I know there are endless amounts of taco recipes out there but I had to add one more to the list. When you have a winning taco recipe, it would be wrong not to share it, right? This roasted cauliflower fajitas with romesco salsa recipe is that one for me. It's a vegetarian dish but there are so many incredible flavors that you won't miss the meat. In fact, I've been craving these more than meat tacos!
Roasted Cauliflower Fajitas with Romesco Salsa
Ingredients
Romesco salsa
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno
- 2 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup sliced toasted almonds
- ½ bunch cilantro
- juice of ½ lime
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ cup olive oil plus 1 tbsp divided
- salt and pepper
Roasted cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower cut into small florets
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Spiced pistachios
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ cup raw pistachios shelled
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- pinch of cinnamon
Remaining ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 8 tortillas
- 2 avocadoes sliced
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija
- cilantro for garnish
- lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread the tomatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet. Place the jalapeno and red bell pepper on another baking sheet. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes or until lightly charred, turning the bell pepper and jalapeno over halfway through. Transfer the jalapeno and bell pepper to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the skin and discard the stem and seeds.
- Set aside half of the cherry tomatoes. Place the remaining tomatoes in a blender or food processor along with the roasted pepper, jalapeno, garlic, almonds, cilantro, lime juice, sherry vinegar, paprika, coriander, cumin, and olive oil. Pulse the mixture until smooth. Transfer the salsa to a bowl and stir in the remaining roasted tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoon oil, chili powder, paprika, oregano, sugar, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the tender. Keep warm.
- At the same time, make the spiced pistachios. Toss the pistachios with olive oil, chili powder, and a pinch of cinnamon. Spread on a baking sheet and toast for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan. Add the sliced bell peppers and red onion and saute until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat the tortillas. Assemble the tacos with the roasted cauliflower, sauteed vegetables, avocado slices, romesco salsa, spiced pistachios, cilantro, and cotija. Serve with extra salsa and lime wedges.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Okay, let's quickly break down these roasted cauliflower fajitas before we start. First, you have roasted cauliflower tossed in Mexican spices. Then, you have a fusion romesco salsa. Next, you have charred peppers and onions to complete the fajita element. Finally, you have spiced pistachios, avocado, and crumbled cotija to finish it off. Yes, there are a lot of components, but they come together to create an amazing fajita.
Let's start by making the romesco salsa. Romesco sauce doesn't typically have jalapenos, cumin, cilantro, or lime juice. However, I thought that incorporating these ingredients would help it tie with the fajitas better.
To make the salsa, roast bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and jalapeno in the oven until charred. Remove the skin and seeds from the peppers and set aside half of the tomatoes. Blend the remaining ingredients all together until smooth and season the salsa with salt and pepper.
Fold in the remaining tomatoes and let the romesco cool. You can prepare the salsa up to 3 days in advance.
Next, it's time to prepare the cauliflower. Toss the cauliflower with olive oil and all of the spices. This recipe is meant for 1 medium cauliflower, but if yours is very large, make a little extra seasoning. This seasoning is great for other proteins as well so you can save any extra for your next fajita night.
Roast the cauliflower until tender, about 20-25 minutes.
While the oven is on, you might as well make the spiced pistachios too. Toss pistachios with olive oil, chili powder, and a pinch of cinnamon. Lay the nuts on a sheet pan and toast for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.
Prepare the remaining ingredients including sauteing the peppers and onion, crumbling the cotija, slicing avocado, and chopping cilantro.
Heat some tortillas and assemble the cauliflower fajitas with romesco salsa.
With my first bite, I immediately fell in love with this dish. Every bite was bursting with so much flavor! You also get various textures from nuts, vegetables, and toppings. Truly a fantastic vegetarian fajita!
For more taco inspiration check out these blackened steak tacos with blood orange salsa!
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