Tacos are a staple food in many households. They’re quick, easy to make and can be dressed up in so many different ways. We love tacos for dinner on the weekdays or when we have friends over on the weekends. This recipe is one of our favorite taco recipes because it’s vegetarian, but feel free to use ground beef if you prefer!
In order to make our tacos, we start with the base. We cook an onion and a delicata squash on medium-high heat in olive oil until it’s caramelized. This takes about 15 minutes total cooking time – be patient! In this process, you’ll notice that the onions will turn brown and then soften as they cook. You can use any type of onion for this part of the recipe: sweet yellow or red onions work well too!
Once your veggies have been cooked down to perfection (browned at edges), add spices like cumin, salt and pepper if desired and some tomato paste so there is color from all those great spices. Let these flavors combine for another minute over low heat before adding in either water or chicken stock for added flavor.
Finally, the cranberry chutney comes in and is combined with the tomato paste mixture to create a delicious sauce for tacos! This recipe makes enough of this wonderful sauce that you can use it on top of your favorite protein (steak or chicken) or as an additional side dish if you want more than just tacos. The options are endless when cooking Tacos using Cranberry Chutney!
Cranberry Chutney is a great blend of sweet, sour and spicy flavors. It takes the place of ketchup in this recipe for Caramelized Delicata Squash Tacos with Cranberry Chutney. The cranberries add such an amazing flavor to these tacos!
What are delicatas? They have a green skin and orange flesh that will taste similar to butternut squash or pumpkin when cooked. Store them in your refrigerator crisper drawer like you would apples if they aren’t already available at your local market year-round. When buying fresh produce from anywhere other than farm stand/farmers’ market always ask about the item’s origin as new growing methods can result in subpar quality.
Caramelizing vegetables is simple: add oil, place any type of vegetable cut into one inch thin strips and cook for about five minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally until they brown slightly and caramelize- that’s it! Add a little salt if desired. You’ll want to use at least two tablespoons of oil per cup of sliced vegetables or else you might end up burning them before they get tender. Vegetables like onions are perfect because their flavor mellows when cooked making it less noticeable than other cooking methods. If you’re not sure what vegetables would taste good together just go ahead an experiment, you can’t go wrong.
Why you should try this recipe?
- This recipe is an easy and delicious way to enjoy the flavor of fall. The cranberry chutney complements a spicy taco filling from roasted delicata squash, onions, sliced almonds, and thyme. These tacos are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner or as part of your holiday brunch menu!
- Moreover, they are vegan and gluten-free.
- Making tacos is a great way to use the delicata squash and cranberry chutney in your refrigerator!
- The recipe also does not require any additional cooking utensils or cookware, making it a perfect quick weeknight meal.
What to serve with this meal?
You can serve this meal with a variety of different items, but I would recommend serving it with:
- -Cranberry Chutney
- -Sour Cream
- -Avocado Salsa (or any other salsa you prefer)
- -Pico De Gallo or fresh tomatoes and onions diced up into small pieces. Serve them both so people can choose what they want to put on their tacos.
- If you are making these for vegetarians, omit the meat from the recipe and add some finely chopped vegetables like bell peppers, squash, carrots, mushrooms or broccoli instead! You could even go crazy with adding in more veggies like zucchini or eggplant if your heart desires. Be creative! There is no wrong way to make tacos.
- An additional suggestion for serving these tacos is to use corn tortillas if you can find them. I know that Trader Joe’s has a soft and fresh style of taco shells, but they are made with all sorts of different flours so check the label before purchasing!