When Chipotle first became a big deal in middle school and everyone and their mother had to go there daily, I was the minority getting tacos while the kids in front of me were grabbing burritos. I remember distinctly that little MySpace graphic of an unfolded burrito that people would put in their “About Me” and I was the one who didn’t have it. If only there was a graphic equally as cool that had three tacos stacked high with sour cream and cheese. I’m sure if Instagram existed back in 2005 you would have seen a lot of that on my page.
Thankfully now we are beyond the days of MySpace and can view all of the pretty Mexican dishes through Instagram and Snapchat filters, googly eyed at every packed tortilla and burrito bowl. As I always have tacos on my mind, I truly believe the crave to consume them only becomes stronger when Friday night (and the weekend in general) rolls around. You might be thinking Fridays mean pizza and dessert… but they don’t in my life. They mean allll the tacos! Instead of hitting you with my own recipe, today I am featuring five of my favorite taco recipes from a few food blogs I’ve come across that have blown me away. These are the recipes you need to bookmark, write down in your planner and grocery shop for as soon as you get off of work. There’s only one way to properly survive the weekend and it is with these bad boys.
1. Crispy Cauliflower Tacos With Slaw & Avocado Cream by Blissful Basil
My first taco recipe to fulfill your Friday night (and every night quite frankly) is from one of my favorite plant-based bloggers, Ashley, of Blissful Basil. Every time I come across a vegan taco recipe, if it includes avocado or cashew cream, I’m 100% interested. After dropping sour cream from my life, I started to love using greek yogurt alternatives. When the whole dairy-free concept came over me, finding healthier dairy-free alteratives that taste just as creamy and delicious started to get me very hyped up. Ashley uses avocado, lime juice and cilantro for the cream and can we talk about the OAT crusted cauliflower!? BAKED (not fried) veggies, folks. I’ve got my eyes set on these colorful beauties.
3. Roasted Butternut Squash & Turkey Tacos by Marla Meridith
You know, if I can fit every holiday season into a taco, I might as well begin with Marla Meridith‘s festive tacos that incorporate turkey, squash and cranberries in corn tortillas. I’m sure you’re thinking where’s the guac? Where’s the salsa? I’d say sometimes simpler is better when it comes to tacos and with a little goat cheese crumble, you get that creamy touch without adding in a glob of sour cream or pound of guacamole. I’m one who is automatically drawn to sauces and covering everything in some form of goop but these are perfect just the way they are! Light and protein packed. Why not start Thanksgiving early!?
3. Sweet Potato Avocado Tacos by Love and Lemons
I started scrolling through Love and Lemons’ recipe posts before I began my blog and every. single. recipe Jack and Jeanine work on I’m completely flabbergasted by. From the placement of the ingredients to the colors of the dishes, each prop and piece of food is aligned just right in every shot. On their website, they have a recipe index sorted by seasons and dietary needs making what you’re in the mood for (in my case, tacos) incredibly easy to search for. These babies fall right under the ‘vegan’ category and I love, love, LOVE a good sweet potato, plant-based taco. They take under an hour to make and the avocado sauce includes greek yogurt for added creaminess.
Side note: In high school I had a sweet potato covered in greek yogurt at least twice a week with my dinner so this taco combo is something that definitely strikes my fancy.
4. Thai Tacos with Ginger Slaw and Peanut Sauce by Minimalist Baker
Earlier this week I made shrimp lettuce wraps (coming to the blog soon!) and ever since, I’ve been stuck on the idea of adding shrimp and cabbage to tacos. I think I’ve found a new love guys and I’m never turning back. Spicy, sweet and filled with peanut butta! If you can incorporate peanut butter and seafood into a recipe and have it not only look appealing but taste like you’re dining at a five-star restaurant by the sea, you’ve won me over. Minimalist Baker never fails to make my mouth water with her recipes and although this one is not vegan, it is one of my favorites from her!
5. Chipotle Tempeh Tacos with Peach Salsa by Oh My Veggies
In my taco round-up, I had to include one with tempeh. What better way to pair tempeh than in a taco with peach salsa!? Fruit based salsas rank up there in my favorite kinds of taco toppings and Alissa from Oh My Veggies rocks the combo here. If you’ve never tried maple syrup and soy sauce on your tempeh or tofu, now is the time to try it. Alissa coats her tempeh here in that mixture and amps up the spice level with chipotle powder and cumin. Sweet, spicy and sinful. I’ll be face planting into these momentarily… thank you very much.
What is your favorite dish from Chipotle? Do you go for the tacos or prefer to make tacos at home? Let me know what your favorite taco recipes are in the comments!
-Addie
*Note: None of these recipes have been created by myself and all are linked to the fellow blogger who photographed/wrote them. Click the photo and their names under the photo to check out more wonderful recipes by each writer. This recipe is an accumulation of some of my favorite recipes, among many.*
