Roasted Chickpea Cauliflower Tacos with Garlicky Walnuts + Yogurt
These vegetarian tacos won’t leave you missing the meat. They have a bit of a middle-eastern twist that is surprisingly delicious. The chickpeas and cauliflower are roasted in a flavorful spice mixture until crispy and charred. Walnuts are toasted in olive oil and tossed with garlic powder and salt. All of that is wrapped up in cute little tortillas with a dollop of yogurt, parsley, and squeeze of lemon. My taste tester (who generally dislikes cauliflower and chickpeas) raved about them and said it tastes like meat. It’s a winner!
Ingredient highlight
Corn tortillas! are really nutritious if you’re eating the real stuff, like my favorite local brand Three Sisters Nixtamal. The traditional nixtamalization process “enables our bodies to digest and absorb vitamins and minerals including calcium, protein, oils and vitamins B3(niacin), B1(thiamin), B5(pantothenic acid) and folate. Nixtamalization unlocks nutrients in the corn that otherwise would not be absorbed.” – Three Sisters Nixtamal
Servings 4 PeopleIngredients
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into very small florets about 2 lbs, about 4 cups florets
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley or cilantro
- 8 small corn or flour tortillas
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
For the walnuts*:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- *You can also just toast the walnuts in the oven, but toasting them in olive oil with salt and garlic is next level!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F or 425F convection. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Mix together the spices (cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, garlic, and red pepper flakes, if using) in a small bowl.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then place them on a kitchen towel and dry them off as much as you can. Add cauliflower to one baking sheet and chickpeas to the other. Drizzle each sheet pan with 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, half of spice mixture (about 1 ½ tablespoons), and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss each to coat, using your hands to really rub the spice mixture into the florets. Place the cauliflower on the middle rack and chickpeas on the lower rack. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is charred and chickpeas are crispy, switching the pans halfway through.
- Meanwhile, line a plate with a piece of paper towel and make the walnuts. In a small or medium skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and nuts. Once the nuts start to sizzle, reduce the heat to low and toast the nuts, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until they start to turn golden (don’t burn them!). Remove from heat and use a spoon to transfer the nuts to your plate, leaving the oil behind. Sprinkle the garlic powder and salt over the warm nuts and toss to coat.
- Warm up your tortillas in a pan until pliable, top with warm cauliflower and chickpeas, walnuts, yogurt, herbs and a squeeze of lemon.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Mix spices together for cauli/chickpeas
- Roast the chickpeas and cauliflower
- Make the garlicky walnuts (you could just toast walnuts in the oven for simplicity sake).
Substitutions
- To make vegan, use vegan yogurt or sour cream.
Storage
-
Store leftovers separately in airtight containers in the fridge.
- Chickpeas and cauliflower: up to 4 days
- Toasted walnuts: up to 2 weeks
Leftovers + Repurposing
- Warm the chickpeas and cauliflower. Warm your tortilla in a skillet until it becomes more pliable. Top with chickpeas/cauliflower, yogurt, herbs, and lemon.
- Turn it into a salad/bowl – warm chickpeas and cauliflower + a raw crunchy veg tossed in some lemon juice with salt + rice or roasted root veggies + top with yogurt, lemon, parsley, and nuts.
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