Vegan Potato Tacos with Cabbage

What could be more festive than a plate of homemade vegan potato tacos with a side of the best vegan Mexican rice and my zesty 4 bean fiesta salad? Maybe a margarita perhaps?

Why you'll love this recipe

• Super delish & satisfying!
• Prepare the fillings up to a day in advance.
• Perfect for Cinco de Mayo, Taco Tuesdays or any day!
• 100% vegan
• Add toppings and extras you like!

Ingredients

• Potatoes - russets are our first choice for this recipe
• Cabbage - green
• Corn tortillas - fresh & soft are best
• Onion - yellow or brown
• Garlic - fresh preferred
• Vegan mayo - your choice
• Vegan butter - your choice
• Non-dairy milk - almond, rice, soy, cashew or oat (we used oat milk)
• Vegan cheese - your choice (we used vegan ricotta and mozzarella)
• Olive oil - or any light vegetable oil
• Apple cider vinegar - preferred
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

This recipe is prepared in 3 parts:

Potatoes🥕Cabbage🥕Taco Shells

First - the potatoes

• Wash, peel and cube potatoes.
• Place in a large pot and cover with water.
• Cover with lid. Place on stove over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil.
• Reduce heat to a low boil and cook until potatoes are just tender, not mushy.
• Remove from stove. Drain in a large colander.

• Transfer hot potatoes to a large bowl.
• Add vegan mayo, vegan butter, non-dairy milk and salt & pepper.
• Mash with a hand masher or large spoon until everything is combined. Don't over-mash or add too much milk. Keep the potatoes somewhat dry. A few lumps are perfectly fine, in fact, they're a good thing.
• Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
• See my recipe for Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes for more tater tips.

Next - the cabbage

• Using a large knife, quarter the head of cabbage.
• Remove core.
• Slice cabbage into thin ¼" to ½" shreds.
• Place shredded cabbage into a strainer or colander and rinse under water.
• Drain thoroughly.

• Peel and dice onion.
• Peel and mince garlic.

• Place vegan butter & olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
• Add onions. Sauté while frequently stirring until onions become transparent.
• Reduce heat to medium.

• Add minced garlic. Stir constantly so it doesn't burn for about one minute.
• Add seasonings. Continue stirring.

• Add shredded cabbage and apple cider vinegar.
• Toss cabbage to thoroughly combine with other ingredients.
• Continue cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender and caramelized.
• Add salt & pepper to taste.
• Remove from heat and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Last, but not least - the taco shells

A taco simply isn't a taco without the shell - the vessel which holds all those fabulous fillings and toppings. We sometimes underestimate the importance of a really great taco shell - one that is crispy & delicious yet doesn't fall apart when you eat it. If you've ever experienced losing the contents of your taco onto your lap just as bite into it, you know what I'm talking about. Which brings me to . . .

🌮 Top Taco Tip

Use the softest, freshest corn tortillas you can find.

Have you ever noticed that corn tortillas are rather small in size compared to most flour tortillas, some which can be as wide as pizza crusts? Corn tortillas are less sturdy than flour tortillas and tend to crack or fall apart when bent or folded, particularly if they're not super fresh, which is challenging when you need them for taco shells. Fortunately in San Diego, where I live, there are restaurants and tortilla factories where we can buy them freshly made. The good news is, even day-old (or more) corn tortillas can be made softer for using with tacos. Here's how we do it at our house:

How to soften corn tortillas

• Cut an 18" long sheet of aluminum foil and parchment paper. Layer the parchment on top of the foil.
• Brush one side of each tortilla with a small amount of cooking oil.

• Place tortillas on top of each other (4-6) and place on parchment. Fold parchment paper over and cover securely with foil.
• Place wrapped tortillas in a pre-heated 350℉ oven for 3 minutes. Flip packet over and continue heating for 3 more minutes.
• If you prefer simple "soft" tacos, you can skip the next steps and go ahead & fill the taco shells with heated potatoes, cabbage, cheese and toppings. For crispy taco shells, continue to the next steps.

How to make crispy taco shells without frying

• Remove the soft tortillas from foil packet. Carefully place them on a hot (clean) oven rack, draping the tortillas over the rack. Close oven and allow tortillas to bake at 350℉ for about 6-8 minutes until lightly crisp around the edges.
• Transfer the baked tortillas to a medium size baking dish.

Now, fill those taco shells!

• Fill each shell with a heaping tablespoon of mashed potatoes.

• Repeat with cooked cabbage.
• Top with vegan cheese (we used a combination of ricotta and mozzarella).

• Place taco-filled baking dish (uncovered) into the oven at 350℉ for about 20 minutes until they're good & hot and the cheese is nice & melty.

🥕Make it a fiesta with a build-your-own taco bar.

Offer a variety of colorful and tasty toppings like:

• Guacamole or avocado slices
• Chopped tomatoes
• Shredded lettuce
• Black olives
• Green onions
• Cilantro
• Salsas
• Pico de gallo
• Vegan cheese
• Vegan sour cream

Equipment you'll need

• Large covered pot (deeper is better, to prevent potatoes from boiling over)
• Potato masher or large spoon
• Large skillet - we love cast iron
• Large mixing bowl
• Colander or strainer
• Cutting board
• Kitchen knife
• Rectangular baking dish (we used two 7"x11" pyrex dishes)
• Basting brush
• Aluminum foil
• Parchment paper

🌮 FAQ's