These no-cook, raw vegan tacos are a fresh take on traditional tacos with just the right amount of spicy heat and cooling crunch.

Eating raw during the warmer months of the year comes pretty naturally to me; most meals being more a matter of assembly than actual cooking.
Lately I’ve been a bit infatuated with these raw vegan tacos. They’re fresh, crunchy and bold with spicy flavors.
It's a lighter take on traditional tacos featuring all the familiar tastes of cumin, chili, lime and cilantro that make Mexican food so tasty.

How to Make Raw Vegan Tacos:
There are three main components to the tacos:
- A “meat” base made from a mix of seeds and earthy spices like cumin and coriander.
- A chunky salsa made with tomatoes and zucchini that’s loaded with heat thanks to fresh chili peppers.
- And a creamy and cooling cilantro sauce to drizzle on top.
Everything gets stuffed into a pretty purple and crunchy cabbage “shell”, and what results is a colorful mix of tastes and textures you fold up and eat just like a taco. Yes you could use a corn tortilla or any grain-free tortillas you’d like here instead, but I think cabbage leaves are lighter, crunchier and stand up better to being loaded up with fillings.

Don’t let the rather lengthy list of ingredients turn you off from giving these a try, as you probably have a good number of the spices already in your pantry and everything comes together pretty quickly. In fact you can easily make the three separate parts ahead of time and keep everything in the fridge until its taco filling time.
More wrap recipes:

Raw Vegan Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Sauce
These no-cook, raw vegan tacos are a fresh take on traditional tacos with just the right amount of spicy heat and cooling crunch.
Ingredients
For the creamy cilantro sauce:
- ½ cup/56 g cashews, soaked in warm water for an hour or overnight in cold water, drained
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, tightly packed
- 3 Tablespoons/45ml filtered water
For the taco “meat”:
- 1 cup/112g raw or sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
- 2 teaspoons/10ml coconut aminos
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons/10ml extra virgin olive oil
For the Salsa:
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 small green onion, chopped
- 1 serrano chili pepper, finely sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of sea salt
For the Tacos:
- red or green cabbage leaves for serving
Instructions
Make the cilantro sauce:
- Start soaking the cashews in water the night before. Cover and store in fridge.
- Place the soaked cashews and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Cover and store in fridge until needed.
Make the taco “meat”:
- Place the ingredients for the taco “meat” in the bowl of a food processor and pulse briefly until just crumbly (don’t over-process or it will become oily). Set aside.
Make the salsa:
- Combine all the of salsa ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently to combine.
Assemble the tacos:
- Add a few heaping spoonfuls of taco “meat” into cabbage leaves, followed by the salsa then top with the cilantro cashew sauce. Serve with a wedge of lime on the side if desired.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Go Raw Mixed Seeds, Pumpkin, Sunflower & Watermelon Seeds with Sea Salt, 13 Ounce. Bag | Keto | Vegan | Gluten Free Snacks| Organic
-
Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos (2 Pack) - 8 fl oz - Low Sodium Soy Sauce Alternative, Low-Glycemic - Organic, Vegan, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, Kosher - Keto, Paleo - 96 Total Servings
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 208Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 447mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Delicious and healthy meal! My family will love this amazing recipe!
Amanda says
I really like the idea of using sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seed for the "meat."
Raia says
Wow! These sound fabulous! I love the idea of the raw 'meat.' No need to cook anything!
Megan says
Those are so bright and beautiful. What a great way to use as a taco shell!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Love this recipe - so clever! I especially like the salsa w/ zucchini! I've never thought to add it to salsa - thanks for the inspiration!
cynthia/What A Girl Eats says
Wow! These look beautiful and delicious!
Taste of France says
This is just brilliant! You had me with the photo, but that cilantro sauce sealed the deal. A saver. Thanks!!!!
allie says
Hi Sylvie - I love eating simpler in summer, so I'm super excited to see your delicious recipe. Especially since my garden is producing an overabundance of zucchini. I was needing more ideas re: what to do with it! The cilantro sauce looks perfect for these tacos and I've got plenty of cilantro in my garden too. Yum.
Kristen says
I love these Sylvie!! I have made raw tacos before with walnuts--I have to try your version. I agree. This is the perfect way to eat in the summer!
Rosa says
What a great idea! Your tacos look amazing.
Cheers,
Rosa