Cauliflower, Chickpea Tacos with Avocado Crema is good clean eating. Make them vegetarian or vegan. These tacos are a quick, easy, and delicious alternative to meat tacos.
This page contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click a link, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Key Takeaways:
- Quick and Versatile Meal: Cauliflower and chickpea tacos are a fast, easy, and delicious vegetarian or vegan alternative to traditional meat tacos.
- DIY Taco Seasoning: A homemade taco seasoning mix replaces store-bought packets and allows you to control ingredients. Optional cornstarch can be added for thickening when using with meat.
- Avocado Crema Options: The Avocado Crema can be made vegan by using dairy-free sour cream or by trying the Vegan Cilantro Lime Crème recipe with added avocado.
- Unique Filling: Roasted radishes, along with cauliflower and chickpeas, add a surprising crunch and bite to the taco filling.
- Customization: The recipe can be tailored for vegan or vegetarian diets by omitting cheese and using vegan substitutes.
- Taco Shell Preparation: Warm taco shells in the oven or on a cast-iron skillet for a smoky flavor to elevate the dish.
Make the Seasoning:
My Taco seasoning recipe is a DIY replacement for an envelope of commercial taco seasoning. 2 Tablespoons of my taco seasoning are equal to 1 envelope. To make the seasoning mix together all of the spices and sea salt. The corn starch is optional. If you use this seasoning in beef or pork tacos, add the cornstarch.
Make the Avocado Crema:
To make the Avocado Crema mix together 1 large mashed Haas avocado with sour cream, use dairy free for vegan, cilantro, Worchester sauce, and lime juice. Salt to taste, and if you like it spicy, add some wasabi.
Make the Crema Vegan: Pop over to my Vegan Cilantro Lime Creme recipe and add a mashed avocado to it. Click here.
Roast the cauliflower, chickpea, radish taco filling.
Did I surprise you with the radish as part of the filling? I just kind of slipped it into the recipe. That’s right, I love roasted radishes, and this recipe is a delicious way to roast them. They add a little crunch and a little bite to the taco.
For the filling, cut up a small head of cauliflower into pieces. In addition to the cauliflower, cut the radishes into bite-size pieces, and add the chickpeas. Make a dressing for the vegetables. Mix together olive oil, lime juice, and a couple of Tbsp. of the taco seasoning. Coat the vegetables with the dressing and roast them in the oven while you make the avocado crema.
Put it all together:
Create your crunchy and savory, roasted cauliflower, chickpea, radish taco with avocado crema. When the filling is fork-tender, remove it from the oven and add a generous amount of grated hard Mexican cotija cheese. If you are vegan, skip the cheese, and the tacos will still be delicious. Warm the corn taco shells in the oven by wrapping 4 or 5 shells in aluminum foil. I heat the taco shells on a hot cast-iron skillet. The skillet browns them a bit on the outside, giving them a mild smoky flavor.
Fill with the roasted vegetables, top with the avocado crema, add a dash of fresh-squeezed lime juice and, so YUM.
Pop on over to my social media sites where you’ll find exclusive Doctor Jo’s pictures of what’s new in my gardens. Also, what new recipes I’m creating in my kitchen. I love your comments. So let me know what you think in the Leave a Reply section at the end of this blog. Please leave your first name at the end of your comment so I can reply to you by name.
FAQ:
Q: Can I make the taco seasoning ahead of time?
A: Yes, you can prepare the taco seasoning in bulk and store it in an airtight container for up to six months.
Q: How can I make the Avocado Crema vegan?
A: Use dairy-free sour cream or try the Vegan Cilantro Lime Crème recipe with mashed avocado for a vegan-friendly option.
Q: What’s the purpose of adding radishes to the filling?
A: Roasted radishes provide a unique crunch and slight bite, enhancing the overall texture and flavor of the tacos.
Q: Can I use flour tortillas instead of corn taco shells?
A: Absolutely! You can substitute with flour tortillas or any preferred type of taco shell.
Q: Is the cornstarch necessary in the taco seasoning?
A: Cornstarch is optional and mainly used when making meat tacos to help thicken the sauce or juices.
Q: How can I make the tacos spicy?
A: Add wasabi to the Avocado Crema or sprinkle some chili powder or hot sauce on the roasted vegetable filling.
Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea Taco's with Avocado Crema
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 Corn Tortillas (soft shells)
Taco Seasoning
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 3 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp paprika smoked if you can find it
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Umami Powder
- 2 tbsp corn starch (optional)
Avocado Crema
- 1 cup sour cream use dairy free if vegan
- 1 avocado mashed, ripe
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp cilantro fresh chopped
- 1 tsp Worchester sauce
- 1/2 tsp wasabi paste optional
Taco Filling
- 1 med cauliflower (500g)cut into bite size pieces
- 2 cans chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 cup radishes (260g) cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated Cotija cheese (a hard mexican cheese)
- 4 tbsp Taco Seasoning (2 envelopes of commercial )
Instructions
Taco Seasoning
- Mix all the spices together and put in airtight container as the recipe made enough for several recipes. Take out 4 Tbsp. and set aside for use in the recipe.
Avocado Crema
- Make the Crema while the Vegetables are roasting. Mash the avocado and add it and the rest of the ingredients to the sour cream. Stir to mix. Set aside. Use dairy-free sour cream for a vegan Avocado crema.
Taco Filling
- Preheat the oven to 450 °F. Mix together the olive oil, and lime juice.
- Put the cauliflower, radishes, and chickpeas in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil lime juice mixture over them. Stir to coat. Add more olive oil if needed. Add 4 Tbsp of the Taco seasoning mix and toss to coat.
- Spread the seasoned vegetables on a sheet pan and roast in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until fork-tender. Stir once half-way through roasting.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with the Cotija cheese as soon as they come out of the oven. If you are making this Vegan, don't add the cheese.
- Heat the Taco shells by wrapping in aluminum foil and putting in the oven during the last 10 minutes of roasting the vegetables. Alternately, heat individually on a hot cast iron skillet about 1-2 minutes per side. Or until each side is hot and slightly browned
- Assemble the Tacos by dividing the roasted vegetables evenly between the 8 - 12 tacos ( how many you made depends on the size of the taco and how full you fill it. Top with the Avocado Crema, serve with a wedge of lime on the side.
