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Crispy Cauliflower Chimichurri Tacos | The Full Helping
4.17 from 6 votes

Crispy Cauliflower Chimichurri Tacos

Author - Gena Hamshaw
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the crispy cauliflower:

  • 1 medium head cauliflower, tough stem removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or refined avocado
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • Coarse salt

For the almond chimichurri:

  • 1/2 cup roasted almonds (salted or unsalted, but if salted, you may wish to reduce the salt in the sauce)
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems
  • 1 cup packed parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2-4 tablespoons water

For the tacos & slaw:

  • 3 cups shredded cabbage
  • 1 cup cooked lentils or black beans
  • 3/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
  • 2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 8 flour or corn tortillas

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Toss the cauliflower with the oil, cumin, chili, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Spread the cauliflower on the baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the cauliflower is crispy and browning at the edges.
  • While the cauliflower roasts, place the almonds into a food processor fitted with the S blade. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Process until the almonds have been broken down into a coarse meal. Add the cilantro, parsley, lemon, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and 2 tablespoons water. Process until the mixture is bright green and evenly mixed; it should resemble a pesto. If the sauce is very thick, you can add 1-2 extra tablespoons water to it.
  • In a mixing bowl, toss together the cabbage, lentils or beans, cilantro, extra virgin olive oil, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • To prepare the tacos, you you can toast your tortillas over an open gas burner set to very low flame for about 1 minute per side—this will give you a slightly browned, crispy texture. You can also reduce the oven heat to 300F after you roast the cauliflower, wrap all of the tortillas in foil, and allow them to warm up for 10 minutes before you assemble the tacos. To assemble, fill all of the tacos with about 1/2 cup (each) slaw and cauliflower, then drizzle with the chimichurri sauce.

Notes

For a tree nut free version, try using toasted pepitas or hulled sunflower seeds in place of the almonds.