Taco Tuesday has always been a hit in my house and once I heard about this trending new “Taco Diet” that’s all about making healthy tacos with plant-based ingredients, I had to throw my hat into the ring and create a vegan taco dish of my own. Cauliflower lends itself perfectly, it soaks up all those spicy taco flavors in the batter and bakes up nice and crisp, making it a hearty filling for soft corn shells. Top with a light and refreshing cabbage slaw and finish with a rich drizzle of avocado cream for tacos that make the “Bell” a thing of the past!
Vegan Cauliflower Tacos
Makes 10-12 small tacos
Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower, broken into bite size florets (approx. 2 cups)
½ cup organic panko bread cumbs (gluten free)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. ground turmeric
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk (Whole Foods 365 Brand)
½ cup brown rice flour
Juice of 1 lime
12 small soft corn tortillas
Cabbage Slaw:
2 cups shredded white or purple cabbage
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 T. olive oil
1 T. rice wine vinegar or Bragg’s apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. honey
pinch sea salt
Avocado Cilantro Cream
1 avocado
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 T. fresh lime juice
pinch sea salt
Garnish:
lime wedges
fresh chopped cilantro
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place panko crumbs in a medium bowl and add in all of the dry seasonings (as an easier alternative, you could substitute the dry seasonings for 1 packet of organic taco seasoning). Mix the panko crumbs and seasoning well and set aside. In another bowl, add the almond milk, brown rice flour, and lime juice and stir until a smooth batter. Place cauliflower florets into the almond milk batter, toss to coat, then transfer to the panko/seasoning bowl and coat with seasoning, then evenly place on the lined baking sheet.
Bake the cauliflower for 30 minutes or until crispy and golden, tossing halfway through baking.
Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
While cauliflower cooks, prep the slaw topping and avocado cream. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, honey, olive oil, and salt until emulsified, then toss with the shredded cabbage.
Then add the meat of the avocado, lime juice, cilantro leaves, and salt to a food processor. Process for 3-4 minutes or until smooth and resembling a texture similar to mayo.
Heat each corn tortilla in a small skillet over medium heat for 20-30 seconds on each side. Fill with 3-4 pieces of the cauliflower, top with a small handful of cabbage slaw, and drizzle with avocado cream. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges.
