VEGAN CAULIFLOWER TACOS😍

GUYS I can’t even begin to express how much I love these tacos - smoky charred cauliflower, creamy, slightly spicy cashew queso, zingy pickled red onions, with some cabbage crunch to round out the perfect blend of flavors and textures that I truly can’t get enough of. Vegan food can get a bad rep in the food world, but it’s such an incredible feat to take plants and elevate the flavor to something so incredibly flavorful you won’t have a meat alternative to compare it to. 

One of the exciting things about learning to cook is figuring out what ingredients to add to add different dimensions of flavor. The most flavorful dishes are ones that hit on various flavor palettes - savory, sweet, smoky, spicy, etc. This taco is not only an explosion of different flavors, but textures too. You’re gonna love this!

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

For the Vegan Cauliflower Tacos:

• 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp paprika

• ½ tsp chili powder (Ancho chili powder preferred)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 4 corn or flour tortillas (I used Siete Foods Cassava Tortillas)

• Shredded cabbage or lettuce

• Cashew Queso (recipe below)

• Pickled red onions (optional - recipe below)

For the Cashew Queso:

• 1 cup cashews

• ½ - ¾ cup water

• 2 tsps sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo 

• Juice from 1 lime

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• ½ tsp garlic powder

• ½ tsp onion powder

• ¼ tsp mustard powder

• Pinch of turmeric for color (optional)

• ½ tsp salt

For the Pickled Red Onions:

• 1 red onion sliced thinly

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tbsp maple syrup 

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar

• ¼ cup boiling water 

Directions:

For the Roasted Cauliflower Tacos:

• Start out by making your quick pickled onions. Add your red onion to a heatproof jar and add in the salt and maple syrup. Pour over the boiling water, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes to soften the onions. Add in the apple cider vinegar and stir, then cover and let sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, then stir again.

• Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees or your oven to 450 degrees.

• Add your cauliflower florets to a bowl and top with olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper and toss to combine.

• Air fry at 400 for 11-13 minutes or until tender, or roast on a lined sheet pan at 450 for 20-22 minutes or until tender.

• Meanwhile, make your cashew queso. Soak the cashews in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain.

• Add to a blender with ½ cup water, chipotles in adobo sauce, lime juice, dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, turmeric, and salt. Stream in more water slowly until the mixture is smooth.

• Toast your tortillas and top with shredded cabbage, cauliflower, cashew queso, and pickled red onions. Serve immediately and enjoy!

• This is actually surprisingly good for meal prep: just keep the components separate, reheat the cauliflower and toast your tortillas, and assemble when ready to serve!