Cinco de Mayo seemed like a fitting time to share with you one of our favorite taco recipes. I know you’re probably thinking how can a Cauliflower & Chickpea Taco be anyone’s favorite idea of the beloved tortilla wrapped little gem. But stick we me for a minute and I think you’ll see why. I mean, if I can get my carne asada taco/ all meat-loving husband on board with these, I’ve got faith for you too. Perhaps you’ve already had this latest taco creation somewhere but haven’t given it a try at home. Well this recipe is super easy and doesn’t take too much time to throw together but is so so good.
When I first decided I wanted to make this taco variation, it was out of both the desire to recreate something I had back home in LA after being surprisingly wowed and also out of necessity. I’ve mentioned before how organic beef isn’t the easiest to come by here. There are only two types that are generally available in our little organic store, ground beef and stew meat. And while we love a good, easy ground beef taco, there leaves something to be desired when you want a nice cut of skirt steak per se. And besides, when you’ve grown up in Los Angeles like I have or have taken enough trips/ lived there like my husband, you’ve had the real deal so sometimes would rather just wait for your next trip back to get your fix.
So as a result, we’ve been eating lots of vegetable based tacos. And when seasoned properly with a few key garnishes, the result can be absolutely delicious. As is the case with these Cauliflower & Chickpea Tacos. This particular recipe is slightly tweaked from the fabulous site Two Peas and Their Pod. I only made a few minimal changes. One of the most important I think being to reserve some of the marinade for the end and the second to add the chickpeas halfway through as opposed to at the beginning with the caulifower. It makes the tacos just slightly “juicier” and more tender in my opinion.
As far as the process, it couldn’t get simpler. You make the marinade, toss some with cauliflower florets in one bowl, toss a little with the chickpeas in another bowl. Then you roast the cauliflower and add in the chickpeas for the last 15 minutes. While everything is roasting, chop some cabbage, cilantro and avocado and make a quick Cilantro Lime Crema. Heat your tortillas, fill and voila….veggie taco supreme. Try them. Trust me.
Cauliflower & Chickpea Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets & washed (about 4 cups)
- 1 3/4 Cup cooked chickpeas, drained & rinsed (1 can)
- 1-2 Tsps chili powder (I use closer to 1 for the kids)
- 1 1/2 Tsps ground cumin
- 1 Tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 Tsp onion powder
- 2 Small cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsps fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsps Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsps Water
- 2 Tsps honey or agave syrup
Cilantro Lime Crema:
- 1 Cup greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsps fresh lime juice
- 1/4 Cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 Tsp chili powder
- salt & pepper to taste
To Assemble:
- corn Tortillas
- fresh avocado
- purple cabbage, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- fresh chopped cilantro
- pickled jalapenos (optional)
- hot sauce (Cholula is my fav)
- fresh lime wedges
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400F/ 204C.
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In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, salt, onion powder, garlic, lime juice, olive oil and water. Stir to combine the marinade.
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Add the cauliflower florets to a large bowl and the chickpeas to a medium bowl. Reserving about 2 tablespoons of the marinade and set aside for later, pour about three quarters of the rest on the cauliflower and a small amount over the chickpeas. Toss each the cauliflower and the chickpeas to coat completely. (The reserved liquid will be used after roasting.)
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Lightly oil a sheet pan or a foil-lined sheet pan (for easer clean-up) and spread the cauliflower florets on the pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
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While the cauliflower is roasting, make the Cilantro Lime Crema by adding all the ingredients to a small bowl, combining well and seasoning with salt and pepper. Set in the fridge until everything is ready.
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After 20 minutes, toss the cauliflower a little and add the marinaded chickpeas, giving the pan a shake to make sure everything is spread out. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and the chickpeas are just starting to crisp up a bit. Remove from the oven, add the remaining 2 tbsps of the marinade, give a toss & set aside.
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To assemble the tacos, heat a corn tortilla, then add a little of the cauliflower mixture, some cabbage, cilantro, avocado, jalapenos if using and top with the crema. If desired give another squeeze of fresh lime juice and a dash of your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
*swap the Greek yogurt for a non-dairy yogurt to make these completely vegan.
*Recipe slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Do you have amounts for the ingredients and are you using canned chick peas? It sounds delicious. I have everything except cauliflower which I’ll add to my next grocery order on
Instacart . Here in Long Beach we are in Safe at Home mode so we are ordering our food online! Crazy times. ♥️ Thanks Amanda
Hi Jane! I hear ya, the kids and I haven’t been outside the apt in almost 2 months. I was just saying this morning how I miss the grocery store ha. Glad you guys are safe at home…..about the amounts, do they not come up at the bottom of the post in the recipe? On mine I can see the little notes on amounts for each on the side.. For example, for the chickpeas, yes it’s one can. (I use homemade, so the amount I did equals a can, but it doesn’t make a difference what kind you use.) For the cauliflower it’s about 4 cups of the little florets. Hope you love these as much as we do! Big hug