Cauliflower and Leek Taco

A Fiesta for the end of their season

There is nothing quite like a fiesta to mark a celebration, and why not celebrate the finale of cauliflower and leeks for another year with something a bit special… and some Mexican flare.

Inspired by the popular street food, this recipe combines quintessential Mexican flavours and textures using the whole cauliflower, bunched baby leeks and beetroot, wrapped up in a soft flour taco. While this recipe looks lengthy, each element is simple and the cooking/preparing fits like a jigsaw to be ready in an hour.

Soft flour tacos packed with refried black beans, roast cauliflower florettes, cauliflower leaf salad, pickled leeks and beetroot ‘guacamole’. 


Makes 8
Preparation time: 1 hours
(optional, use shop brought if you prefer)

Taco Ingredients:
250g plain flour
150g water
1tbs rapeseed oil
¼ tsp salt

Refried Beans Ingredients:
1 tsp cumin seeds
A good pinch of chilli flakes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tin of black beans

Leek Ingredients:
1 bunch baby leeks
A good pinch of salt
2 dessert spoons of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon rapeseed oil
1 teaspoon honey

Roast Cauliflower Ingredients:
1 cauliflower
Rapeseed oil
Fresh ground black pepper & sea salt
½ tsp smoked paprika

Beetroot Ingredients:
5 small beetroot
Natural yoghurt
Apple cider vinegar
Preheat the oven to 190°C

1. Start with the taco dough so it has time to rest. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and knead for a few minutes. Shape into a ball and leave to rest in a covered bowl. Or skip this and use shop brought. 

2. While the dough is resting, cook the whole baby beets in boiling water for 20 minutes. Then drain and leave to steam in the pan with a lid on.

3. While the beetroot are cooking marinade the leeks. Shred and wash them, then mix with the other ingredients. Leave to soften in a covered bowl.  

4. Prepare the cauliflower next. Remove the more tender leaves and shred, cut the florettes from the stem and cut into smaller florettes. Shred the stem and mix with leaves together and save for later. Mix the florettes with the remaining ingredients and roast in a tray covered with foil in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then leave to steam.

5. To make the refried beans, heat a generous puddle of oil over a moderate heat in a frying pan and temper the cumin and chilli. Chop the onion and garlic then add to the pan once the cumin is sizzling. Fry for a few minutes, drain the beans and add to the pan. Continue to fry for a few minutes then mash, adding a little water if necessary. Continue to fry and mix until the edges colour then remove from the heat and put to one side. 

6. The beetroot will be ready by now. Wipe the skin off, finely grate and mix in the other ingredients.

7. If you are making your own tacos, heat a heavy based frying pan over a moderate heat. Divide the dough into 8 even balls and roll out as thin as you can on a floured worktop. Dry fry one at a time until each side blisters and puffs.

8. To assemble the tacos, begin with a spread of refried beans, then a layer of roast cauliflower followed by the cauliflower leaf salad. Top with pickled leeks and finish off with a dollop of beetroot. 

Sprinkle with fresh herbs and enjoy! 

Robin Popham
Chef at ‘Create Terroir’ and Sandy Lane Farm veg box customer