These simple quinoa tacos combine buffalo cauliflower, crispy chickpeas, and creamy guacamole to make the ultimate vegan weeknight dinner.
Anytime tacos are involved you know it's going to be a good day.
Tacos are one of those things that I get random cravings for. Like I'll be watching TV and all of a sudden just craveee tacos. So strange I know, but when done right, they're just so dang good.
Surprisingly it's hard to find good, authentic Mexican food in New York City. We've tried a ton of different places and the food is always just so-so. And the vegetarian options, especially on the taco side? Very blah.
So I've resorted to creating my own veggie tacos and filling them with all the things. Today that means buffalo cauliflower, roasted chickpeas, quinoa and guac. Meatless, flavorful and better than anything I've found on a restaurant menu!
These buffalo cauliflower and quinoa tacos are LEGIT. I'm not kidding. They're packed with bold flavor, have just a slightly spicy kick and they're full of plant-based protein. And promise, you won't even miss the meat.
The combo of cauliflower, chickpeas, and quinoa, make the tacos feel more substantial and make them way more filling.
We start out by simply tossing cauliflower florets and chickpeas in buffalo sauce.
I've honestly avoided buffalo sauce for the longest time because the options available out there aren't really that healthy. Then I discovered Tessamae's, which is a brand that a lot of my other blogger friends have talked about, and guys, I'm hooked. Can't even tell you how delicious this buffalo sauce is (and no, this is NOT a sponsored post, I just genuinely adore this product). They don't use refined sugar and almost all the ingredients are organic. It's also GF + vegan…say whaaat!? So awesome.
So we stir the cauli + chickpeas in the buffalo sauce and then just roast them until the cauliflower is nice and brown and the chickpeas are a little crispy. I mean…
^^how good does that look!? I could eat this every day of my life.
Once we've got the roasted veggies + beans done, it's time to assemble the tacos.
I wanted to put a spread on the bottom so everything would kind of “stick” together. Guac was a natural choice. I just mashed up some avocado with a ton of lime juice, sea salt, cracked pepper, and garlic powder. Smear it on the bottom of your tortillas, then top with a layer of quinoa (added protein!), the roasted veg mixture and your garnishes.
So friends, don't fear the meatless taco. It tastes good AND it's good for you. Double whammy. Plus, they're crazy simple to make, so they make for a great weeknight meal. (maybe even you next Meatless Monday?)
Your turn…
What's your favorite taco filling? This is the first dinner taco I've created in forever (shared a breakfast one recently!) and so now I'm dreaming up all the other combos I could make. Share your faves in the comments below!
xo Alyssa
More Delicious Taco Recipes to try:
- Mango Lime Quinoa Tacos
- Crispy Tofu Tacos with Vegan Lime Crema
- Cilantro Lime Black Bean Quinoa Tacos
Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower + Quinoa Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower about 3 cups
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 1/4 cup vegan buffalo sauce I'm loving Tessamae's
- 1 large avocado mashed
- 1 lime
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt + cracked pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 8 corn tortillas I like the sprouted ones from Food for Life
- Garnishes: sliced red cabbage sliced jalapeno
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Chop cauliflower in small florets and add to a large bowl. Pour in chickpeas along with the buffalo sauce and toss to combine. Transfer this mixture to the baking sheet and roast for 20 - 25 minutes until cauliflower it starting to brown and chickpeas are starting to crisp up (stir halfway through).
- Allow the veggies to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Add avocado to a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Squeeze lime into the bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir to combine.
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of the avocado sauce on each tortilla. Top each with 2 tablespoons of quinoa and some of the cauli-chickpea mixture. Garnish with desired veggies and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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