This recipe was created by my lovely and super talented friend Kim Slabbert. Kimmy, trained at the Silwood School of Cookery and is a qualified yoga instructor. I can’t wait for you to try this delicious recipe. Enjoy!

Recipe and write up by:Kim Slabbert 

Fresh, simple, crunchy, flavourful, moreish, delicious and healthy – these tacos have my mind on the holidays, and with no dairy, gluten or sugar, there is no compromise on health or flavour and all round crunchy goodness. Did someone say guilt-free tacos? I’ll take ALL of them please.

The avo sauce is just, everything. Am I obsessed? Maybe. Creamy, tangy, luscious, garlicky, moreish, eat me with a spoon and lather my life in avo sauce, deliciousness. There won’t be leftovers.

There are a handful of ingredients that I couldn’t imagine being vegetarian (or vegan) without. I’m sure we all have our own food crutches – comforting ingredients that we just couldn’t imagine living without – for me, they are avocados, chickpeas (and all other members of the legume family), and cauliflower. In order for an ingredient to become a favourite or staple, it should be versatile, easy to obtain and prepare, and it should taste as delicious on its own as it does in a recipe.

The perks of making this recipe?

Loads of healthy fats from the avo, feel good factor from crunchy fresh lettuce, and the cumin aids digestion and has been reported to improve immunity and skin disorders. It also brings a rich smokiness to the dish.

Aside from being delicious, chickpeas are a great source of dietary fibre and plant-based protein. I prefer to use dried chickpeas as the tinned variety tends to contain a large amount of hidden salts, sugars, and a lowered nutritional value (up to 4 times less than the dried kind). Soaking and preparing the peas might seem like too much effort but it’s really not a big sacrifice if you take into account all the benefits you get (and the texture is a lot nicer too).

Cauliflower is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, which is known for being naturally rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6. It is also a very good source of choline, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, phosphorus, and biotin. And thanks to its detoxifying properties, it has high antioxidant properties, supports the body’s anti-inflammatory system and has been linked to cancer prevention.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a starter

For the chickpeas and cauliflower:

  • 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (or for at least 4 hours)
  • 1 small head of cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets
  • 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp. oregano
  • 2 tsp. thyme (dry or fresh – I just love fresh thyme but for convenience the dry kind is more than ok)
  • 2 tsp. cumin powder
  • ½ tsp. salt (or to taste)
  • ½ tsp. pepper (or to taste)
  • ½ cup gluten free breadcrumbs (I used rice crumbs, but ground almonds can also work here)
  • Chilli powder or cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

For the salsa:

  • 3 medium tomatoes, sliced into quarters with seeds removed
  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled with the seeds scooped out
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
  • Pinch of salt

For the avo crèma:

  • 2 avocados
  • juice and zest of a lime
  • 2 tablespoons almond milk (or your non-dairy milk of choice)
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste

To serve:

  • Crisp lettuce leaves (butter or cos lettuce works nicely)
  • Coriander leaves
  • Lime wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

Method:

For the chickpeas:

  1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, then place them in a pot with plenty of fresh, cold water. Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer until tender (about 30 minutes) (Time saving tip: pre-soak your legumes on the weekend. Cook a big batch on Sunday night and use in dinners and lunches throughout the week. Any leftover legumes can be frozen and used when needed.)
  2. While the chickpeas cook, mix together all the herbs, spices and salt and pepper.
  3. Once the chickpeas are cooked, toss the cauliflower and chickpeas in the olive oil and then in the spice mixture until evenly coated. Place them on a baking tray and bake at 180 o C for 15 minutes, checking every 5 minutes or so, until they’re crispy and nicely browned.

For the salsa:

  1. Place the diced onion, white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl big enough for all the salsa ingredients. Mix together well and set aside. (The vinegar and salt season and “cook” the onion, softening the taste)
  2. Dice the cucumber and tomato and set aside.
  3. Assemble the salsa just before you’re ready to eat.

For the avo crema:

  1. Place ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. If the sauce is too thick you can add more almond milk until you reach the desired consistency. If you don’t have a blender, crush the garlic finely and mash it into the avo. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until you end up with a smooth sauce.

To assemble the tacos:

Spoon some chickpeas onto a lettuce leaf. Top with salsa, fresh coriander, a dollop of crema and a squeeze of fresh lime. Enjoy!

You can definitely substitute gluten free taco shell or soft tortilla wraps instead of lettuce for a heartier meal. The toppings are also delicious spooned over a baked sweet potato. Feel free to add any extra protein to make the dish carnivore-friendly.