autumn/ mains + sides/ recipes

Epic Pumpkin Tacos

Epic Pumpkin Tacos | Well and Full | #vegan #vegetarian #recipe

These Epic Pumpkin Tacos are loaded with the best of fall flavors!

IT’S HERE – The 2017 Virtual Pumpkin Party!!! This year I’m bringing these epic pumpkin tacos to the party, but in 2016 I made chipotle pumpkin hummus, and in 2015 I made vegan pumpkin gnocchi. However, I think this year’s recipe is my best one yet.

I won’t talk your ear off about these tacos, but I just wanted to say, from the bottom of my heart (and before everything gets hectic during the holiday season), that whoever you are, wherever you are, reading this blog – I wish you true peace, happiness, and joy in your lives. I’ll see you later this week with another recipe :)


OH! P.S. – I’m going to Disney World with my family in March (!!!!!), and I’m wondering if y’all would like to see some foodie highlights from the parks? (i.e. Dole Whip, Mickey bars, The Grey Stuff (it’s delicious!), and other treats from the World Showcase). Maybe a copycat recipe? Let me know in the comments :)

Epic Pumpkin Tacos | Well and Full | #vegan #vegetarian #recipe

Epic Pumpkin Tacos | Well and Full | #vegan #vegetarian #recipe

Epic Pumpkin Tacos

These epic pumpkin tacos are the perfect autumn bite - made with roasted pumpkin, tangy slaw, and a spicy avocado crema.
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 2 People

Ingredients
  

Roasted Pumpkin

  • 1 Sugar Pumpkin about 4 cups when broken down
  • Glug Olive Oil or Neutral Vegetable Oil
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • Black Pepper to taste
  • 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
  • Pinch Cayenne optional

Avocado Crema

  • 1 Avocado pitted
  • 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Cup Water or more to thin
  • 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro or sub parsley
  • 1/2 Jalapeño ribs and seeds removed
  • Juice from 1 Lime
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt
  • Black Pepper to Taste

Tangy Purple Cabbage Slaw

  • 1 Cup Purple Cabbage very thinly sliced
  • Juice from 1 Lime
  • 2 Tsp Maple Syrup
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt

The Rest of the Tacos

  • Corn or Wheat Tortillas
  • Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
  • Pomegranate Arils
  • Diced Jalapeño
  • Sprouts

Other Possible Toppings

  • Any type of salsa you like
  • Sour Cream
  • Hot Sauce

Instructions
 

Roasted Pumpkin

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Take your sugar pumpkin and break it down. This is how I did it - I cut off the top, then scooped out the seeds and goo (I reserved the seeds for roasting.) Then, I cut the bottom off the pumpkin, and cut the remaining part into quarters. I used a veggie peeler to remove the skin (it is not edible). Then, I took the cleaned and skinned pumpkin "meat" and chopped it into inch-ish sized cubes. The final yield should be about 4 cups.
  • Toss the pumpkin cubes with the oil, salt, and spices. 
  • On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until tender but still firm.
  • While the pumpkin is roasting, make the avocado crema and cabbage slaw.

Avocado Crema

  • Take all of the avocado crema ingredients and blend in a blender until smooth and creamy. Add more water to thin if necessary (however, too much water will dilute the taste.)
  • Taste and adjust seasonings - i.e. add more salt or pepper.

Tangy Cabbage Slaw

  • In a bowl, mix together the lime juice, salt, and maple syrup. 
  • Marinate the thinly sliced cabbage in the mixture while the pumpkin is roasting in the oven. 
  • Make sure you "drain" the cabbage from the marinade before adding to the tacos!

Putting It All Together

  • Everyone loads up their tacos differently, but this recipe should yield about 4-6 tacos (or two per person). 
  • Take your corn tortillas and fill them with the roasted pumpkin and tangy cabbage slaw. Drizzle everything with the avocado crema. (You may have some left over in the end. It's delicious as a salad dressing!)
  • Add whatever toppings you like. I used roasted pumpkin seeds, pomegranate, diced jalapeño, cliantro, and sprouts, but you can use whatever you like. Roasted pumpkin is a blank canvas - it'll go with almost everything!
  • Enjoy!

Notes

I used sugar pumpkin for this recipe, but you could also sub sweet potato or virtually any type of squash. Just be sure to adjust cooking time accordingly and check often for desired consistency. Also - I provided a high-level description of how I broke down my pumpkin, but there are more detailed descriptions online. :)

Epic Pumpkin Tacos | Well and Full | #vegan #vegetarian #recipe

Epic Pumpkin Tacos | Well and Full | #vegan #vegetarian #recipe

P.S. – If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram @wellandfull!

51 Comments

  • Reply
    Sophie | The Green Life
    October 23, 2017 at 10:40 am

    These tacos look SO GOOD, Sarah! And I love these photos too. The colours are just beautiful. <3 <3

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 2:12 pm

      Thank you so much Sophie!! :) <3

  • Reply
    Jessie Snyder
    October 23, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    YUM Sarah! I love this idea of little pumpkin pieces in a taco. And Disney World – eeee! We are huge disney people too, actually going to D-Land here in two days. It really is the most magical place on earth, yeah? Hugs sweet girl.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 2:13 pm

      Oh no way!!! I’ve never been to Disneyland, but I’ve always wanted to go because it was the original Disney park. I hope you have the best time!!! <3

  • Reply
    Milena | Craft Beering
    October 23, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    Sarah, these look gorgeous. Cannot say that I have had pumpkin tacos before, your recipe seems the perfect way to rectify this! Pinned.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 2:13 pm

      Thank you so much, Milena! :) I had never had pumpkin tacos before developing this recipe, but they’re really good! Much like sweet potato tacos! :D

  • Reply
    Sara @ Cake Over Steak
    October 23, 2017 at 1:08 pm

    I LOVE a veggie taco and these look soooooo incredible. Thanks for joining in!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 2:14 pm

      Thanks so much Sara, and thank you again for hosting!! :)

  • Reply
    Katya
    October 23, 2017 at 2:23 pm

    Pumpkins are possibly my most favourite vegetable (fruit?…) EVER. Nothing even comes close to pumpkins and my love affair with them would be perfect if there wasn’t one small thing: how to get inside the bloody thing. So my method is to chop the pumpkin in half – or into quarters, depends on the size – roast it until it gets kinda tender but not mushy and then peel it and chop it into bits. I highly recommend it :)

    Your tacos look divine :) It never occurred to me to put pumpkin into a taco but this year I maybe will.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 5:24 pm

      Ohhh that’s an interesting technique… It sounds a heck of a lot easier than what I did lol. But that way you wouldn’t be able to roast the pumpkin with the olive oil and spices :/ I wonder if you could roast the pumpkin your way, then maybe fry the pieces up in a pan with the oil and spices? If you try these using the full-pumpkin-roast method, please let me know how it turns out!! :)

      • Reply
        Katya
        October 31, 2017 at 8:23 am

        Oh sorry, I’ve never noticed your reply!

        So here’s what I do with my pumpkin if I want them roasted: take them out of the oven when they’re still a bit hard. You know, not yet fork-tender. Wait until it’s cooled down a bit, then peel, cut into bits, then finally toss the pieces in spices and oil/olive and – you guessed it – put it on a hot frying pan with no added olive. Ta-dam :)

        • Reply
          Sarah
          October 31, 2017 at 8:52 pm

          No worries :) That’s a genius way to make pumpkin, and I’ll have to try it out next time I make these!! To be honest, I’ve only made pumpkin a handful of times (and most of them were in the development of this recipe lol). So I really appreciate the tips and feedback! :)

  • Reply
    Jeanine
    October 23, 2017 at 3:26 pm

    Ooh, these look gorgeous – I bet they’re so so yummy!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 4:52 pm

      Hey Jeanine! Thank you so much for your sweet note :)

  • Reply
    Tessa | Salted Plains
    October 23, 2017 at 5:37 pm

    So vibrant and beautiful! I cannot wait to make these!! <3

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 9:10 pm

      Aww thanks Tessa! Hugs! :)

  • Reply
    annie@ciaochowbambina
    October 23, 2017 at 7:20 pm

    5 stars
    So beautiful and delicious! Doesn’t get any better than that!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 9:12 pm

      Aww thank you Annie <3 <3

  • Reply
    kate | tasty seasons
    October 23, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    these tacos are gorgeous! i love all the colors and textures – i bet they taste amazing! i have a sugar pumpkin sitting on my counter that i wasn’t sure what to do with… i think i’ve found my answer! :-)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 9:16 pm

      Thank you so much, Kate! If you make these tacos (or some variation thereof) please let me know how you like them!! :D

  • Reply
    Wendy
    October 23, 2017 at 11:12 pm

    These tacos sound wonderful and are so beautifully colorful! Though I have cooked a variety of foods made with pumpkin, they have always called for pumpkin puree. I’ve never had any idea how to tackle a fresh pumpkin! Thank you for sharing your method. I will give fresh pumpkin a try!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 23, 2017 at 11:48 pm

      Hey Wendy! Thanks so much for stopping by :) Breaking down a fresh sugar pumpkin requires a little elbow grease, but I found it to be worth it in the end ;) Cheers!

  • Reply
    Kym Grimshaw | On The Plate
    October 24, 2017 at 5:41 am

    These really do look epic! My instinct is always to go for comfort food recipes when cooking with pumpkin so it’s great to find new inspiration for something a bit more fresh and zingy. Happy #virtualpumpkinparty! Xx

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 24, 2017 at 9:59 am

      Thank you Kym!! I’m more of a savory type of gal, but seeing all these amazing sweets at the Virtual Pumpkin Party has got me re-evaluating that ;)

  • Reply
    Anna
    October 24, 2017 at 6:02 am

    5 stars
    Ohhhh, this is just too good!!!! Your pumpkin tacos look and sound amazing! And I just love the sound of that avocado crema! Drooling over here (and I just had my breakfast!)… And Disneyland trip sounds incredible! Roll on March! ;)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 24, 2017 at 10:00 am

      Thank you so much Anna!! And I literally CANNOT wait until Disney World… it’s my favorite place in the world!!! <3

  • Reply
    Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek
    October 24, 2017 at 6:17 am

    Epic, indeed! These tacos look sooo good. The colors are incredibly vibrant! Happy VPP! xoxo

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 24, 2017 at 10:00 am

      Thank you so much, Kelsey!! Happy Virtual Pumpkin Party to you too :)

  • Reply
    Liz @ Floating Kitchen
    October 24, 2017 at 7:02 am

    These look amazing, girl! I can’t wait to try them out. Tacos fro life! Love the photos!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 24, 2017 at 10:01 am

      Thank you so much Liz!! #TacosForLife ;)

  • Reply
    Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
    October 24, 2017 at 8:36 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely beautiful and I’m loving the savoury pumpkin dishes! I definitely need to think beyond the can of puree :)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 24, 2017 at 10:03 am

      Thank you so much, Jennifer!! Although I WILL admit, pumpkin purée is much less stressful than breaking down a sugar pumpkin ;) Pros and cons to both, I guess! :D

  • Reply
    Meg @ This Messs Is Ours
    October 24, 2017 at 11:20 pm

    Whoa!! Those look incredible!! I know what I’m making for our next Taco Tuesday.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 25, 2017 at 12:51 pm

      Thanks Meg :) Pumpkin tacos are definitely a great seasonal option for Taco Tuesdays!! ;)

  • Reply
    Bourbon Glazed Orange Spiced Pumpkin Bread - Taste Love and Nourish
    October 26, 2017 at 10:14 am

    […] Baked Pumpkin Wings A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin & Goat Cheese Baked Gnocchi Well and Full • Epic Pumpkin Tacos Style Sweet CA • Pumpkin Pie Cake The Road to Honey • Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese […]

  • Reply
    Meg | Meg is Well
    October 27, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    5 stars
    These are the prettiest tacos! So many bright and vibrant colors and that avocado crema drizzled over everything is making me drool. And please do a copycat recipe of the grey stuff! That would be amazing.

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 28, 2017 at 12:19 pm

      Aww thank you, Meg!! And I will DEFINITELY report back on The Grey Stuff and see if I can do a copycat recipe! :D

  • Reply
    Traci | Vanilla And Bean
    October 27, 2017 at 1:43 pm

    The tacos of my dreams, Sarah! And I’ve made something similar – yes, a lot of work, but pumpkin is totally worth the effort IMHO. When breaking a pumpkin down to cut into bite size pieces, I always roast it a bit first, just until slightly softened.. it took me a while to figure this out after almost losing a few fingers. Avo creama is everything! Beautiful styling, photography and recipe, my dear! :D

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 28, 2017 at 12:21 pm

      Thank you so much Traci!! :) And that’s a really smart tip… the way you suggested it, the pumpkin is easier to peel, but then you can still do the “final” roasting with the oil and spices. I will definitely be giving this method a try!! <3 Hugs!

  • Reply
    Aimee
    October 28, 2017 at 5:12 pm

    Feel like I haven’t paid a proper visit to your blog in a while and I missed it! These look absolutely gorgeous and I’m so jealous about your Disney world trip… Looking forward to seeing your pics :) Have a great Halloween weekend!
    Aimee x

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 30, 2017 at 5:32 pm

      Aww thank you so much Aimee! I hope you have a great Halloween as well :)

  • Reply
    Maya | Spice & Sprout
    October 29, 2017 at 7:49 pm

    Mmm! These looks delish. Love your photos! xx

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 30, 2017 at 5:32 pm

      Thank you Maya! :D

  • Reply
    Ruby
    October 30, 2017 at 9:51 am

    Happy pumpkin party! I’m super late to checking out everyone’s recipes thanks to traveling, but it is so fun to see what everyone brought last week. These tacos are SERIOUSLY epic and so so gorgeous. I love all of the colors going on!! xx

    • Reply
      Sarah
      October 30, 2017 at 5:35 pm

      Thank you so much, Ruby!! I think this may have been the best Virtual Pumpkin Party yet! :D

  • Reply
    Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine
    November 3, 2017 at 3:04 am

    5 stars
    Hi Sarah! I am Robyn’s partner at More Media – we are super excited to work with you! This recipe is gorgeous – definitely “epic.” I absolutely love pumpkin and put pomegranate arils on just about everything this time of year!

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 4, 2017 at 12:24 pm

      Hey Michelle!! Thank you so much for leaving a note! I can’t wait to work with you too :)

  • Reply
    Sonja
    November 5, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    These absolutely look epic! Thanks for the kind comment on our pumpkin recipe too :)

    • Reply
      Sarah
      November 6, 2017 at 3:16 pm

      Thank you so much Sonja!! And you’re welcome :) I love reading A Couple Cooks!!

  • Reply
    Deep Fried Pumpkin Pie Bites - Ciao Chow Bambina
    November 7, 2017 at 9:23 am

    […] Baked Pumpkin Wings  A Couple Cooks Pumpkin & Goat Cheese Baked Gnocchi  Well and Full Epic Pumpkin Tacos! ‎ Style Sweet CA Pumpkin Pie Cake  The Road to Honey Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting […]

  • Reply
    10 Epic Vegetarian Taco Recipes You'll Want to Make ASAP - Hello Veggie
    May 16, 2018 at 9:00 am

    […] Epic Pumpkin Tacos from Well and Full […]

  • Leave a Reply

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.