Are you ready?!
Cinco de Mayo is almost here, and that means tacos, margaritas and plenty of guacamole. Tell me in the comments: which tacos will you be eating (enchiladas or tostadas anyone?), what kind of margarita you’ll sip (on the rocks or frozen?), and how many bowls of guac you plan to demolish. I want every detail—even down to the charred limes in your guacamole.
I’m that person who wants minute-by-minute reports. So let’s talk tacos.
Over the years I’ve shared tons of taco recipes—pork, chicken, short rib (probably my favorite), shrimp and some vegetarian options. This week I was craving mushroom tacos for two reasons.
First, whenever we eat Mexican food, I always have to try the mushroom taco. For years I avoided mushrooms, but now I’m making up for lost time. Second, ground meat or chicken tacos are a weekly staple for us. They’re convenient and great for batch cooking, but this time I wanted something vegetable-forward.
So I made vegetable tacos—chipotle-marinated kale paired with smoky, buttery mushrooms—and they were everything I hoped for.
Pro tip: to tame kale’s bitterness, douse it in spice. I marinated mine with adobo sauce from canned chipotles and a little chipotle chili powder, plus olive oil. A quick spicy massage and ten minutes of resting turns tough leaves soft and flavorful.
The mushrooms are sautéed in butter, seasoned with salt, pepper, smoky cumin, garlic and fresh herbs. They cook down juicy and savory—so good you’ll want to eat them straight from the pan. A little crumbled queso fresco stirred in at the end is optional but highly recommended.
Together, the chipotle kale and smoky mushrooms shine on a warm, charred tortilla. I like to add super-thin avocado slices, halved grape tomatoes, finely diced sweet onion and extra cilantro. If you have guacamole, bring it on.
These tacos are wildly delicious and feel indulgent while still being veggie-forward and satisfying. I wanted fifty for lunch and a handful more for dinner. They’re filling, full of flavor and—bonus—pretty healthy.
If kale or mushrooms aren’t your thing, no problem: try puffy tacos, beer-battered fish tacos, or make a huge strawberry margarita and call it a party. We can still celebrate together.
Chipotle Marinated Kale and Smoky Mushroom Tacos
4
appropriately, 2 obnoxiously
30 minutes
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Ingredients
- 1 head, about 4 to 5 cups curly green kale, leaves torn off
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 12 ounces mixed sliced mushrooms
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado, sliced super thin
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup diced sweet onion
- 1/3 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese
- 8 (4-inch) corn or flour tortillas (your preference)
Instructions
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Chop the kale leaves into strips and place in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the adobo sauce and chipotle chili powder, toss well and use your hands to massage the mixture into the kale. Set aside.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the butter. Add the mushrooms, toss to coat, and cook until soft and juicy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro. Turn off the heat and, if you like, crumble in some queso fresco.
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Assemble tacos by placing a handful of marinated kale on each tortilla, top with avocado slices, mushrooms, tomatoes, sweet onion, extra cilantro and queso fresco. Serve immediately and enjoy.
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