Vegan Potato Tacos with Cabbage

Name: Vegan Potato Tacos with Cabbage
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 3 medium Potatoes (russets are our first choice for this recipe); 1 head Cabbage (green - shredded); 1 dozen Corn tortillas (fresh & soft are best); 1 medium Onion (yellow or brown - diced); 2 cloves Garlic (minced); 1 tbsp Vegan mayo (your choice); 2 tbsp Vegan butter (your choice); ⅓ cup Non-dairy milk (almond, rice, soy, cashew or oat (we used oat milk)); ½ cup Vegan cheese (your choice (we used vegan ricotta and mozzarella)); 1 tbsp Olive oil (or any light vegetable oil); 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp Paprika; ⅛ tsp Cumin; Salt & pepper (to taste)

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Vegan Potato Tacos with Cabbage 🌮 Crispy corn tortilla taco shells filled with lightly seasoned mashed potatoes and savory sautéed cabbage generously topped with rich and creamy vegan cheese.

A plate and baking dish with vegan potato tacos with cabbage and another plate with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes and avocado.

Taco Tuesdays just got a lot tastier with these south-of-the-border inspired potato tacos. Crispy, baked (not fried) corn tortillas filled with the most scrumptious combo of caramelized cabbage on top of rustic mashed potatoes, plus all the fix-ins. Yes please!

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
🌮 Top Taco Tip
Equipment you'll need
🌮 FAQ's
Recipe
Food Safety

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

A blue Dutch oven filled with cubed potatoes covered with water.

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.

A white mixing bowl with boiled potatoes for making vegan potato tacos.

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.

A mixing bowl with boiled potatoes, vegan butter and milk ready to be mashed.

Next - the cabbage

Cabbage being sliced with a chef's knife.

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.

Vegan butter and olive oil in a cast iron pan with diced onions.

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.

Onions, garlic and spices in a cast iron pan.

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

Sliced cabbage cooking in a cast iron pan.

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.

Corn tortillas on a cutting board with a dish of olive oil and a basting brush.

Corn tortilla being brushed with olive oil.

Corn tortillas wrapped in parchment paper and aluminum foil.

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!

Taco shells filled with vegan mashed potatoes.

Fill each shell with a heaping tablespoon of mashed potatoes.

Taco shells in a baking dish filled with mashed potatoes and cooked cabbage.

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

Taco shells in a baking dish filled with mashed potatoes, cooked cabbage and vegan cheese.

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.

Vegan potato tacos with cabbage on a plate and in a baking dish.

🥕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

Taco shells in a baking dish filled with mashed potatoes and cooked cabbage and tacos on a plate garnished with lettuce and tomatoes.

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

Can I use flour tortillas? Anything else?

Yes, flour tortillas work fine, particularly for soft tacos. I suggest preheating them wrapped in parchment and foil in an oven or in a pan on a stovetop. I don't recommend heating them in a microwave as they will get tough.

If you prefer not to use tortillas, thinly sliced jicama or crisp bib lettuce make a fresh alternative to tortillas. You can also create a taco bowl with the filling served on salad greens and toppings, along with a few tortilla chips.

Can this recipe be prepared in advance?

The filling for these vegan potato tacos with cabbage can be made a day in advance. Allow the hot ingredients to cool a bit, then transfer the potatoes and the cabbage into covered, airtight containers and refrigerate. I suggest waiting to prepare the taco shells until you are ready to serve them. The potato and cabbage fillings will heat in the oven while the tacos are baking.

Why do people put potatoes in tacos?

Potato tacos aka "Tacos de papa" are a popular Mexican dish, often made with cumin-spiced potatoes, as well as peppers and other ingredients. For vegans, potatoes create a delicious, healthy and very satisfying plant-based filling that works beautifully in tacos and enchiladas.

What is a vegan taco made of?

Vegan tacos can be made with most any plant-based ingredient that would be tasty served in a tortilla! Think mushrooms, jackfruit, seitan, tofu, tempeh, beans, plant-based burger crumbles, potatoes, cabbage, vegan cheese. The sky's the limit - use your imagination!

Vegan potato tacos with cabbage in a baking dish and on a plate.

Looking for other delish dishes to enjoy with tacos? Give these a try!

very vegan 🌮 very good

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, please rate it in the comments below. Sharing your experience helps others decide if they should give it a try too. Thanks a bunch!🥕

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