Cabbage may very well be the most nutritious bang for your buck out of anything else you’ll find in the produce section. What’s usually about a dollar a pound will provide you with so much fiber and antioxidants, while also boosting the activity of detoxifying enzymes in the liver*. Not to mention, it has the ability to last in the refrigerator for WEEKS!
Time to stock up and make some dang tacos.
Inspiration
Hot days call for lunches that are crisp, hydrating, and fresh. It’s even better when these lunches are easy to throw together and can be made in large batches. I love the idea of cabbage wraps since the flavor is mild and it can be paired with various ingredients. Another selling point for this big veggie head is that it’s decently sturdy and packs a good crispy crunch when fresh(which it remains fresh for a hot minute, thankfully). This simple-whole food meal nailed exactly what my body and soul needed on a warm day and for a couple of days more to come!
How to make Fresh Cabbage Tacos with Avocado-Lime Dressing
Made with simple and whole ingredients, this dish is:
Fresh
Crispy
Satisfying
& Simple
Make the filling
The filling for these tacos is a combination of fresh veggies such as tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro. Dice up your veggies up so they are all roughly the same size as the corn to maintain consistency. Toss these veggies together in a bowl
The filling also contains black beans that are lightly seasoned with chipotle seasoning. In a small bowl, evenly coat the black beans with the seasoning. Next, you will want to line the basket of an air fryer with foil, spread the beans evenly on top of the foil, and air-fry for 5-7 minutes at 375°F. If you would like the beans to be crispier in texture, leave them in the air fryer for a longer period of time, until they reach the texture you enjoy. Once they are done cooking, allow them to cool for a couple of minutes before adding them to the bowl with the rest of the filling ingredients.
If you don’t have an air fryer, line a baking dish with parchment paper, foil, or a silicone mat, and roast the beans for 15 minutes until they have warmed up and lost some of their moisture.
Alternatively, you could skip cooking the beans altogether and place them directly into the bowl with the veggies after they have been drained and rinsed.
Make the avocado-lime dressing
The dressing for these tacos is simple as can be! It contains avocado, lime juice, plant milk, oil, a clove of garlic, onion powder, salt, and a handful of cilantro. Call it guacamole dressing, if you will. Add all of these ingredients to a tall cup and use an immersion blender to blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy. If it is too thick and not blending easily, feel free to add additional plant milk as needed. If you don’t have an immersion blender, a food processor or high-speed blender will work just as well.
Prep and fill the cabbage shells
Instead of regular corn taco shells, this recipe uses cabbage leaves to hold in all of the delicious taco fillings. Slice off the bottom of the head of cabbage(the part that holds it all together) and carefully remove a couple of the outer leaves. Once you have done so, slice each cabbage leaf down the center spine to create two similar-sized shells. Next, fill the cabbage shell with the desired amount of filling.
Drizzle the dressing on top of the tacos
Simple as that, drizzle the desired amount of avocado dressing on top of the tacos in whatever direction you choose. In order to achieve that perfectly drizzled look, I placed the dressing in a plastic zip-lock bag, snipped off a small portion of the corner of the bag with scissors, and piped it in a zig-zag motion over the top of the tacos.
Serving
Garnish these tacos with fresh cilantro leaves and a couple of fresh limes, and there you have it!
Storing
This recipe works great for meal prepping, as the filling can be stored for 5-7 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Before refrigerating, add some fresh lime juice to the filling, as the citric acid will serve as a natural preservative.
Store the cabbage separately in an airtight container or ziplock bag to keep it as crisp and fresh as possible. As mentioned, cabbage is a superstar in maintaining its freshness for extended periods of time in the refrigerator when stored properly.
Additionally, the dressing can also be stored by itself for up to 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Did you make this recipe?
If so, let me know how it turned out!
💚 M
Fresh Cabbage Tacos with Avocado-Lime Dressing
Ingredients
Taco Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup corn
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
- ½ tsp chipotle seasoning (optional)
- 5 whole cabbage leaves, sliced down the center.
Avocado-Lime Dressing
- 1 avocado
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tbsp plant milk
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- Handful of cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the bell pepper, tomatoes, corn, onion, & chopped cilantro in a medium sized bowl.
- Optional step – evenly coat the beans in chipotle seasoning. Line the basket of an air fryer with foil, spread the beans in the basket, & air fry for 5-8 minutes at 375°F. Once done, allow them to cool for a moment & add them to the bowl of veggies, or skip this step & add the beans to the bowl immediately after rinsing them.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to your blender of choice(high speed blender, food processor or tall cup with an immersion blender), & blend until smooth & creamy. Feel free to add additional milk to make blending easier.
- Slice the cabbage leaves directly down the center spine to create the shells.
- Place the ingredients inside the cabbage shell and drizzle the dressing on top.
- Garnish with cilantro & a spritz of lime juice.
- Enjoy!
Notes
*Source: How Not To Die by Michael Greger, M.D.
