Whether you are looking to incorporate more plant-based recipes into your diet or simply want a quick and easy meal, these buffalo cauliflower tacos are the way to go. This fun and healthy comfort food will satisfy your spicy food cravings and have your family and guests coming back for seconds! This dish is not complicated to make, and it only requires a few simple steps to cook up something truly delicious. The best part? It's ready in less than one hour!

How to make Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

Making buffalo cauliflower is pretty straightforward, and it's also one of my favorite dishes to make during the summer. It's fun, festive, and full of flavor. Plus, who doesn't love tacos?! This delicious recipe is the perfect combination of tangy, spicy buffalo sauce with the fresh zest of cilantro lime cream sauce. They're crispy on the outside and melt in your mouth, tender on the inside! What's not to love about this mouthwatering dish?

It only requires a few simple steps to complete. So first, let's start with the list of ingredients and then get into the prep and cooking steps.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower (1 large head cut into bite-sized pieces)
• Avocado oil (can be subbed 1:1 for any liquid oil)
• Buffalo sauce (I use Frank's Hot Sauce)
• Garlic powder Salt & pepper
• Raw cashews (soaked 1 hour in hot water)
• Fresh cilantro Lime juice Water (to use in the crema)
• Avocado Mini flour tortillas
• Chopped kale (or any fresh green)

Once you have all of the ingredients, you can begin prepping your cauliflower. First, rinse the cauliflower and cut it up. Then coat it in flour and the seasoning mixture. Tip: leaving the cauliflower a little bit wet after rinsing helps the seasoning mixture stick, forming a kind of breading. Next, cut the cauliflower pieces into small bites to cook faster, and it helps make it easier to eat in a soft taco shell.

Step 1: Bake the cauliflower

After you're done prepping your cauliflower, place the bite-size pieces on your parchment paper-lined baking sheet. The use of parchment paper allows the cauliflower to cook a bit longer for a nice crispy texture and helps prevent the buffalo sauce from burning onto the baking sheet, making clean-up easier.

Next, you'll pour ¼ cup of the buffalo sauce and the oil, garlic powder, salt, & pepper over the cauliflower. Mix together using your hands or a spoon until the cauliflower is evenly coated. Then, place the tray in the oven to bake at 400°F for approximately 30 minutes.

Once the cauliflower looks crispy, remove it from the oven and place it on a heat-tolerant surface. Then pour on another ¼ cup of buffalo sauce and mix to coat the cauliflower.

Step 2: Make the cilantro-lime crema

If you're anything like me, you love the fresh taste of homemade cilantro-lime crema. Begin making your sauce while your cauliflower is baking so that everything is done around the same time.

To start, you have to soak the cashews. Cashews can either be soaked in hot water for 1 hour or in cold water in the fridge for about 6-8 hours. For best results, soak the cashews until they have softened. I prefer the hot water method as it prevents me from oversoaking, and it's faster.

Next, add the soaked cashews, fresh cilantro, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, and water to a blender and blend until smooth consistency. If you prefer your cream to be a little thicker, only use 6 Tbsp water. On the other hand, if you're like me and like a thin, easy to drizzle sauce, I suggest using up to 8 Tbsp of water.

Step 3: Avocado smash

Lastly, my favorite, which is the easiest part - the avocado smash! Simply mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt in a small mixing bowl, and you're done!

Step 4: Assemble the tacos

Now it's time to build the tacos! Start by layering your warm tortillas with the avocado smash. Next, add the buffalo cauliflower. Then drizzle your cilantro-lime crema on top and garnish it with some of your favorite toppings or just a dash of the leftover chopped cilantro.

Depending on my mood, I might keep it simple, or I'll get a little creative with my toppings, especially if I'm having guests over. I like to prepare a variety of tasty toppings so everyone can personalize their tacos to their taste. Of course, you don't need all of these different topping suggestions, but here are a few of my favorites.

Toppings:

• Edamame
• Cabbage
• Pickled onions
• Shredded romaine lettuce
• Diced tomatoes
• Pickled jalapeno slices
• Chopped parsley or cilantro
• Arugula
• Microgreens or sprouts
• Roasted corn
• Marinated tofu for protein
• Mango Salsa
• Tomatillo
• Salsa Verde
• Pico de Gallo
• Green chili sauce
• Fresh corn salsa
• Sliced limes
• Vegan sour cream

Time to enjoy

Although spicy food is simply irresistible, it can affect people differently and can come with some unfriendly side effects. Often it can make you feel gassy, bloated, or even constipated. Where's the fun in trying new foods if you can't fully enjoy them? To help avoid these unfavorable symptoms, I always take my Zenwise ReplENZYMES before eating spicy foods. That way, they can do their work as food hits my stomach.

The enzymes will help break down the food, reduce digestive issues and possible discomfort. Don't let gut issues prevent you from using this delicious buffalo cauliflower recipe. Enjoy!

Written by: Claudia Thompson, PhD, RD