Roasted Cauliflower Tacos With The Works Recipe
There are so many delicious reasons to love tacos. This hand-held snack comprised of a tortilla, seasoned meat, and cheese has evolved to incorporate global flavors and infinite ingredient combos. Tacos are so endearing due to their relative ease of preparation, portability, versatility to be eaten at any time of day, and communal feasting appeal. Recipe developer Julie Kinnaird shares these roasted cauliflower tacos with the works, which are perfect for entertaining and layered with surprising flavor combinations.
Kinnaird says that she loves how the combination of roasted cauliflower and walnuts takes on the spices in the recipe and also creates a meaty texture to the filling. Capers packed in brine are an uncommon taco ingredient, but add zest and brightness, which pairs beautifully with the earthy roasted peppers. The tacos are topped with a colorful red cabbage slaw that layers in crunch, color, and freshness, contrasting with a creamy avocado sauce and crumbled queso fresco. The result is a taco that is sophisticated, satisfying, and guaranteed to impress!
Gather the roasted cauliflower tacos with the works ingredients
Cauliflower is the star of this recipe, so choose one that is creamy white with fresh green leaves and no brown spots. Select poblano peppers that are about the size of your hand, with deep green skins. You will need avocado oil for roasting the vegetables, along with a blend of chile powder, smoked paprika, cumin seeds, and fresh garlic for the taco seasoning. Ground cumin will also work, but the seeds add a nice crunch and less pungent flavor.
Raw walnuts pair up with the cauliflower and peppers to add toothsome texture. Brine-packed capers and fresh lime juice give the tacos a bit of brightness and tang. Red cabbage, red onion, and red wine vinegar are used to create a quick, easy, and eye-catching slaw for topping your tacos.
The final crowning glory is a creamy sauce made from avocados, sour cream, fresh cilantro, and jalapeño. Be sure to use ripe avocados for the best texture. Select your favorite corn tortillas for serving up the filling and finish off the tacos with queso fresco, a fresh, slightly salty crumbling Mexican cheese. Black pepper and sea salt are used for seasoning throughout the recipe.
Step 1: Roast the poblanos
Roast the poblano peppers over a flame on a gas stovetop or use a grill to blacken and blister the skins on all sides.
Step 2: Steam the poblanos
Transfer the peppers to a heat-proof bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to seal in steam. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Scrape charred skins off the poblanos
Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and scrape off the charred skins with a sharp knife. Cut peppers into small dice.
Step 4: Preheat the oven
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Step 5: Toss the cauliflower and poblanos with avocado oil
Toss the chopped poblanos and cauliflower with the avocado oil on a large baking sheet.
Step 6: Roast the cauliflower and poblanos
Roast the mixture for 20 minutes.
Step 7: Mix together the spices and garlic
Meanwhile, combine 1 teaspoon of the sea salt with the chile powder, smoked paprika, cumin seeds, and garlic in a small bowl.
Step 8: Add the walnuts and capers to baking sheet
Remove the baking sheet with cauliflower and poblanos from the oven and add the walnuts and capers.
Step 9: Add the spice mix and lime juice
Sprinkle the chile powder mix over the sheet pan and stir to coat. Squeeze the juice of ½ a lime over top.
Step 10: Return the pan to the oven
Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 15 minutes longer, until the cauliflower is softened and the spices are fragrant, stirring once or twice.
Step 11: Mix the slaw
While the vegetables finish roasting, combine the cabbage, red onion, red wine vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 12: Remove the baking sheet from oven and cover
Remove the pan from the oven and tent with foil to keep warm.
Step 13: Place avocado sauce ingredients in food processor
In a food processor, combine the avocado, sour cream, ¼ cup cilantro, jalapeño, black pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt, and juice from the remaining ½ lime.
Step 14: Puree until smooth
Process the mixture until smooth.
Step 15: Warm the tortillas
Warm the tortillas by placing them in a hot skillet for 10 to 15 seconds per side.
Step 16: Start assembling the tacos
Assemble the tacos: Start by laying out two warmed tortillas.
Step 17: Add cauliflower filling to tortillas
Top each tortilla with some of the roasted cauliflower filling.
Step 18: Add the slaw
Add some of the cabbage slaw on top of the cauliflower.
Step 19: Add the avocado sauce
Add a spoonful of the avocado sauce. Alternatively, transfer the sauce to a ziplock bag, trim off the tip of one bottom corner, and pipe the sauce on each taco.
Step 20: Add the queso fresco
Sprinkle on the queso fresco.
Step 21: Garnish with cilantro leaves
Finish with a garnish of fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.
Do you have to roast poblano peppers for these tacos?
Roasting the poblano peppers isn't absolutely necessary, but it is a step that adds so much extra flavor and improves the texture of the filling. Poblano peppers can be delicious raw in a salsa or salad preparation, but their quite thick and waxy skins, once cooked, can have an off-putting texture and vegetal, unripe flavor.
By charring the skins and then giving the peppers time to steam, that tough outer layer separates itself from the flesh below and becomes easy to remove and discard. Poblano peppers also have a natural, mild smokiness about them which is intensified by the roasting, giving them a rich and earthy flavor.
You can roast and steam the peppers in a few different ways. First, use the open flame method as outlined in the recipe. Second, you can achieve this effect on a hot grill, turning the peppers occasionally until all sides are charred. Lastly, you can place the peppers on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet and put in a 450 F oven until the skins are darkened and blistered. Steam the peppers in a heat-proof bowl covered with plastic wrap, or alternatively place them in a paper bag and roll it tightly shut until the skins have steamed.
What can you prepare in advance for roasted cauliflower tacos?
This recipe has several different steps to achieve "the works," but each part creates the delicious harmony of the end result. The tacos are best assembled right before serving, but the filling, slaw, and avocado sauce can all be prepped and prepared ahead. The filling can be made in advance and rewarmed in the oven, wrapped in foil so that it does not dry out. The slaw can be assembled up to a day in advance, but will lose a bit of its crunch as it marinates in the vinegar. The avocado sauce will keep well under refrigeration for up to 3 days and will just need a bit of stirring or whisking before topping the tacos.
The cheese and cilantro leaves can also be prepped and ready to go, so that last-minute assembly is fast and stress-free. And don't discard the cilantro stems when you are picking the leaves for the sauce and garnish! Add a couple of tablespoons of chopped stems to the sauce before pureeing for a flavor boost.
One of the great aspects of these tacos is the contrast of temperatures along with flavors, so make sure your tortillas are warm, the filling is hot, and the slaw and sauce have a nice chill.
Roasted Cauliflower Tacos With The Works Recipe
Roasted cauliflower and walnuts provide a hearty texture for these tacos, which also feature a crisp red cabbage slaw and a creamy avocado sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 large poblano peppers
- 1 large cauliflower, leaves and core removed, cut into small florets
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons chile powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chopped raw walnuts
- 3 tablespoons brine-packed capers, drained
- 1 large lime, halved
- 1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 large avocado
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 small jalapeño, stem and seeds removed, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 corn tortillas
- ½ cup crumbled queso fresco
Optional Ingredients
- Additional cilantro leaves, for garnish
Directions
- Roast the poblano peppers over a flame on a gas stovetop or use a grill to blacken and blister the skins on all sides.
- Transfer the peppers to a heat-proof bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to seal in steam. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and scrape off the charred skins with a sharp knife. Cut peppers into small dice.
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Toss the chopped poblanos and cauliflower with the avocado oil on a large baking sheet.
- Roast the mixture for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine 1 teaspoon of the sea salt with the chile powder, smoked paprika, cumin seeds, and garlic in a small bowl.
- Remove the baking sheet with cauliflower and poblanos from the oven and add the walnuts and capers.
- Sprinkle the chile powder mix over the sheet pan and stir to coat. Squeeze the juice of ½ a lime over top.
- Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 15 minutes longer, until the cauliflower is softened and the spices are fragrant, stirring once or twice.
- While the vegetables finish roasting, combine the cabbage, red onion, red wine vinegar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Remove the pan from the oven and tent with foil to keep warm.
- In a food processor, combine the avocado, sour cream, ¼ cup cilantro, jalapeño, black pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt, and juice from the remaining ½ lime.
- Process the mixture until smooth.
- Warm the tortillas by placing them in a hot skillet for 10 to 15 seconds per side.
- Assemble the tacos: Start by laying out two warmed tortillas.
- Top each tortilla with some of the roasted cauliflower filling.
- Add some of the cabbage slaw on top of the cauliflower.
- Add a spoonful of the avocado sauce. Alternatively, transfer the sauce to a ziplock bag, trim off the tip of one bottom corner, and pipe the sauce on each taco.
- Sprinkle on the queso fresco.
- Finish with a garnish of fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.
- Serve tacos on a platter or individual plates.