Chipotle Brussels Sprouts Tacos

I love tacos and one of my favorite local spots makes an amazing vegan Brussels sprouts taco, so this is my take on their healthy and spicy dish!

| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 25 minutes |

Ingredients

Tortillas

3/4 lb. Brussels Sprouts

2 tablespoons Olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Chipotle chile powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp Coconut sugar

1/2 cup vegetable broth or water

Handful of greens of choice, spinach, romaine, etc.

1 Lime

Chipotle Aioli:

1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in hot water for 1 hour and drained)

1/3 cup vegetable broth or water

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp coconut sugar

1/2-3/4 tsp chipotle spice powder (depending on how much spice you like)

1/2 Tbsp avocado, grape seed, or other neutral oil (optional)

Pickled Red Onions: (optional)

1/2 red onion

1/2 cup rice vinegar

Pinch coconut sugar

salt

Other additional toppings, optional: Avocado, black beans, corn, cilantro

Preparation

Pickled red onions: In a jar, combine half a thinly sliced red onion, 1/2 cup rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt and sugar. Add water to cover if needed. Set aside while you’re prepping and they’ll be good to go in about an hour.

Aioli sauce: Add soaked, drained cashews to a high-speed blender with rest of the ingredients. Blend on high until creamy and smooth, adding more water as needed to encourage blending. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Adding a little oil is optional and adds extra creaminess.

Slice Brussels sprouts and discard outer leaves as they fall off. Heat a pan on medium-high heat with olive oil. Add sprouts in one layer, cut side down for 1-2 minutes. Season with salt, chipotle and paprika and turn to other side for 1-2 minutes until brown.

When Brussels sprouts have browned nicely, add in the coconut sugar and vegetable broth. Stir gently and allow to come to boil, then cover. Turn heat down to low and simmer 2-4 minutes, until tender.

Remove lid and stir sprouts around to be sure they are evenly coated with liquid. If too much liquid remains, turn the heat to high for 1-2 minutes to allow the liquid to reduce to a glaze. Taste and add more salt as needed.

When ready, layer greens and Brussels sprouts on the tortillas, add toppings of choice and drizzle chipotle aioli. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on each taco before serving for an extra burst of flavor.