Vegetarian cauliflower taco meat is so good that you’ll never know you aren’t actually eating meat! These meatless tostadas are full of texture, flavor, and fun to eat!
Look at that photo and tell me the “meat” doesn’t look like ground beef? You already know by the title that it’s not ground beef, but cauliflower! And a few other yummy things, but mostly cauliflower.
I know what you’re thinking… enough with the cauliflower already. Everything is made with cauliflower these days and I’m sure some of you are tired of it. Or, maybe you just hate cauliflower. Well, my friend, you need to give this vegetable just one more chance because I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised!
By the way, I love cauliflower in all forms and never tire of it. ?
Vegetarian Cauliflower Taco “Meat” Tostadas
I have a new obsession and it’s this vegetarian cauliflower taco meat. Like, I never want to be without it. In fact, I have a bunch stashed in my freezer.
You can make SO many yummy things with this here veggie taco meat. Tacos (duh), burritos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, and TOSTADAS. Obviously I went the tostada route… and I’m pretty darn excited about it.
Tostadas are basically like an open-faced taco, but are covered with refried beans first. YUM.
To make our vegetarian cauliflower taco meat, you need cauliflower, mushrooms, walnuts, taco seasoning, and a food processor. Whiz it all up, lay it out on a baking sheet, and stir in a few squeezes of lime juice. Pop it in the oven and use that time to get your toppings ready.
Refried beans are a must for tostadas. I tried my hand at homemade and OMG. Amazing. I included how I make them in the recipes notes if you want to make your own, too. If not, you can buy them, but make sure to get the vegetarian variety to keep this meatless.
As for the rest of the toppings, we’ve got lettuce, tomato, guacamole, queso fresco and cilantro. I like to pile ’em all on there!
By the way, these tostadas are easily made vegan by leaving off the cheese.
Vegetarian cauliflower taco meat is a game-changer. Meatless meals never tasted so good!
- ½ Head Cauliflower (½ of a large head, or 1 small whole head)
- 4 oz. Button Mushrooms (½ of an 8 oz. container)
- 1 Cup Walnuts
- ¼ Cup Taco Seasoning
- 1 Lime, halved
- Tostada Shells* (Homemade or Store Bought)
- Vegetarian Refried Beans* (Homemade or Store Bought)
- Shredded Lettuce
- Sliced Tomato
- Guacamole
- Cilantro
- Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream, optional
- Queso Fresco, optional
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Make the taco meat by combining half of the cauliflower, half of the button mushrooms, half of the walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is full combined. Transfer to a baking sheet and then repeat the remaining cauliflower, mushrooms, walnuts, and taco seasoning. (I like doing this in 2 batches because it allows for everything to be mixed well without over mixing).
- Once you have all of your taco meat on the baking sheet, squeeze the lime juice evenly over top and stir using a spatula.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated and bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to allow for even baking.
- While your meat is baking, you can prep your toppings.
- Build your tostadas by spreading a layer of refried beans on the tortilla. Top with the taco meat and then top as desired with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, etc.
- Tostadas are messy, but so delicious – enjoy!
- *Making your own tostada shells is easy – just heat an inch or so of oil in a medium skillet and fry corn tortillas one at a time until crisp – about one minute. Drain and let cool.
- *Homemade refried beans taste amazing and are surprisingly easy to make! They just require a little bit of time. Place 2 cups of dried pinto beans into a large pot with a diced onion and a sprinkle of oregano. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the beans cook until tender, about 1 ½ hours. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Return the pot back to the stove and sauté 2 jalapenos and a couple of cloves of garlic in some oil. Once they are softened, add your beans in and mash. Use a potato masher for chunkier beans and an immersion blender for smoother. Add the cooking liquid as needed to thin the mixture. Extra refried beans can be frozen!
- Cauliflower meat recipe inspired by Pinch Of Yum
This is interesting. I am trying to cut down on my meat intake and I tend to miss out a lot of my favorites. I will definitely give this vegan tostadas recipe a shot. Thank you for sharing.