever beans you have on hand.) We kept texture, aesthetics, and vegetables in mind when considering toppings: crispy radishes, creamy avocado, fresh cilantro, crunchy onions, and thinly sliced jalapeño. A final drizzle of yogurt (plant-based or dairy) woke everything up.

Before You Begin

To make this dish less spicy, remove the ribs and seeds from your jalapeño.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine yogurt, lime zest, and 1 tablespoon water together in small bowl; set aside until ready to serve.
  2.  Toss tortillas with 2 tablespoons oil, then spread over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until brown and dried, 16 to 25 minutes, flipping tortillas halfway through baking; set aside to cool.
  3.  While tortillas bake, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add poblanos, coarsely chopped jalapeño, ¾ cup onion, and salt and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
  4.  Stir in garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in canned tomatillos and remaining 1 cup water and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Carefully transfer pepper mixture to blender, along with ½ cup cilantro, and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
  5.  Return sauce to now-empty pot and bring to simmer over medium heat. Add beans and cook, stirring frequently, until beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cooled tortillas and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle yogurt mixture over top and sprinkle with avocado, radishes, thinly sliced jalapeño, remaining ¼ cup onion, and remaining ¼ cup cilantro. Serve.

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