Recipes » Main Dish » Thai Tacos
T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies

Reprinted from PlantPure Comfort Food (BenBella Books, 2022).

Ingredients

Sweet-and-Sour Slaw

  • 1 (14-ounce) bag shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
  • 2 cups finely chopped fresh or (thawed) frozen mango or pineapple
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • ¼ tsp sea salt or to taste

Tacos

  • 10–12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
  • 1 (12-ounce) head cauliflower, or 1 (1-pound) bag frozen riced cauliflower, thawed
  • 1 ½ cups walnuts
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tsp pure maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
  • 1 tsp grated ginger or ginger paste
  • 1 tsp sriracha
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp chili powder

Peanut Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp all-natural peanut butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 tsp grated ginger or ginger paste
  • 1 tsp sriracha

Garnish (optional)

  • ½ cup crushed peanuts
  • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  • 2. Combine all the slaw ingredients in a medium bowl and toss. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • 3. Wrap the tortillas in a slightly damp cloth or paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Drape each tortilla over two bars of an oven rack and bake for 8–10 minutes to crisp up into a taco shell shape. Watch the tortillas carefully as they can burn quickly. Remove and set aside.
  • 4. Combine the cauliflower and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until evenly ground into rice-size pieces. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the lime juice, tamari or soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, sriracha, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, and chili powder. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
  • 5. Evenly spread the cauliflower-walnut filling on the lined baking sheet and bake for 30–40 minutes, stirring midway through to prevent burning around the edges.
  • 6. While the filling is baking, combine all the peanut sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
  • 7. To build the tacos, spoon the cauliflower-walnut filling into the taco shells, then add the mango or pineapple slaw. Top with the peanut sauce and your choice of garnish.

Cooking Tips

  • 1. You can skip the taco shells and serve the filling and slaw in a lettuce bowl or on top of a bed of greens. The filling and slaw pair beautifully with a baked sweet potato.
  • 2. For those of you who love a meatier texture, you can replace the cauliflower-walnut filling with Butler Soy Curls.

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