The Most Incredible Vegetarian Tacos 

When I was a kid, tacos always meant ground beef cooked up with some McCormick taco seasoning served in a flour tortilla with cheddar cheese and iceberg lettuce. Only I never ate the iceberg, because, you know, vegetables. Not exactly the first thing you think of when you’re trying to eat whole foods, or more veggies, or less fat. But today tacos are a concept borrowed by every possible food subculture imaginable, and this especially applies to vegetarians. Ditch the original “tacos” of your childhood for spicy sauces and salsas, a hundred different delicious veggie and bean and cheese combinations, and all kinds of crunchy, crispy, flavorful toppings that will make you wish every day was Tuesday (and that there was a taco truck on every corner).

Spicy Bean and Veggie Tacos with Harissa

Nourish Atelier says it best: these Spicy Bean and Veggie Tacos with Harissa are “a perfect combination of warm, earthy flavors and fresh clean salad.” Well. Isn’t that really the best thing about tacos? In one handful of tortilla, you get SO. MANY. FLAVORS. These tacos are like what would happen Mexico and North Africa got married and had an absurdly gorgeous taco baby. Tomatoes, onions, avocados, cucumbers, cilantro, and greens make up the refreshing salad part of the tacos, while warm beans, paprika, harissa (or your choice of a more traditional Mexican salsa or hot chili sauce) make up the earthier, more filling part. Nourish Atelier has lots of other yummy topping suggestions too: finely sliced red cabbage, finely diced mango, sprouts, roasted nuts and seeds, and vegan or dairy cheese. When it comes to tacos, there’s really no such thing as too many toppings (maybe too small tortillas, but never too many toppings).

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

These Crunchy Black Bean Tacos are my favorite last-minute weeknight dinner. They take only a few minutes to put together and they’re hearty, crunchy, and cheesy; basically, they’re everything great about fast food with none of the downsides (like waiting forever in a drive-through line or putting who-knows-what into your body). It’s so easy to mix up the filling - black beans, red onion, cilantro, and spices - and just have it in the fridge for whenever I need a quick meal. Though The Kitchn simmers their own spicy black beans up in a big pot, I always just use canned. They’re pretty much impossible to screw up, because corn tortillas are extremely heat-resilient and won’t easily burn or fall apart. You get them really crispy by cooking them in olive oil on both sides which makes for “sort of a cross between a hard shell taco and a quesadilla.” Crunchy, nourishing, and flavorful, these tacos are great all by themselves or topped with avocado slices, sour cream, or salsa.

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Spicy Avocado Lime Crema 

Ever roasted cauliflower? It’s like popcorn. When I say that, I mean that maybe you’re just going to eat a couple pieces, and then just one more, and then you’re standing there over the baking sheet just shoveling it into your mouth as quickly as you can. If you’ve only had raw cauliflower before (probably on some sad veggie tray at a picnic or party), you need to reinvent your entire life and try this stuff right now. The Glowing Fridge brilliantly stuffs it into these Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Spicy Avocado Lime Crema. What is this crema she speaks of? Magic sauce, that’s what, and you’ll probably have trouble not repeatedly “testing” it to make sure it’s just right before it ever makes it onto these tacos. All the texture here makes for a seriously interesting taco that fills you up (thank you white beans) and amuses your taste buds (thank you crema).

Portobello Tacos with Vegan Jalapeño Sauce

The first time I had portobello mushrooms, I had recently decided to eat a vegetarian diet and was out to The Blue Moon Cafe in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, my 21 and under Shakespearean theatre group’s hangout (no, I wasn’t popular in high school, why do you ask?). They had a portobello mushroom “fake and cheese” sandwich, so I decided to go for it despite having never previously eaten a mushroom in my entire life. It was amazing. The mushrooms were so juicy and, well, meaty that I could hardly believe it was a vegetarian sandwich. Portobellos are no less amazing in tacos like these Portobello Tacos with Vegan Jalapeño Sauce, especially because the vegan jalapeño sauce is soooo good. Cashews, onions, garlic, roasted jalapeños, and cucumbers combine for a smash hit you can use for any kind of tacos you like (or even try as a salad dressing). Make it less (or more!) spicy according to your tastes.

Indian Coconut Curry Tacos

I firmly believe that Indian food goes with everything. Traditional flatbreads like naan, roti, and chapati make great substitutes for a pita when you want an amazing sandwich; tikka masala is the perfect topping or filling for just about anything (my best friend makes tikka enchiladas, while I’ve recently discovered the wonders of tikka masala pizza). Here, Vegan Gretchen makes a creamy coconut curry with chickpeas and kale and stuffs it into warm corn tortillas with not one but TWO delectable sauces: homemade mango chutney and vegan raita. Indian Tacos are the perfect meal when you want fusion food that astonishes your guests (or the lunchroom at work) while delivering serious nutrition straight to your belly and your brain so you can dream up even more amazing fusion food taco combinations.

Spicy Plantain Black Bean Tacos

These Spicy Black Bean Plantain Tacos feature plantains (duh), or as I like to call them, Bananas That Never Turn Yellow. This brings me back to the first year of my marriage when I really wanted to impress my foodie husband with delicious meals. I bought bananas (or so I THOUGHT) and couldn’t figure out why they were still hard and green after a week. That’s about the time when my husband asked me what I was planning on using the plantains in our fruit basket for. Uh...you are likely not as naive, and have perhaps enjoyed the magical deliciousness that a sweet, perfectly cooked plantain can be when you actually know what it is. Here, The Minimalist Baker sautes them to caramelized perfection while simmering her black beans, then tops the tacos with fresh jalapeño, onion, cilantro, salsa and hot sauce. She suggests that the filling can also be rolled up into big burritos or even served on top of greens for a salad.