You Won’t Miss the Meat in These Scrumptious Veggie Tacos

My most viral TikTok videos have been my NYC Kitchen Series, where I approach someone on the street and ask if I can cook for them in their kitchen. The catch? I only use what they have on hand.

I’ll let you in on my secret: The first thing I do is come up with a delicious sauce, because it can turn the contents of even the emptiest fridges into a memorable meal. Lucky for me, when I visited Emma and Adrian, I noticed both the makings of an unconventional version of a killer sauce from Catalan — the rich mixture of nuts, peppers, and spices known as romesco — and a well-populated fridge. Well done, mates!

I used that sauce for tacos filled with premarinated steak they’d bought, though unbeknownst to them, I also whipped up some spiced roasted cauliflower that I snuck into a couple of those tacos, hidden under plenty of crunchy slaw and romesco, in place of beef. They loved the tacos — all of them. The lesson is how a tasty sauce can become the star of a dish but also that cauliflower tacos deserve their moment in the sun.

Cauliflower Tacos with Cabbage Slaw and Walnut Romesco

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cost: $$
Cook Time: 30 minutes | Skill: Easy
Serves 4

Ingredients

For the romesco

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• 1/3 cup raw shelled walnuts
• 1/3 cup drained firm tofu
• 1/4 cup red wine or sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped red onion

For the tacos

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded (if you have a mandoline or food processor with a slicing and julienne attachment, use it)
• 1 small carrot, julienned (if you have a mandoline or food processor with a slicing and julienne attachment, use it)
• Zest and juice of 2 limes
• 8 corn tortillas
• Small handful of roughly chopped cilantro

Instructions

Make the romesco

1. Heat the walnuts in a dry medium skillet over low heat and toast, shaking and tossing occasionally, until they smell extra nutty, 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Transfer the walnuts to a small food processor; add the tofu, vinegar, peppers, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion; and blitz to a coarse puree. Season with more salt and vinegar to taste.

Make the tacos

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, paprika, cumin, coriander, oregano, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of both the salt and pepper, then add the cauliflower and toss to coat well. Transfer to a large baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup) and roast, tossing halfway, until the cauliflower is tender and golden with dark spots, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot, lime zest and juice, and the remaining salt and pepper, toss well, and set aside while the cauliflower cooks.
3. Heat a dry large skillet over medium heat. Heat the tortillas in batches, giving them a minute on each side to heat them through. As they’re done, transfer them to a clean kitchen towel and wrap to keep them warm as you heat the rest.
4. Bring everything to the table and make tacos with the cabbage mix, cauliflower, romesco sauce, and chopped cilantro.

From the book EAT LIKE A LEGEND: Delicious, Super Easy Recipes to Perform at Your Peak, by Dan Churchill. Copyright © 2024 by Dan Churchill. Published on May 21, 2024, by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Excerpted by permission.