The best vegan taco stuffed sweet potatoes with chickpea pecan filling, cilantro lime cabbage slaw, and avocado crema. The perfect healthy meatless meal for the whole family!
I like to think I'm not a super rountine-y kind of person but I mean, I totally am.
I thrive when I know what I'm supposed to be doing, when I have a plan, when I have structure. So while I have an archive of tested recipes and the world wide web at my fingertips, I still make the sam damn things ever week. OMG am I boring?!
If it ain't broke...
Following a trusted routine means thinking less. I think because my life day to day involves so much thinking, when it comes to food I just want to chow down without giving my brain a workout. I am the BIGGEST over-thinker.
I know what I have to get the grocery store from memory because it's preeeeetty much the same week to week (AKA the entire produce section and like, all the beans). I know when I ask the boyf what he wants for dinner, he'll say lasagna, stir fry, bean balls with whole wheat noodles and spaghetti squash, tempeh enchilada casserole, or tacos. OMG...we're boring.
I've loved tacos for as long as I can remember but for whatever reason, I never used to make them at home. Hooda thunk it? That all changed a few months ago and our dinner routine has been hella elevated ever since. I started off with a version of this recipe from Nutrition Stripped, which is totally delish in its own right.
I changed it up by using way more chickpeas than nuts (I still love the flavor and texture of the pecans, though!) and a bit of a different spice profile.
I never say no to smoked paprika. I can honestly say I have at least two full jars of that sucker in the spice cabinet and I'm not mad about it.
Since I obviously need creamy and crispy and crunchy and spicy all rolled into each and every little bite, I perfected not only the perfect chickpea pecan taco "meat," but also the most stellar cilantro lime red cabbage slaw and delightfully cilantro-y avocado crema.
When you eat everything together it's like a freaking symphony. The bells are ringing in my brain!!!
Upon tasting my perfected version of the dish, the boyf said, "I want to take this to work and see if the guys can tell it's not meat." No one's trying to mimic meat here, but it just goes to show that it's hearty and delish enough to please any and all tastebuds!
When it comes to vehicles for this epic combo, I like collard green wraps, organic blue corn taco shells, sprouted corn tortillas, or good old sweet taters. If you're feeling crunchy, go the taco shell route. If you're feeling sweet, go the tater route.
The ingredient list may look a little lengthy, but I promise it's all super easy. Half of it's spices! Sometimes I'll whip up the chickpea pecan filling in the morning so at night I just have to heat it up. Also, I totally use this organic bottled lime juice in place of fresh limes.
Same goes for lemon juice. I know fresh is best, but I'm all about convenience these days!
These tacos make my dinner dreams come true. Gobble up!
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Vegan Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Prep Time: 1 hr
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 44 minute
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Meals
Description
The best vegan tacos with chickpea pecan "meat," cabbage slaw, and avocado crema stuffed all stuffed in sweet potatoes! The perfect healthy meatless meal for the whole family.
Ingredients
For the sweet potatoes:
- 4-6 medium sweet potatoes, baked (alternatively, you can use taco shells of choice)
For the cilantro lime slaw:
- 1 small head red cabbage, shredded (about 5 cups)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup (can sub honey)
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
For the cilantro lime crema:
- 2 medium ripe avocados
- ½ cup cilantro, packed
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp water (more if needed to blend)
- ¼ tsp garlic power
- ¼ tsp salt
For the taco filling (this makes a lot, feel free to cut in half)
- 2-15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Heaping ½ cup pecans (or walnuts)
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 4 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¾ tsp sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup water
Additional toppings:
- sliced jalapeños, salsa, hot sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place on lined baking sheet and bake for about an hour or longer, until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, place slaw ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Place all the cream ingredients in a blender (I used my nutribullet) and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Place one can of chickpeas and half the pecans in a large food processor. Pulse for about 5-10 seconds or until finely chopped (not mushy, but well combined). It should look "meaty." Dump into a bowl. Repeat with remaining chickpeas and nuts. Add spices and stir until combined.
- Heat a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. Once hot, add chickpea mixture and water to moisten. Cook for a few minutes, or until heated through.
- Assemble slicing sweet potatoes length-wise and layering taco meat, slaw, crema, and toppings. Serve warm!
