Roasted cauliflower and chickpea tacos are super fresh, veggie-packed, and filling with lots of crispy and crunchy textures.
The last time my family was all together, we made these roasted cauliflower and chickpea tacos with jicama carrot slaw and they were one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
Granted, I'd been eating out a lot and vegetables rarely made an appearance on my plate, so my body was craving some veg, but they were a hit with everyone, so I know you're going to love them, too!
Ingredients
The tacos are made up of just cauliflower, chickpeas, taco seasoning, and avocado or olive oil. The jicama carrot slaw has cilantro, lime juice, and a few other simple pantry seasonings. You can serve them inside corn or flour tortillas.
For extra toppings, I'd recommend adding guacamole or avocado slices.
How to Make Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
Step 1
Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then place them on a clean tea towel and gently pat them dry to remove as much excess water as you can (if any skins fall off, just discard them). Set aside.
Step 2
Wash the cauliflower, trim off any leaves, cut the tough core off the bottom and discard. Place the cauliflower right-side up (stem side down) on a cutting board and cut it across the head into ¼ to ½ inch slices (like you would a loaf of bread).
Step 3
Spread the cauliflower pieces and the chickpeas onto a large baking sheet (or 2 if needed) and then drizzle with oil followed by taco seasoning. Mix it all up with your hands until the pieces are well-coated, adding more seasoning or oil if needed. Bake for 25 minutes.
Step 4
Make the slaw. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. To a large bowl, add the grated/julienned carrots and jicama, and chopped cilantro. Pour over the slaw and toss well to evenly distribute.
Step 5
After the 25 minutes are up, flip over the cauliflower pieces and stir the chickpeas before placing them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
Step 6
Heat your tortillas up, smear on some guacamole, and top with the roasted chickpeas and cauliflower followed by the slaw. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and enjoy!
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make these roasted cauliflower and chickpea tacos using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No chickpeas? - use another type of white beans or you could try lentils if you're feeling adventurous (French, brown, or green are ideal).
- Can't find jicama? - you can also use daikon radish, water chestnuts, or Asian pear (although this option will be sweeter so omit the maple syrup in the dressing).
- Hate cilantro? - leave it out.
- No limes? - substitute lemon juice instead.
- No maple syrup? - use raw honey or granulated sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the chickpeas are a great source of plant-based protein and are what makes these tacos filling, so it's important that you don't omit them.
If they're not crispy, it could be a couple of things. Either they were too crowded on the baking sheet (which is why it's best to use 2 so they have more space) or you didn't remove enough of the excess water from the chickpeas after rinsing them. In this case, just cook them a little longer.
To reheat the tacos, add the cauliflower and chickpeas back on a baking sheet in the oven (or a toaster oven) at 400ºF for about 10 minutes. This helps re-crisp the chickpeas.
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Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos with Jicama Carrot Slaw
Ingredients
Tacos
- 1 large head cauliflower
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
Slaw
- 1 small jicama, peeled and grated or julienned
- 2 large carrots, peeled and grated or julienned
- ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice + more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon maple syrup
- salt & pepper, to taste
Extras
- corn or flour tortillas
- guacamole
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450ºF.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then place them on a clean tea towel and gently pat them dry to remove as much excess water as you can (if any skins fall off, just discard them). Set aside.
- Wash the cauliflower, trim off any leaves, cut the tough core off the bottom and discard. Place the cauliflower right-side up (stem side down) on a cutting board and cut it across the head into ¼ to ½ inch slices (like you would a loaf of bread).
- Spread the cauliflower pieces and the chickpeas onto a large baking sheet (or 2 if needed) and then drizzle with oil followed by taco seasoning. Mix it all up with your hands until the pieces are well-coated, adding more seasoning or oil if needed. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Make the slaw. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. To a large bowl, add the grated/julienned carrots and jicama, and chopped cilantro. Pour over the slaw and toss well to evenly distribute.
- After the 25 minutes are up, flip over the cauliflower pieces and stir the chickpeas before placing them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
- Heat your tortillas up, smear on some guacamole, and top with the roasted chickpeas and cauliflower followed by the slaw. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and enjoy!
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