Every Helping
Sign in

Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Smoky Black Bean Zucchini Lettuce Wraps

Crisp romaine cups hold smoky skillet-charred zucchini, corn and black beans, topped with a bright roasted red pepper salsa and crumbled queso fresco.

Smoky Black Bean Zucchini Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

  • 2 medium238 gRed bell pepperseeded and cut into wide strips
  • 1 whole14 gJalapeñoseeded and minced
  • 1 medium123 gTomatoesfinely diced
  • 1 lime, juiced44 gLime juice
  • 1 cup chopped16 gFresh cilantrochopped
  • 2 medium392 gZucchinidiced small
  • 1 medium110 gYellow oniondiced
  • 3 cloves9 gGarlicminced
  • 1 cup136 gCorn kernels, frozen
  • 2 cups344 gBlack beans, canned, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp27 gOlive oil
  • 2 tsp4 gGround cumin
  • 1¾ tsp4 gPaprika (sweet or smoked)smoked
  • ½ tsp3 gSalt
  • 6⅓ cups chopped300 gRomaine lettuceseparated into large leaves
  • ⅔ cup crumbled80 gQueso frescocrumbled
  • 1 cup diced150 gAvocadodiced

Steps

  1. Wash and dry the romaine leaves and chill them while you cook.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with no oil. Add the bell pepper strips and cook, turning, 8 to 10 minutes until charred and soft. Move them to a cutting board.
  3. For the roasted pepper salsa, finely chop the charred bell pepper and stir it in a bowl with the minced jalapeño, the tomato, half the lime juice, half the cilantro and one third of the salt. Set aside.
  4. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes until softened.
  5. Add the zucchini and the frozen corn kernels and cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until browned in spots.
  6. Stir in the garlic, cumin and smoked paprika and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  7. Add the black beans and the remaining two thirds of the salt and cook 3 minutes until hot. Stir in the remaining half of the lime juice and take the skillet off the heat.
  8. Spoon the bean and zucchini filling into the romaine leaves. Top with the roasted pepper salsa, the avocado, the queso fresco and the remaining half of the cilantro, and serve right away.

Contains: Milk.

Cook mode Log it in Today

Made it

Made it? Share how yours turned out.

Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

Want one that fits your numbers?

Pick the meal, the pan and your targets, and the Every Helping recipe generator writes a recipe with every number worked out. Free on the web.

Make a recipeMore from the recipe book