Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

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Taco night will never be the same with these delicious Cauliflower Tacos that are simple to make and happen to be vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten-free. They are absolutely delicious!

overhead shot of cauliflower tacos with corn tortillas, cilantro, and lime on white background
Photo Credit: PlantPure Comfort Food Cookbook

This fabulous cauliflower taco recipe is from the cookbook, PlantPure Comfort Food, and was created by Kim Campbell, daughter-in-law of world-renowned, T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. It is published here with permission.

While you’re making these vegetarian tacos, you might even want to try your hand at making Homemade Tortilla Chips like the ones pictured above in this recipe. Maybe even drizzle a little of my Best Vegan Cheese Sauce over the top. A different twist on tacos is these Bean Bulgur Tacos. We even have an excellent homemade taco seasoning mix that is perfect to use in this recipe.

Walnut taco meat

Who would have ever guessed that you could make a taco meat substitute with cauliflower, walnuts, mushrooms, and spices? I am not kidding! This stuff is amazing and can be used in lots of other recipes like Stuffed Peppers, Pizza, and Lasagna.

It’s pretty crazy how closely the texture resembles ground beef. It is crumbly and has a slightly chewy texture. The first time I ever tasted it was when I purchased it premade from MamaSezz Food Service, and I remember being blown away by the flavor.

diced chunks of raw cauliflower on cutting board

Cauliflower taco ingredients

This is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make cauliflower tacos. There is a full list with measurements, instructions, and printing options in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Cauliflower- About a pound cut into florets
  • Walnuts- The texture of walnuts is perfect for getting this recipe right.
  • Veggies- Onions and mushrooms are the veggies paired with cauliflower.
  • Seasonings- Lime juice, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
  • Tortillas- Corn or flour tortillas work for this recipe. Using corn tortillas makes it completely gluten-free.

Ways to use vegetarian taco meat

I can think of so many ways to use this vegetarian meat substitute that go way beyond tacos. Here are just a few.

How to make cauliflower tacos

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 °F.
  2. Wrap the corn tortillas in a slightly damp cloth or paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. This will soften the tortillas. Drape each tortilla over two bars of your oven rack and bake for 8-10 minutes. Watch them carefully as they can burn quickly. Remove and set aside.
  3. Place the cauliflower and walnuts into a food processor and process until the cauliflower is well ground looking like rice. Be careful not to puree this mixture. You can also pulse the mushrooms and onions in this step to save time.
  4. Place the cauliflower mixture, mushrooms and onions, and the remaining spices into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. This will depend on how dry you prefer your taco filling.
  5. Place the dressing ingredients for the Cilantro Lime Sauce into a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
  6. Fill the tacos with the cauliflower-walnut filling and top with your choice of suggested toppings and cilantro-lime dressing.

Topping suggestions

  • 2 cups mixed greens
  • 1 cup olives, sliced
  • 1 cup green or red peppers, diced
  • ½ cup green onions, diced
  • 2 cups corn, frozen or fresh
  • 1 mango, diced
  • Cilantro Lime Dressing (recipe included)

Recipes that pair well with tacos

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

overhead shot of cauliflower tacos with corn tortillas, cilantro, and lime on white background
5 from 3 votes

Cauliflower Walnut Tacos

Taco night will never be the same with these delicious Cauliflower Tacos that are simple to make and happen to be vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten-free. They are absolutely delicious!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

Tacos:

  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 lb. raw cauliflower finely ground
  • 1 cup walnuts finely ground
  • 4 oz mushrooms finely chopped (optional)
  • 1 onion finely chopped (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Cilantro Lime Dressing

  • 1 large ripe avocado pitted and peeled
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 jalapeno seeded
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • ½ cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup of water or more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 400 °F.
  • Wrap the corn tortillas in a slightly damp cloth or paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. This will soften the tortillas. Drape each tortilla over two bars of your oven rack and bake for 8-10 minutes. Watch them carefully as they can burn quickly. Remove and set aside.
  • Place the cauliflower and walnuts into a food processor and process until the cauliflower is well ground looking like rice. Be careful not to puree this mixture. You can also pulse the mushrooms and onions in this step to save time.
  • Place the cauliflower mixture, mushrooms and onions, and the remaining spices into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. This will depend on how dry you prefer your taco filling.
  • Place the dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
  • Fill the tacos with the cauliflower-walnut filling and top with your choice of suggested toppings and cilantro-lime dressing.

Video

Notes

Topping suggestions
  • 2 cups mixed greens
  • 1 cup olives, sliced
  • 1 cup green or red peppers, diced
  • ½ cup green onions, diced
  • 2 cups corn, frozen or fresh
  • 1 mango, diced
  • Cilantro Lime Dressing (recipe included)
Pro Tips
  • Blending- When processing the walnut taco meat in your food processor, don’t overdo it or it will become sticky.
  • Spices- It’s easy to put together your own blend of Mexican spices, so don’t be afraid to venture away from the recipe and substitute your own favorite mixture.
About the Chef
Kim Campbell is the author of the PlantPure Nation and the books PlantPure Kitchen and PlantPure Comfort Food She developed more than 250 delicious whole food plant-based recipes using no processed oils

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 170mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About the Chef

Kim Campbell is the author of the PlantPure Nation and the books PlantPure Kitchen and PlantPure Comfort Food She developed more than 250 delicious whole food plant-based recipes using no processed oils

Kim is also the Director of Culinary Education and Development at PlantPure, where she works with her husband, Nelson, building an organization that promotes a whole foods plant-based diet.  Nelson directed and produced the groundbreaking movie, PlantPure Nation.

Kim graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Human Service Studies with a concentration in Nutrition and Child Development.  Her passion has always been nutrition education for children, families, and adults.  Kim has been a plant-based cook for more than 25 years cooking for her family and friends.  Her love of culinary goes back to her early childhood growing up in a large traditional family.  Kim is gifted at creating traditional American cuisine using 100% accessible plant-based ingredients.  She builds flavors and textures that are familiar to most people, helping to make the transition to a plant-based diet easier for people.

She is also the daughter-in-law of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, considered by many as the science ‘father’ of the rapidly growing plant-based nutrition movement.

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One Comment

  1. I made this recipe, and it was absolutely delicious!
    I loved it and my meat eating husband thought it was amazing. It’s a keeper and I would not change anything. Easy to make, and so satisfying to eat. Thanks

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