Alright, let's be real: last week was just a warm up. Quesadillas are good, but not nearly as good as tacos. Especially these roasted brussel sprout tacos with vegan chimichurri sauce. I made these for my cousin and her SO last weekend, and they received 4 thumbs up. I simplified this recipe from Chloe Flavor, my favorite vegan cookbook.
The roasted brussel sprouts
Honestly, I think I was scared of brussel sprouts for a while because of the cartoon Rugrats. I seem to remember somebody saying "ew, steamed brussel sprouts," and it just stuck with me.
That all changed when I tried these bad boys at a now-closed restaurant in Miami, a brunch only joint called Bakehouse (RIP). Everything was to die for, but their brussel sprouts changed me. I thought the greens taste too bitter, but this was a whole different ballgame. It was like eating a potato chip that melts in your mouth. You get a soft crunch, then taste the salt, and then it disintegrates. Amazing. Life changing.
I've since been a brussel sprout convert. If anyone in your life is skeptical, make them these tacos.
Anyway, the key is getting that crispy charred flavor in the oven. Once you get that down, it's all in the seasoning (simply put - salt and pepper.)
Everything else
Honestly, I'd eat a bowl of almost every component in these roasted brussel sprout tacos. If we want to use the ever-popular "salt, acid, fat, heat" framework, these tacos hit every component.
- Salt: brussels sprouts, corn
- Acid: vegan chimichurri sauce, pickled red onions
- Fat: vegan chimichurri sauce + the roasting and sauteeing fat from the corn and brussels
- Heat: jalapeno/chili powder/cayenne in the corn
But Eliza...
How do I make the chimichurri if I don't have a blender or food processor? Get a good blender. It will change your life, I promise it's worth the investment. Think of all the amazing cashew sauces you could make. I've used an immersion blender in a pinch, but don't recommend it. I have this model - it's pricey, but worth every penny.
How do I know when my brussel sprouts are done? This recipe calls for a crispy brussel sprout, so you want them to be pretty brown and crunchy. The green won't be bright - it'll be a deeper, more yellow-y green. If it tastes like a potato with some extra crunch, you've done a great job. Halfway between cooking (15-20 minutes) you should remove from the oven and flip. The purpose is twofold:
- This releases some of the steam from the oven and sprouts, which helps them get extra crispy.
- It allows different parts of the brussel sprout to get crispy on the pan.
How do I keep the corn from sticking to my pan? First, use a nonstick pan if you have one, and the keep the heat on low-medium. You should hear only a light sizzle. Second, add some cooking oil - I recommend grapeseed oil for its high smoking point. Finally, it's OK if it's sticking a little bit. Those brown bits are where all the flavor is! Highly recommend scraping them up and serving with the corn.
Roasted Brussel Sprout Tacos with Vegan Chimichurri Sauce
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Roasted Brussel Sprout Tacos with Vegan Chimichurri Sauce
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 60 mins
- Yield: 6-8 tacos 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Roasted brussel sprouts:
- 2-3 cups Brussel Sprouts, stemmed and halved
- Olive oil to coat
- Pinch of Salt
Charred corn:
- 4 ears corn, off the cob, or 2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
- Olive oil for sautéing
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp chili powder (optional)
Pickled red onion:
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
Vegan chimichurri sauce:
- ½ c cilantro
- ½ c parsley
- ½ c cashews, softened
- ½ c olive oil
- ¼ c water
- Juice of 1 and ½ limes (or to taste)
- 1 T agave
- 1 t salt
- ½ t pepper
Other:
- Small corn tortillas
Instructions
Pickled red onion:
- Thinly slice red onion, and put into jar with rice wine vinegar. Let sit for at least an hour. These keep in the fridge for about a week.
Roasted brussel sprouts:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Meanwhile, prep the brussel sprouts, cutting off the stem, and cutting larger sprouts into halves. Keep the little leafy pieces that come off - they get crispy in the oven!
- In a mixing bowl, toss with a few splashes of olive oil and salt, then spread onto a sheet pan.
- Roast for 20 mins.
- Remove from oven and turn with a spatula, then check on them every 10 mins.
- When they’re starting to get a little charred and crispy, they're done!
Vegan chimichurri sauce:
- Soften cashews - boil water in a small saucepan, then add cashews. Let boil for 10 mins, then strain.
- Meanwhile, toss other ingredients into a blender. Add cashews when they’re finished.
- Blend until smooth-is. If too thick, add a little more olive oil (a little at a time. It’s much easier to fix a sauce that’s too thick). If too thin, you can try adding more cilantro or parsley, but you’re probably better off boiling a few more cashews.
For the corn:
- Once the sprouts are in the oven, and cashews are boiling, prep your corn.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with some olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the corn, salt and chili powder. Stir regularly for ~7 mins or until starting to slightly brown. Don’t forget to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan!
- When ready, remove from pan, and add salt to taste.
For the tortillas:
- Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place tortilla in pan. Let warm for 1-2 minutes on each side, depending on how hot your pan is. When ready, the tortilla will feel a little floppier than it did cold.
Put it all together:
- Lay down 4-5 brussel sprout halves/quarters, top with corn, chimichurri, and pickled red onion and go to town. Yes, it’s ok to go back for thirds and fourths.
If you’re prepping for your family/a pack of ravenous wolves, you can…
- Wrap a stack of tortillas in foil and warm in the oven
- OR put somebody on tortilla duty. Have them put warm tortillas in your favorite dutch oven or pot with a lid to keep warm before serving.
Want more Tex-Mex? Check out the rest of my recipes from May!
Week 1 – Vegan Butternut Squash Quesadillas
Week 3 – Vegan Burrito Bowl with Roasted Cauliflower
Week 4 – Martini Strength Margaritas
The Hangry Chickpea
these tacos will make anyone who "doesn't like brussel sprouts" (aka only had them steamed or boiled) actually like brussel sprouts.
★★★★★