Vegetarian Recipes

Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Sauce

Between working full-time, mom life, and taking care of our farm, I am busy 110% of the time. When my family’s looking for a surefire way to get me to hit the pause button, tacos are always the answer! And these vegan Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Sauce are a go-to slam dunk for us! The roasted cauliflower is perfectly tender-yet-crisp, and the homemade romesco sauce is tangy and incredibly easy to make. Seriously, this is a flavor combination worth trying—trust me!

What is Romesco Sauce?

Romesco is a seriously delicious sauce from the Catalonia region of Spain. It’s traditionally made with red peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and almonds and was originally created by fishermen to pair with their catch of the day. I take this already flavorful sauce one step further by adding smoked paprika, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper, which adds a bright, smoky tang. My easy romesco sauce recipe also uses canned tomato sauce, so we only need to roast some bell peppers and whip everything up in a food processor! I keep the texture chunky because I love the crunch the almonds add to these roasted cauliflower tacos.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this cauliflower tacos recipe:

Cauliflower: Choose the largest cauliflower you can find at the grocery store. More cauliflower florets = more tacos! Avoid cauliflower with soft or brown spots, as that’s a sure sign of being past its prime.
Flour Tortillas: I use the smaller street-style tortillas, but feel free to use any tortillas you prefer.
Red Bell Pepper: Roasted to perfection and adds a delicious sweetness to the romesco sauce.
Olive Oil: Helps the bell peppers and cauliflower florets to crisp up when roasted. I also add some to the sauce to add flavor and emulsify it.
Parsley: Italian flat-leaf parsley adds a fresh and herbaceous flavor to the tacos. Mince some for the sauce, then sprinkle whole parsley on top as a garnish.
Lemon: Adds brightness and acidity to the sauce. Save some lemon wedges to serve on the side.
Seasonings: Smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper add the best flavor to the cauliflower florets and sauce. They’re also pantry staples that you probably already have on hand!
Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic cloves are a must for the romesco.
Slivered Raw Almonds: This is a classic addition to the sauce and adds a delicious nutty flavor. Slivered almonds have been blanched to remove the tannic skins and have a light crunch. You’ll probably find these in the baking aisle at your grocery store. Regular unsalted almonds will also work. If you don’t like almonds or have a nut allergy, you can use sunflower seeds—check my note in the recipe card below!
Tomato Sauce: Canned tomato sauce is an easy shortcut for adding extra tomato-y flavor. I use an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce, but you can also use homemade.
White Vinegar: Adds a slight tanginess (and is budget-friendly!). You can also use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Vinegar is one of my favorite secret ingredients to make flavors really pop in almost any recipe!

What Else Can I Add?

I can happily eat these tacos all day long as they are, but I’d never say no to extra toppings or fillings! Here are some ideas to get you started:

Avocado slices, pickled red onions, or chopped kalamata olives for additional toppings
Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, Mexican blend, or a vegan alternative) for a melty finish
Bulk each cauliflower taco up with black beans, white beans, pinto beans, tofu, or your favorite protein
Grilled corn kernels for added smokiness
Or omit the tortilla and serve everything in a lettuce wrap or a roasted cauliflower taco bowl!

Crush the garlic cloves before adding them to the food processor. Doing this makes the garlic flavor even stronger! To crush garlic, place the peeled clove on a cutting board and lightly press down on it with the flat side of your knife (be careful!). You can also use the bottom of a heavy glass or jar.
You can toast the slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes if desired. I don’t normally do this, but it would add a nice toasty flavor.
I like my almonds to remain fairly whole in the romesco, so I only pulse the mixture a few times in the food processor. You just want to chop them up a bit and mix everything together, but you can blend it longer if you want smoother consistency—romesco is very versatile!
Try to keep the cauliflower florets somewhat similar in size. This will help them cook evenly in the oven. Slice larger florets in half/quarters and keep an eye on any smaller ones so they don’t burn. (Although some of the extra crispy ones are addictively delish!)

How to Store Leftovers

Each component in this recipe stores well, so get your meal prep on and make a double batch! Lunch for days with minimal effort? Yes, please! Keep the roasted cauliflower in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, and store the romesco in an air-tight container for up to a week. You can microwave both to reheat, but for the crispest cauliflower, reheat it in the oven or an air fryer at 350°F for a few minutes. Romesco sauce is also delicious when served chilled.

Side view of cauliflower tacos with romesco sauce

Overhead view of cauliflower tacos with romesco sauce in a parchment lined baking dish

Cauliflower Tacos Recipe (with Romesco Sauce)

My vegan Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Sauce are perfectly tender-yet-crisp with an easy, tangy sauce. Simple, fresh, and budget-friendly!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican, Spanish

Total Cost ($10.84 recipe / $2.71 serving)

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings servings (depending on the size of your cauliflower) 3 street tacos each

Calories 438kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Ingredients

1 large cauliflower, separated into bite-size florets $2.86
1 package flour tortillas (I like the street taco size, the small ones!) $1.68
2 red bell peppers $2.96
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided $0.19
1 ¼ tsp smoked paprika, divided $0.04
¼ tsp garlic powder $0.01
¼ tsp salt $0.01
2 large garlic cloves, crushed $0.09
½ cup slivered raw almonds* $1.53
1 8oz can tomato sauce $0.48
2 Tbsp white vinegar $0.04
½ Tbsp lemon juice, about ½ of 1 lemon** $0.64
½ tsp cayenne pepper $0.13
2 Tbsp Italian flat parsley, minced $0.09
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, for garnish $0.09

Instructions

Quarter and seed bell peppers.
In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, garlic powder and salt.
Add quartered and seeded red bell peppers to bowl and toss.
Transfer red bell pepper quarters to baking sheet and bake in 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes on the top rack.
Then, to the same mixing bowl, add cauliflower florets and toss until coated. Add an extra sprinkle of salt and spread florets on a lined baking sheet and bake in 375 degree oven on bottom rack for 30 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stopping to shake/flip half way through.
When red bell peppers are done roasting, finish making your Romesco sauce: combine roasted bell peppers, 1 Tbsp olive oil, garlic cloves, tomato sauce, white vinegar, lemon juice, 1 tsp smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in food processor. Pulse until well-combined but still chunky.
Add minced parsley and slivered almonds to the food processor and pulse a few times.
Warm flour tortillas in a dry pan until lightly toasted.
Remove cauliflower from oven. Place 3-4 florets on top of each tortilla and top with warm Romesco sauce. Garnish with extra fresh parsley and slivered almonds if you have them. Enjoy with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Slivered almonds are typically located in the baking aisle. Regular unsalted almonds will work in a pinch. If you have a nut allergy, you can use sunflower seeds, but I would use slightly less so the flavor doesn’t overpower the rest of the sauce.

**Reserve the other half of your lemon and cut it into small wedges to serve with your tacos! I included the full price of the lemon for this purpose.

Nutrition

A hand taking a taco from a baking dish full of cauliflower tacos with romesco sauce

how to make Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Sauce – step by step photos

Quartered and seeded red bell peppers next to a bowl of seasoning

Quarter and seed 2 red bell peppers. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp salt.

Quartered bell peppers being tossed in a seasoning mix for cauliflower tacos with romesco sauce

Add quartered and seeded red bell peppers to bowl and toss.

Roasted red bell pepper quarters for cauliflower tacos with romesco sauce

Transfer red bell pepper quarters to baking sheet and bake in 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes on the top rack.

Cauliflower floret being toss in a seasoning mix

Then, to the same mixing bowl, add the florets from 1 large head of cauliflower and toss until coated. Add an extra sprinkle of salt and spread florets on a lined baking sheet.

Roasted cauliflower florets on a baking sheet

Bake in 375 degree oven on bottom rack for 30 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stopping to shake/flip half way through.

Ingredients for romesco sauce in a food processor

When red bell peppers are done roasting, finish making your Romesco sauce: combine roasted bell peppers, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 8oz can of tomato sauce, 2 Tbsp white vinegar, ½ Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ tsp salt and black pepper in food processor. Pulse until well-combined but still chunky.

Add 2 Tbsp minced Italian flat parsley and ½ cup slivered almonds to the food processor and pulse a few times.

Warm 1 package of flour tortillas in a dry pan until lightly toasted.

Cauliflower tacos with romesco sauce on a parchment lined baking sheet

Remove cauliflower from oven. Place 3-4 florets on top of each tortilla and top with warm Romesco sauce. Garnish with 1 Tbsp extra fresh parsley and slivered almonds if you have them. Enjoy with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime!

Bring all the street food vibes to your kitchen with these easy vegan cauliflower tacos and romesco sauce. But be warned—you’ll be making this sauce for everything!

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The post Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Sauce appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

Black beans are without a doubt my favourite bean (and my kids’ favourite too), and I absolutely love this simple black bean stew. It’s nothing fancy or complicated, just good, honest food – simply black beans in a rich tomato sauce, cooked with a few straightforward spices, and served up however you like. And best of all, it can be on the table in less than half an hour.

A portion of tomato and black bean stew served with rice, lettuce and sour cream.

This easy recipe uses canned black beans, because who’s got time for cooking dried beans on a busy weeknight – or any other time?! Certainly not me, and I love using canned beans for a quick dinner. Just simmer them until the stew is nice and thick, and they really could not be more delicious.

How to Serve Black Bean Stew

I’ve made this dish dozens of times, and served it in so many different ways. It’s a really versatile recipe. Here are some ideas for how to serve this easy black bean stew:

simply served with rice (and toppings, like avocado and sour cream)
wrapped up in a soft tortilla to make an amazing bean burrito
loaded into a taco shell with salad and extra toppings
heaped onto a baked potato
served with lots of roasted veggies (crispy potato wedges would be great)
with tortilla chips on the side for scooping

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for tomato and black bean stew laid out with text overlay.

black beans. Canned black beans ensure this recipe is quick and easy. If you prefer, you can cook dried beans from scratch beforehand, then follow the recipe as written.
onion – I used half an onion, because I find a whole large onion is too much in this recipe. If you’d rather not have half an onion left over, try to just use a small one instead.
tomatoes (try to use good quality ones)
tomato paste
garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would also be fine.
smoked paprika
ground cumin
fresh chilli (or chilli flakes, if you prefer) – I always choose a small, mild chilli. I do like things quite spicy, but adding too much spice can spoil a meal very quickly! If you’re not sure how hot your chilli is, start with just a small amount – you can always add more later.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you find you sometimes get stomach issues from eating too many beans or other legumes, make sure you rinse canned beans before cooking with them. This can help to wash away the gas-inducing substances from the beans.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of rich tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

Printable Instructions

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

A super easy vegan black bean stew, with a rich tomato sauce and beautiful spices. This is such a versatile recipe!

Course Main Course

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 266kcal

Author Becca Heyes