These crispy chickpea and butternut squash tacos with parsley sunflower seed sauce are my favourite winter taco yet! Filled with spice-coated roasted butternut squash, crispy chickpeas, and apple kale slaw, they’re topped with a zippy parsley and sunflower seed sauce.
It’s been quite some time since I’ve shared a taco recipe around here! These crispy chickpea, butternut squash, and kale tacos are perfect for this time of the year–I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough butternut squash. They’re full of healthy vegetables yet they still satisfy a taco craving.
There’s a lot of flavour and texture going on in these tacos: we have spice-coated roasted butternut squash (so sweet and buttery!), crispy roasted chickpeas, and kale slaw that features apple, red onion, and pomegranate. That trifecta of tasty fillings then gets topped off with a zippy sunflower seed and parsley sauce that’s heavy on the lemon and garlic!
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Ingredients
These tacos consist of three main elements: The squash and crispy chickpeas, the kale apple salad, and the parsley sunflower seed sauce. Here is a breakdown of ingredients that you’ll need for each element. For the exact quantities, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For the roasted butternut squash and crispy chickpeas: Butternut squash, chickpeas, olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
For the kale apple salad: The dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic, sea salt, and pepper. The salad is made with kale, apple, red onion, and pomegranate.
For the parsley sunflower seed sauce: Sunflower seeds, soaked in water for two hours and drained. This softens the sunflower seeds, making them easier to blend and easier to digest. Skip this step if desired. You’ll also need lemon juice, water, garlic, maple syrup, sea salt, pepper, and parsley.
Step By Step Instructions
Start by roasting the squash. Peel and cube one medium butternut squash and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Place in a 400 degree F oven and roast for 30 minutes.
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Next, make the roasted chickpeas by tossing 3 cups of cooked chickpeas with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place them on another baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.
While the squash and chickpeas are in the oven, make the kale slaw and the sunflower seed parsley sauce.
Top corn or flour tortillas with all of the fillings and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
All of the components of these tacos can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat the squash and chickpeas on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until hot.
Substitutions and Variations
Make this recipe your own with any of the following substitutions and variations:
- Increase the protein — If you are not vegan or vegetarian, omit the crispy chickpeas and add sliced grilled chicken instead.
- Make it a bowl — Omit the tortillas and serve everything in a bowl. Add some cooked rice or quinoa to make it even heartier.
- Make it spicy — Add a seeded, diced jalapeno pepper to the parsley sunflower seed sauce.
- Parsley — You can use cilantro instead.
- Sunflower Seeds — Use pumpkin seeds instead.
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Crispy Chickpea and Butternut Squash Tacos with Zippy Parsley Sunflower Seed Sauce
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These crispy chickpea and butternut squash tacos with parsley sunflower seed sauce are my favourite winter taco yet! Filled with spice-coated roasted butternut squash, crispy chickpeas, and apple kale slaw, they’re topped with a zippy parsley and sunflower seed sauce that will make you swoon!
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
Crispy Chickpeas
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 14-oz cans, rinsed and drained)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp each fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Kale Slaw
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon or whole grain mustard
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- ¼ tsp each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch of green kale
- 1 sweet apple, such as Gala or Ambrosia
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh pomegranate arils
Zippy Parsley and Sunflower Seed Sauce
- ½ cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- ¼–⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from one large lemon)
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups fresh parsley (from one large bunch- some stems are okay)
8-12 small wheat or corn tortillas (2-3 tortillas per person)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Peel, chop, scoop out seeds, and cube the butternut squash into 1-inch cubes. Place in a bowl. Drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Toss to coat and transfer the squash to one of the prepared baking sheets. Roast for 30 minutes, or until it’s fork tender and beginning to develop some crispy/browned edges.
- Using the same bowl that you used for the squash, toss the chickpeas with the oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the second lined baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes, turning them halfway through. Check on them after 20 minutes to make sure that they are not getting too crispy–they will crisp up more as they sit on the counter.
- While the squash and chickpeas are in the oven, prepare the slaw and the sauce. To make the slaw, first combine the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a small mason jar. Secure the lid and shake vigorously to combine. Chop the kale into ribbons and place in a mixing bowl. Drizzle on the dressing and ‘massage’ it into the kale with your hands until it’s bright green and quite tender. Then chop the apple and add it to the bowl along with the onion and pomegranate.
- To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in an upright blender and blend until nice and smooth.
- Warm up the tortillas, if desired.
- To assemble a taco, place several cubes of squash, a couple spoonfuls of chickpeas, some slaw, and a couple drizzles of sauce on top of a tortilla. Enjoy immediately!
Notes
Storage Instructions: All of the components of these tacos can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat the squash and chickpeas on a sheet pan in the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes, or until hot.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tacos
- Calories: 516
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 889.9 mg
- Fat: 27.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 59.3 g
- Fiber: 14.2 g
- Protein: 14.7 g
Matt - Total Feasts says
I love a good sheet pan dinner, and these tacos look delicious!