The Rise of Veggie Tacos: A Fresh Take on Fall Flavors

As autumn rolls in with its crisp air and vibrant colors, taco lovers are embracing a new seasonal twist: veggie-focused tacos. While traditional tacos often feature savory meats like carne asada or al pastor, the fall season is inspiring chefs, home cooks, and street vendors to reimagine the classic tortilla with plant-forward ingredients that highlight the best of the harvest.

🌱 Why Veggie Tacos Are Trending

Plant-Based Popularity: With more people embracing vegetarian, vegan, and flexitarian lifestyles, tacos have become a versatile canvas for showcasing plant-based proteins like jackfruit, tempeh, and grilled tofu.

Seasonal Eating: Fall brings an abundance of hearty produce — squash, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and roasted corn — all of which make flavorful and colorful fillings.

Sustainability Factor: Diners are increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of their meals. Veggie tacos offer a lighter footprint without sacrificing taste.

Creative Fusion: Tacos are endlessly adaptable, and chefs are infusing them with global flavors — from Korean BBQ mushrooms to curry-spiced chickpeas — adding excitement to the taco experience.

🌮 Featured Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash & Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients (makes 6 tacos)

Quick Cilantro-Lime Crema

Instructions

🍁 Taco Tuesday Tip
Try swapping the butternut squash with roasted pumpkin or charred Brussels sprouts for even more seasonal variety. These veggie-forward tacos are hearty, colorful, and proof that meatless doesn’t mean flavorless.

Find More Taco Trends Here

Spring Veggie Tacos with Avocado Cream

By: McKel Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN for nutritionstripped.com
Traditionally when most of us think of tacos, we think of them being filled with pork, beef, chicken, or even fish. There’s nothing wrong with having those fillings, but I’m on a mission to get you to enjoy those veggies more often than not and to do so requires some really awesome plant-based ingredients.

Ingredients
Filling
• 1 cup walnuts coarsely chopped.
• 1 cup chickpeas (can use canned, well rinsed)
• 1 large, sweet potato, diced into chunks (should yield 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (for cooking)
Taco Spices
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
Peppers
• 1 whole small red onion (yields 1/2 cup), sliced into thin strips.
• 1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips.
• 1 large green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips.
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips.
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, diced.
• a pinch of sea salt

Directions
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake chopped sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon and cumin for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
• Set aside the baked sweet potatoes for later.
• While the sweet potatoes are cooking prepare everything else.
• First, in a food processor or blender pulse the chickpeas and walnuts together to create a coarsely chopped mixture.
• In a medium heated skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil, chopped walnuts, beans, and seasonings. Stir to warm through and combine, adding a little bit of water as needed to bring the mixture together.
• Cook/warm through for about 5 minutes, add baked sweet potatoes last and only to toss around in the spices with everything else.
• Take off the heat and put in a large serving bowl.
Peppers
• Simply sauté the onions, garlic, and tri-colored bell peppers in coconut oil on medium heat until softened.
Assembly
• Use this filling to stuff corn or brown rice tortillas, salsa, cashew cheese, etc.
• This stays well in the refrigerator for up to a week and makes great leftovers.
• Enjoy!

Zesty Quinoa Tacos with Cilantro Sauce

By Dishing Out Health

Taco-spiced quinoa, hearty black beans, and sautéed peppers and onion, these filling tacos are here to appease meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.

Ingredients

Cilantro Sauce

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and red onion; cook 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in tomato paste and taco seasoning; cook 2 more minutes to caramelize the tomato paste.
  1. Stir in quinoa and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, allowing the quinoa to lightly toast. Add broth (or water) and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
  2. Stir in black beans, replace lid, and let mixture steam for 10 minutes (off burner). Taste and season with salt if needed. (Saltiness will depend on if your taco seasoning is salted, and whether you used broth or water.)
  3. Meanwhile, prepare Cilantro Sauce by combining yogurt, cilantro, olive oil, jalapeño, lime juice, coriander (or cumin), garlic powder, and ¼ tsp. salt in a standard or small blender (such as a Nutribullet); blend until mostly smooth. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.
  4. Toast corn or flour tortillas. Divide quinoa filling evenly between each tortilla, and drizzle with Cilantro Sauce. Garnish with sliced avocado and finish with chopped green onions or extra cilantro, if desired.

Read More Here >>

BBQ Cauliflower Tacos with Green Tahini Sauce

By Dishing Out Health

These tacos take the finger-licking beauty of a BBQ wing experience and wrap it in a tortilla. Balanced by a creamy sauce and crunchy fixings, they check every box for a top-tier taco.

Ingredients

Green Tahini Sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Arrange cauliflower on a baking sheet and toss with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
  2. Remove from oven and brush cauliflower with BBQ sauce. Place back in the oven for 10 more minutes.
  3. While cauliflower bakes, prepare Green Tahini Sauce:
  4. Combine cilantro, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and black pepper in a small food processor or blender; blend until texture is like pesto. Add 3 Tbsp. water and continue blending until smooth and creamy. (If sauce is still too thick, add more water as needed in 1 Tbsp. increments.)
  5. Toast or warm tortillas over a gas flame or in a cast iron skillet. Spread a layer of green tahini sauce on tortilla and arrange roasted cauliflower overtop. Garnish with shredded cabbage, sliced avocado, and fresh cilantro. Add a final drizzle of tahini sauce.

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Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Cilantro Sauce

Cauliflower is very popular right now and it’s time you gave these spicy tacos a try. The tangy and creamy spice along with the spicy roasted cauliflower and fresh and crispy toppings is a match made and heaven and you will have everyone begging for more.

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower chopped 
  • 3 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Cilantro Sauce

  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup sour cream 
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt and pepper

Tacos

  • 8 small Tortillas flour or corn
  • 1 Avocado sliced 
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage 
  • 1 Jalapeno sliced
  • ¼ cup Cilantro minced

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower florets, spices, and oil. Stir until the cauliflower is coated with spices.
  4. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes or until lightly charred and cooked through.
  5. Cilantro Sauce: Mince the cilantro and garlic and whisk in a medium bowl or add all the ingredients to the food processor, season with salt and pepper.
  6. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Warm tortillas, place about 1/4 cup of cauliflower on a tortilla.
  8. Top with avocado, cabbage, sliced jalapeno, minced cilantro, and a generous drizzle of cilantro sauce.  

Potato Rolled Tacos

You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy these rolled tacos. They are always a hit! Perfect to prepare the night before for any Taco Tuesday or party.  These rolled potato tacos are even more delicious with guacamole.

Ingredients

  • Rolled Tacos
  • 3 large yukon gold potatoes, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • salt and pepper
  • corn tortillas
  • canola oil, for frying

Directions

  1. Place the chopped potatoes in a slightly salted pot of water and boil until very tender. 
  2. Drain and wipe out the pot.  
  3. Heat the oil in the pan, add the onion and cook until softened. Add potatoes back to the pan and add ancho chile powder, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. 
  4. Add 1/4 cup of water to the mix and cool until the potatoes are like mashed potato texture. 
  5. Transfer filling to a bowl and allow to cool. 
  6. Place 5 or 6 tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel to moisten tortillas, then microwave for 30 – 45 seconds. This makes the tortillas flexible and easy to roll. 
  7. Take 2-3 tablespoons of potato filling and place on one side of the tortilla. Tightly roll the tortilla up and place on a baking sheet seam side down. Repeat until the filling is gone. Freeze until firm, you can make the night before and freeze overnight. 
  8. When ready to eat:
  9. Heat 1 1/2 inches of canola oil in a pot.  Gently lower 3-4 frozen rolled tacos into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and crunch. Transfer to a wire rack and drain any excess oil. Repeat until all the tacos are fried. 

You can double or triple this recipe as needed