One of the best things of quarantine has been turning my kitchen over to my daughter Grace on Mondays to make dinner. She has been a breath of fresh air and has really shaken up our menu rotation. Last week, she treated us to Cauliflower Tacos With Cashew Crema inspired by this recipe from Bon Appetít. We added chickpeas to up the protein content and create a heartier filling. These were such a hit and no one missed the meat. Definitely worth a try if you’re looking for a twist on a taco! (This recipe serves 4. We doubled for our crew.)
What You Need
For the sauce:
- 1 green chile (such as serrano), finely grated
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- ¼ cup cashew or almond butter
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Kosher salt
For the tacos:
- 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1/2 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
- 4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 medium heads of cauliflower, cut into 1″–2″ florets
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas
- Kosher salt
- 12 6″-diameter corn tortillas
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- Sliced avocado, shredded cabbage (you can purchase in a bag), sliced radishes, cilantro leaves with tender stems, and lime wedges (for serving)
What You Do
For the sauce:
- Using a fork, mix chile, garlic, cashew butter, lime juice, and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to combine; season with salt. Blend til smooth using an immersion blender. Set aside.
For the tacos:
- Place a rack in lowest position; preheat oven to 450°. Stir garlic, oil, cumin, and paprika in a small bowl to combine. Arrange cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet along with chickpeas and pour spiced oil over. Season with salt and toss to evenly coat cauliflower. Roast, undisturbed, until dark brown and crisp on the bottom, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn florets over. Continue to roast until second side is dark brown and crisp, 15–20 minutes longer.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, toast tortillas in a single layer, turning halfway through, until warmed through, about 1 minute total. Transfer to plates.
- Spread each tortilla with cashew sauce; top with cauliflower. Garnish with onion, avocado, radishes, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over and remaining sauce so more can be added as topping. So good!
Grace served these tacos with some Mexican rice and a side salad. One prep tip: the cauliflower chopping is the most time-consuming part. If you have the chance to do this the night before or the morning of, it will make dinner time much easier.
Enjoy!
xo,
