Who can resist taco night? If your like us eating tacos is a household staple. Why not try something a little different next taco night by swapping out the fish and going for something more plant-based like these crispy salt and pepper rubbed cauliflower tacos. Served in soft corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, creamy avocado, topped with a freshly made pico and mild poblano crema.

Tacos for us are definitely at the top of our list for foods we can’t live without and could eat everyday. We love them just like most food that can be eaten without fork and knife they are all at the top of our list. We grew up eating tacos regularly, almost on a weekly basis. Often the American version of ground beef with taco seasoning served in hard shells. These take us back.. can’t remember the last time we had one. We grew accustomed to these as kids and it was only until we started working in restaurants and going out more to eat that we realized there are loads of different kinds and styles of tacos. Don’t get us wrong there is nothing wrong with a good old fashioned ground beef taco I’d eat one right now if possible. We also found out that you don’t traditionally add cheese on top of tacos? What’s that all about.. No cheese C’mon! who doesn’t love cheese!

We quickly became fans of the true authentic Mexican taco- the Baja fish most commonly served with shredded cabbage and a creamy sauce on a corn tortilla. And I’ll say it again no cheese here! Nowadays everyone seems to have their own spin on tacos and made it their own. I mean how can you go wrong? Mexican foods are just soo damn tasty.

We have an assortment of taco recipes that yes some include cheese and some don’t that’s just how it is. Expect to see lots of different taco recipes rolled out from us is all were going to say.

This is our rendition of a Baja fish taco made without fish or meat to keep things plant-based and healthier. We chose cauliflower as a substitute to fish because of it’s texture. The texture of cooked cauliflower even when it’s fried with a crust on the exterior remains soft on the inside and can be interpreted as the flakiness of white fish. Using an air fryer to crisp up the cauliflower is a great way to reduce cook time and eliminate cooking with oil. If you prefer to bake the cauliflower we also provided directions for this and the results are quite similar.

Why the salt and pepper rub? Well sometimes the hubby gets to eat things without spice because there’s only so much of it he can handle. It’s all in the love. He tries so hard to eat more spicy stuff so sometimes I gotta throw him a bone. If you’ve ever had salt and pepper wings before you know that these will be just as good. Wings without being tossed in a sauce accentuate the crispiness of the skin and that was the idea here to keep the cauliflower crispy on the outside.

Let us know what you think by tagging @thecommunalfeast and #thecommunalfeast We’ve love to see our recipes tried and tested by you!

Print Recipe

salt and pepper cauliflower tacos

Crispy salt and pepper rubbed cauliflower tacos served in soft corn tortillas with shredded cabbage, creamy avocado, topped with a freshly made pico and mild poblano crema.

Course: Healthy

Servings: 10

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower cut into flored
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBS salt
• 1 TBS pepper
• 2 TBS cornstarch
• 2 cups shredded green cabbage
• garnish: avocado
• corn tortillas for serving
• poblano crema
• 4 poblano peppers roasted skin removed
• ½ cup plain greek yogurt for vegan sub vegan mayo
• 1 lime juiced
• pinch of salt
• salsa fresca
• 1 cup tomatoes diced into small pieces
• ¼ cup red onion diced into small pieces
• ¼ cup cilantro chopped
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Instruction for air fryer
• 1. Preheat to 375 degrees F.
• 2. In a bowl combine cauliflower and vinegar tossing to coat. Remove from the vinegar shaking off any excess.
• 3. In a separate bowl combine cornstarch, salt and pepper and stir to evenly coat each piece.
• 4. Place the cauliflower in a single layer cook for 25 minutes flipping half way. Repeat this step until all of the cauliflower is cooked. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
• 5. To make the poblano crema start by broiling the peppers until all sides are blistered. Remove the skins from the peppers once cooled and place in a food processor with lime juice and salt. Blend for 1 minute and add the yogurt blending another few seconds to incorporate. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• 6. To make the salsa combine all of the ingredients into a bowl.
• 7.  For pre-assembled tacos warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave and start by layering the shredded cabbage, followed by avocado, cauliflower, pico and finish with crema.
•  
• Instructions for baking
• 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 2. Follow steps 2 and 3 above to prepare the cauliflower and line in a single layer on the baking sheet.
• 3. Bake for 40 minutes flipping half way.
• 4. Follow steps 5-7 above for remainder.