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Roasted, spiced, cauliflower…pan fried Halloumi…together in a taco topped with spicy avocado basil salsa. <–yes, simply the best veggie taco ever!
Seriously you guys, I am in love with these tacos. They’re my new favorite veggie loaded taco.
I am obsessed…
I know, I know – surprise, surprise, I am obsessed with yet another recipe. But it’s true! I feel like these tacos are so me. Loaded with every possible flavor, a mix of both Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine, healthy, but yet cheese is still involved, and a title so long that only I could put it out to the world to view. Yup. This is a Tieghan recipe for sure.
When we were deciding on the cover of the HBH cookbook. Everyone involved was about 98% sold on a giant bowl of pasta for the cover. My thought was how the heck could you go wrong with pasta, it’s always a winner. But when everyone sat down for one last look, my editor expressed that she didn’t feel as though the photo represented everything that I was about…fun, flavorful, and colorful recipes. And that right there is when I realized she totally got me. I’m not one for a colorless recipe and I like my recipes to be loaded.
Soo ahhh, where am I going with this? I don’t really know, but the point is that this here taco recipe is totally ME, and that is why I am so obsessed with it.
OK. So now that I did my mass amount of totally off topic rambles for the day, let me actually tell you about these tacos!
I’m not sure where the idea came from originally, but I know I had the title of the recipe before I actually knew exactly what was going to be involved in the recipe. A lot of times, a recipe title will come to mind and then I build the recipe out from there. I love when this happens because these recipes seem to be some of my favorites!
I’ve made cauliflower tacos before, but today’s taco is different. The cauliflower gets spiced up, roasted, and then tossed with some black beans for an extra protein factor. The key players here though are the “fried” Halloumi cheese and the salsa/guacamole/pesto…I’m not sure which name fits better, but I went with salsa because guacamole was too long and pesto didn’t seem quite right for a taco, so salsa it is!
Anyway, I’m going to go out and say that the cheese is what makes these tacos. I mean, ummmm it’s pan fried cheese. What could not be awesome about that…and in a taco?! Just so many yesssesssssss to that!
You really need the salsa though too, it adds so much. Halloumi cheese is a salty, dry cheese, so the avocado really helps with balancing the two. The combo is really just freaking delicious.
And then as if that was not enough, I thew in a little toasted sesame oil (ahh, because it’s my ingredient obsession at the moment…I think I need to find a new word…hmmm), jalapeño for heat and tons of fresh basil since I was going for a Mexi meets Mediterranean taco kind of vibe. Kind of a lot happening, but promise it’s all so good when combined in these tacos. <–trust me.
Also, I know that these probably should have been posted on a Taco Tuesday, but for some reason I never seem to pull that off. However, I’m feeling like tacos are pretty darn good just about any day of the week, so today, we’re going for Taco Thursday. OR…maybe we do like a Friday Night Taco Party, complete with strawberry Paloma cocktails and Mexican Samoa Cookies for dessert?
Oh my gosh, YES, let’s do that. Maybe we will even make these tacos tomorrow on Facebook Live? Any thoughts? It’s either tacos or yesterday’s pizza, so let me know what you guys are feeling. 🙂
ps. now I am really excited for the weekend and Cinco de Mayo. 🙂
Roasted Cauliflower Fried Halloumi Tacos with Spicy Avocado Basil Guacamole
Ingredients
- 1 large, or 2 small, heads cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons sesame or olive oil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced
- 1 cucumber or zucchini, shredded
Spicy Avocado Basil Guacamole
- 1 avocado, halved
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 jalapeno
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 2. On a baking sheet, toss together the cauliflower, oil, paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and stir in the black beans. 3. Meanwhile, make the avocado guacamole. Add half the avocado, basil, pine nuts, jalapeño (remove seeds for less heat), lemon juice and oil to a food processor and pulse until chunky smooth. Dice the remaining avocado half and stir into the pesto. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 4. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add the Halloumi slices and cook for 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly golden. Remove and drain onto paper towels.5. To assemble, layer the cucumber, zucchini, and cauliflower in the tortillas. Top with fried cheese and guacamole. Enjoy!!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Officially my spring taco of choice. ?
Mexico has a thing or 2 to learn from you because you just KILLED it at the taco game! Fried halloumi?! Sweet baby, J YES!
Haha, wow! Thanks Gina!
This looks freaking amazing. . and congrats on the book and book cover! it’s beautiful!!!! can’t wait to get your book when it comes out!
Thank you so much Alice (:
I really hope you like it when it does!
This is brilliant! Making this this weekend and your green pea asparagus pizza next weekend!
Ah, yay! Hope you love them Marian!
LOVE the cauliflower, LOVE the pan fried Halloumi, LOVE LOVE LOVE the spicy avocado basil salsa!! Plus. I mean. #tacos. ‘Nough said.
#tacos! Yes! Thanks so much Jennifer!
Yes please to all the vegetarian tacos – these are my dream! 🙂
Right!? I can’t get enough!
I was so excited to see halloumi in the grocery store again. Its probably weird that a cheese is what triggers the “Summer is coming!” thoughts in my head, but tacos with halloumi and roasted cauli sound delicious!! Your spicy sauce looks dangerously good! I would want to put it on everything:)
Not weird at all! I’m the same way!
Thanks a tin Maria!
Looks so delicious!
Thank you Kari!
This looks delicious! I like the cover you’ve selected, pasta is great but more colors is where it’s at for a cover.
Thanks so much Amber! I think i’m happy with it too (:
I love this combo!!! Halloumi and cauliflower??? Yes please! I’ll have to add this to my taco rotation because I could literally eat tacos on a daily basis 🙂
Me too! I seriously hope you love it Lindsay!
The combo of halloumi and roasted cauliflower has me very excited. This may replace my favourite short rib taco. Thanks. Love your creative brain.
Ah yay! Hope you love it, thank you!
This looks amazing !! That guacamole is so creative I love the mesh of flavors
Thanks so much Karlie!
Hey Tieghan!
These tacos look lovely and seem to be a wonderful vegetarian dish. Maybe it will convince my mom to go vegetarian. 😉 Anyways, thank you for the new recipe! I added it to my list! ? Also, when I think of a cookbook cover for your new book, the first image that comes to mind is from your post about a secret somewhat big surprise; saying you were doing a cookbook! You made a lovely chocolate cake with sparklers and macaroons (I believe). This seems to remind me most of you! Especially the picture of you holding the cake and presenting your beautiful (CHOCOLATE) creation!
Just a thought, if you haven’t decided on a cover yet. ?
And if anything else, you could always picture your goats near a picnic spread. ?
Thank you again for the recipe and either way, I hope your book is going well.
-Kristin
Hi Kristin! So happy you loved the tacos! Hopefully your mom does too!!
I already chose the cover but those were some of my favorite photos! Such great suggestions for it!
Thank you so much!
these sound so good!! i absolutely LOVE halloumi but i always seem to find it doesn’t stay melty for very long.. kind of gets chewy and literally makes a squeaky noise when i chew on it.. does this happen to you or am i doing something wrong!? i definitely vote this recipe for facebook live.
i also have to say that i love the cover for your cookbook – knowing all the recipes you have on the blog, i think that one seems perfect for your style.
Hey Courtney! Halloumi isn’t really supposed to melt! It does melt, but it has a really high boiling point because it’s so low in fat. So I’m sure you’re not doing anything wrong! Usually when you pan fry or grill it, it just gets nice and crispy on the outside, but still stays together well. That’s why it’s still squeaky. I hope this helped!
Also, Tieghan, these tacos look AMAZING!
Hi Courtney! So halloumi is actually a non=melting cheese. meaning it never really melts. Kind of weird, right> And yes, it’s squeaky for me too! LOL. I ended up making pancakes on Facebook, BUT tacos will happen soon!
AND THANK YOU! You are so sweet! So happy you love the cover!
oooooh I love roasted cauliflower!!!
https://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Its so good!!
This sounds and looks amazing! Can’t wait to try ?
Thanks so much, hope you love it!