Jicama is a round root vegetable originally from the Mexican peninsula. It’s grown in Central America, the Caribbean, the Andes and South Asia, where it’s a valuable food source. Its texture is similar to a turnip, but the taste when raw is more like an apple. The skin is tough and needs to be peeled. It’s high in fiber, and helps promote good bacteria in the gut. It’s also a valuable source of vitamin C, and includes some B vitamins, potassium and other minerals.  Since it’s low in calories, it’s a great food to snack on.

This recipe is from Grills Gone Vegan, by Tamasin Noyes, reprinted with permission.

Yield 6 servings. Advance prep: Marinate the jicama for 1 hour.

Marinated Jicama

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon liquid smoke

1 jicama, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

Black Bean Topping

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 carrot, shredded

½ poblano chile, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons minced red onion

1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon reduced-sodium tamari

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt

Ground pepper

1 avocado, diced, for garnish

To prepare the jicama, put the tamari, vinegar, oil, and liquid smoke in a 13 x 9-inch nonreactive baking pan and stir to combine. Add the jicama and turn to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, turning the jicama occasionally.

To prepare the topping, put the beans, carrot, chile, onion, vinegar, garlic, oil, tamari, and oregano in a medium bowl. Stir gently, taking care not to crush the beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To grill the jicama and assemble the rounds, preheat a grill, grill pan, or electric grill to medium-high heat.

Lightly oil the grill with canola oil. Put the jicama on the grill, reserving the marinade. Cook until marked, about 4 minutes, while occasionally basting with the marinade. Turn over and cook in the same fashion until the other side is marked, about 3 minutes longer. (If using an electric grill, keep it open and cook a few minutes longer if necessary.)

Put the jicama on serving plates and top each round with a heaping ¼ cup of the bean mixture and a few pieces of the avocado.