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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. :)