Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
You're going to love this vegetarian lentil tacos recipe. Roasted cauliflower, seasoned lentils and creamy chipotle sauce combine to make a delicious taco!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
Pop quiz! What is a “pulse,” in food terms? Pulses are the edible seeds of legumes, including lentils, chickpeas, dry peas and beans. I’ve been a big fan of pulses ever since I stopped eating meat. All of a sudden, I was craving them and cooking them all the time.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. Pulses are packed with protein, fiber and iron. Did you know that one half-cup serving of cooked lentils has twice as many antioxidants as blueberries and twice as much protein as quinoa? Plus, they’re inexpensive and an important drought-resistant crop to many people around the globe. They’re definitely a crave-worthy food, whether you’re a meat eater or not.
I’m writing about pulses today because each year, the United Nations picks a topic of global interest. They named 2016 to be International Year of Pulses because of their significant health, economic and environmental benefits. Gearing up for 2016, the UN asked each country to submit one pulse recipe to represent their country. The USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council reached out to me to develop a recipe to be in the running. How cool is that?!
They are running a Facebook competition to pick the winner. With your help, my recipe could be selected as the National Signature Pulse Recipe for the U.S.! You can help me out by going to the USADPLC Facebook page, and voting for mine by Liking the photo. Please do! You’d make this food geek really happy. (Update: Voting is over, and this recipe won! Thank you tremendously for your support!)
Watch How to Make Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos
We’ll talk about these tacos when you get back. They’re a little out there, I know. I discovered that golden, roasted cauliflower makes a great taco filling when I was in Austin. It’s a little crispy, a little chewy and totally perfect.
I cooked up some lentils that are seasoned with onions, garlic, tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Top all that off with a drizzle of spicy, creamy chipotle sauce and some fresh cilantro, and you have one tasty taco. Not to mention, affordable and good for you, too!
Please let me know how these lentil tacos turn out for you in the comments! Looking for more fun taco recipes? I’ve got you covered right here.
Roasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
You’re going to love this vegetarian lentil tacos recipe. Roasted cauliflower, seasoned lentils and creamy chipotle sauce combine to make a delicious taco! Recipe yields 8 modestly portioned tacos.
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 large head of cauliflower, sliced into bite-sized florets
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Seasoned lentils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow or white onion
- 2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ cup brown lentils, picked over for debris and rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
Chipotle sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 to 3 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers) or chipotle hot sauce to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Everything else
- 8 small, round corn tortillas
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves*
Instructions
- To roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss cauliflower florets with enough olive oil to cover them in a light, even layer of oil. Season with salt and pepper and arrange the florets in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway, until the florets are deeply golden on the edges.
- Warm the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic with a dash of salt for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened and turning translucent. Add the tomato paste, cumin and chili powder and sauté for another minute, stirring constantly. Add the lentils and the vegetable broth or water. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes to 45 minutes, until the lentils are tender and cooked through. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and add more broth or water if the liquid evaporates before the lentils are done. Once the lentils are done cooking, drain off any excess liquid, then cover and set aside.
- To prepare the chipotle sauce, just whisk together the ingredients and set aside (if you have no choice but to use whole chipotle peppers from the can, use a blender to purée it all).
- Warm tortillas individually in a pan over medium heat. Stack the warm tortillas and cover them with a tea towel if you won’t be serving the tacos immediately.
- Once all of your components are ready, you can assemble your tacos! Top each tortilla with the lentil mixture, cauliflower, a drizzle of chipotle sauce and a generous sprinkle of chopped cilantro.
Notes
Make it vegan/dairy free/mayo free: Substitute vegan mayonnaise or, better yet, check out A Couple Cooks’ tahini chipotle sauce! (For what it’s worth, I tried making this sauce with yogurt and it really missed the mark. Mayo is much better.)
Make it gluten free: Be sure to use 100% corn, certified gluten-free tortillas.
Chipotle sauce tip: If you have leftover sauce and peppers, pour the leftovers into a small freezer bag, then squeeze the air out of the bag and flatten out the bag. Store it in the freezer, flat, and you can just pull off as much as you need and defrost it!
*Cilantro note: For those who dislike cilantro, substitute some fresh spring greens instead.
If you love this recipe: Check out my other taco recipes and lentil recipes!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This recipe was created for USDAPLC as part of their National Signature Recipe Contest and I was compensated for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
Wow, this was incredible. My kids gobbled up two tacos each! My 7 year old wasn’t a fan of the cauliflower, but couldn’t stop talking about how delicious the lentils were. My 3 year old at all of it! The chipotle sauce was so yummy, my husband saved some lentils & sauce for work tomorrow.
I didn’t change a thing, but I did add a cilantro-lime sour cream for the kids, since they tasted the pepper sauce and said “too spicy!”
I will definitely be making these all the time. Thank you!
Hooray! Hit with the kids, that’s wonderful. Thanks for sharing! Yes, the sauce could be a little much for a little one. You can always scale back the spice.
Delicious! Served with pan fried baby bellas too. So good.
Thank you, Natasha!
My partner and I have been doing a lot of experimenting with new recipes in this time and decided to go for this. We used green lentils (because that’s what we had) and they took about an hour to cook but HOLY MOSES. This recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will ABSOLUTELY be coming back to this over and over. We made it vegan w vegan mayo that was quite a bit thinner, added a red bell pepper to the lentil mixture while it was cooking down, and made them into burritos with fresh lettuce, avocado and lime. Seriously. 10/10 would absolutely recommend. Thank you so much for this. Incredible.
Whoa! These are AMAZING! I probably never would’ve thought to pair lentils & cauliflower in a taco but this flavor profile is delicious! And the chipotle cream took it over the top! Thanks Kate!
Right! Such a great combination. Thanks for the review, Colleen.
Is there another sauce that would make these equally amazing? I can’t eat spicy foods, so chipotle is out – I also don’t use smoked paprika.
Hmm… The chipotle sauce really helps make these so delicious. You could just use salsa and avocado. Or my avocado sauce for more creamy texture. Let me know what you think!
If you use the adobo, but not the pepper, it is not that spicy. If you reduce the amount of adobo to mayo it will be even less spicy. Chipotle is awesome. Give it a spin!
I love this recipe!
I do find that I need to allow about an hour for my lentils to cook (obviously adding more liquid; about an extra cup). That’s pretty easy if I remember to start earlier. I like to add very finely shredddd red cabbage for crunch and extra colour. Thank you! Lisa
I like the cabbage add! Thanks for sharing, Lisa.
These were absolutely amazing.
Hooray! Great to hear, Gail.
Do you by chance have a macro breakdown for this recipe? Was just told about this recipe today and can’t wait to try.. lentil suggestion?
The only nutritional information I have is below the notes section.
I’ve made this probably 4 times over the last two weeks because it’s THAT GOOD. The only thing I did differently was make the lentils in the instant pot.
Love that, Sarah! Thanks for the review.
I sautéed the garlic/onions in the instant pot first, then stirred in tomato paste and spices, sautéed a couple minutes more, then added water/broth, then lentils and pressure cooked for about 20 min then let steam release naturally for 10 minutes
How long did you cook in the instant pot? Did you just add everything in? Thanks!
I love this recipe. I keep going back to it. This is a staple dish in my house. Sometimes, I add a bit of sausage to lentils to mimic some of the ground meat taste and if a califlower head is too small, I had roast a can of garbanzo beans along with it to stretch out the dish. Finger licking good!
Thanks for sharing, Llana!
These were SO GOOD, Kate!!! Wow. That combo of flavors – amazing! I roasted some radishes alongside the cauliflower and they fit perfectly :)
I’m so happy you liked it, Jessica!
I cooked this for my boyfriend and I last night and we loved it! Great texture from the cauliflower and the lentils are super flavorful–we didn’t miss meat at all!
Great to hear, Kristina!
Really yummy with that buttery sweet cauliflower flavor.
Thank you for your review, Andrea!
These were lovely and I really enjoyed the chipotle mayo!! I’m going to make this again and add some beans and rice and make taco rice bowls! How long do you think the chipotle mayo lasts in the fridge?
That sounds delicious! It should keep well covered in the fridge for a few days.
This is now a regular meal at our house. I even served it at a dinner partywhen we had vegetarian guests. So good! I just found the “skip to recipe” button. I love it, because as much as I find your writing charming, I don’t need to read or scroll through t everytime. brilliant! I have it pinned so you keep getting hits. Nice work.
Thank you, Kathy!
This was really delicious! I would never have thought to use roasted cauliflower in a taco, but it was great! I substituted black lentils which I had on hand. Will definitely make this again!
I may have commented on these before, (and I’m sure my review was a rave) but the adobo sauce is worth the price of admission! I have since used this sauce for every taco night. It’s a big hit. Tonight I made it with plain 0% fat yogurt and it was just as delicious. So if anyone is hesitant bc they don’t like mayonnaise, give plain yogurt a try.
Thanks for sharing what you like to use, Beth!
I made this for my non-vegetarian 80 year old Mother. My daughter and I loved it, but Mom said she loved it so much she “would eat this everyday if possible”! The flavors were great! The only problem, was they were gone so fast we didn’t get to take a picture to post. I have already bought the ingredients to double the recipe for next family gathering!!! Thank you so much!
I love that! Thank you, Tracy.
Kate this was great!! :)
I’m glad you loved it!
After looking for a quick and easy recipe I stumbled upon this fabulous one. Fam loved it and made it twice since then. LOVE LOVE LOVE ….yum
Thanks, Julia!
This is one my favorite recipes. I add avocado and just turns it up a notch not that it needs it.
I’m glad this one is a favorite! Avocado is typically a great idea! Thanks for the review, Roger.
I made this as my inaugural vegetarian dish other than my typical stir fry. Wow what a delicious recipe. I am trying to reduce my meat intake and this makes it super easy!
Thank you for sharing, Matt!
I make this at least once a week. SO yummy. Absolutely love the sauce.
I love that, Meaghan! Thanks for your review.
Wow! This recipe is excellent! The combo of flavors is awesome! I was in a hurry so I opted for a pre-made chipotle aioli ( Sir Kensington) and added avocado! My carnivore boyfriend has requested this be added to our rotation. Will definitely make again soon and try making the chipotle aioli from scratch next time! So good, Kate! Thank you.
Thank you for sharing, Marissa!
These tacos were amazing!! Everyone in my family, including all the meat eaters, absolutely raved about how delicious they were. I served them with a side of elotes, and the whole meal is going into our regular rotation because of how easy, cheap to assemble, and super delicious it was. Thanks for the great recipe!
Great to hear, Kyrstyn!
I cooked lentils last night and thought this recipe would be a great way to use them up. Can I use already cooked lentils and just mix them with the tomato paste, onion, and spices? Thanks!
It will be a slightly different result since the lentils cook in the mixture, so I’m not sure how to adjust without trying it for myself. Saute it on the stove and let me know what you think.
My husband was skeptical at a meatless taco. But this was mind-blowingly delicious. We were full and still had another taco! I have already recommended the recipe to 3 people. I really wish I doubled the recipe!
Thanks for your review, Shaidah.
Making this for the 3rd time in 3 weeks. Our kids (ages 8 to 15) now like these better than the beef tacos I used to make. Really great dish; thank you for sharing it.
I love that, Kris!
Love this we couldn’t get dried lentils so used tinned and reduced the water but not the powdered stock. This will definitely be a regular on our table.
Thanks for sharing, Elle!
Not sure it was my cooking skills or the recipe that made the difference, but this dish was amazing!
My vegan roommates loved it!
Will try more recipes from your website!
Wonderful, Bas! Thanks so much for commenting.
WOW! I made this a few weeks ago, and my boyfriend and I are still talking about it. I was a bit hesitant but followed the instructions exactly and we were both blown away. I even had these for breakfast the next day! One of the unexpectedly best new things I’ve tried in a long time. Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Jessie! I’m happy you love them.
Not a big fan of the mayo sauce did a plain yogurt one instead with franks red hot and it was perfect. Also topped with a cabbage/pickled jalapenos/cilantro/basil/rice wine vinegar/lemon juice slaw and it was very fresh and tasty. Really liked the lentil base idea for something new and vegetarian.
I’m glad you liked it with your substitution!
This was absolutely FANTASTIC. My husband and I gobbled this dish up! Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. I followed the directions to the letter and it just could not have been any better.
You’re welcome, Paula!
Amazing!! That’s it, lol
Thank you for sharing, Karen!
Thank you so much for this recipe.
I thought the only good tacos had beef in them — Wrong.
Marvelous recipe and a delicious dinner. This is now a part of our rotation.
Stu
I’m excited you loved them! Thanks for sharing, Stu.
This recipe is incredible! I am a gluten free vegetarian so I can end up in a rut, making all my “usual” recipes sometimes. I LOVE lentils and “Mexican-inspired” dishes and never imagined I could blend those two flavors, but this recipe does so PERFECTLY! I made this vegan by using vegan mayo (and reduced the chipotle sauce because I’m not a huge fan of the smokey flavor), and the sauce was incredible! This is going in to the rotation and I’ll be perusing the rest of your recipes for new favorites too!
Thank you for sharing, Kelley!
My super fussy kids that never like anything loved this. I added cheese to cover the lentils so I could just get them to try it. A big hit in our house. We ran out of tortillas is the only downside!!
I think that is a great problem! Thank you for sharing, Angela.
This recipe looks so good! Thank you for sharing, Kate.
I want to know if the lentil mixture and the creamy sauce can each be made a day ahead w/o comprising the flavors.
Hi! This is a great left over dish! It’s best fresh, but I do really enjoy leftovers of this one.
These were amazing. I did everything step by step except I didn’t have cilantro… so went With the suggested alternative of spinach. I think I’ll keep it the same way for next time :-) Definitely worth it!
Thank you for sharing, Jenn!
Kate you are a GENIUS! Me and my boyfriend made this tonight and it was sooooooo yuuuuuuuuum. It’s so impressive how you come up with these unusual combinations or ingredients and flavours (we would have NEVER thought of lentils or cauliflower in Mexican cuisin), but you absolutely killed it!
I don’t know about genius, but I’m glad you loved them! Thanks for your review, Britta!
OMG!!! These tacos are SO SO good, the flavours are over the top delicious. Made them exactly as called for! When we ran out of tortillas we simply enjoyed the filling as a bowl. These will be part of our regular rotation for sure. Thanks so much Kate!!!
I’m glad you love them, Sheila!
Yummy! I made with crunchy tacos and shredded cabbage also! Love your recipes !
I absolutely love this recipe. To make it vegan, I use soaked cashews instead of mayo – it still comes out creamy and delicious! To have a little more for next day leftovers, I also add chopped sweet potatoes to the roasted cauliflower step. So yummy!
Thanks for sharing how you made this vegan, Angie!
Does the nutrition info include taco shells? I’ve made this a few times (love it!) and have severed more as a bowl sans shells and am wondering how this would affect nutrition/lower carb count!
Yes, for the ones I use!
We had this for dinner, made the sauce with vegan mayo (I’m allergic to eggs) and we absolutely loved it. My youngest couldn’t get enough of the cauliflower, my oldest ate spoonfuls of chipotle sauce, and he usually doesn’t even like mayo. We are definitely putting this on our list of favourite dinner options!
Thank you for sharing, Julie!
Yummy! It was so good, I had an extra serving. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you, Kate! I am a mostly-vegetarian who has lived in Ireland for over four years after 22 years living in Texas. Let’s just say, I miss tacos – GOOD ones. I miss them so bad that it’s the first meal I get whenever I visit the U.S. I finally found a Mexican food distributor here that doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for corn tortillas (impossible to find here), as well as chipotle peppers, and even masa harina. Within a day I had my order, fully intending to make my own tortillas as she was sold out, but she gave me a free package of tortillas to try. No time to waste and my day was made! ANYway… clearly excited, I set out to make this recipe. With a few adjustments based on what I had: a small head each of cauliflower and broccoli; and homemade mayonnaise with wholegrain mustard (it’s what I had); and sadly, no cilantro…
Holy cow, woman! I have never made such delicious tacos. I would seriously sell these if I wasn’t going to eat them all myself. The broccoli was wonderful and added a bit of charred crispiness. The sauce was a perfect heat (I used 3 tablespoons of adobo sauce) to bring to the veggies.
You’re a genius!
You’re so sweet, Jennifer! Thanks so much for your review. I really appreciate it.
Yum, yum. We made it vegan with the tahini Chipotle sauce. The flavors and textures were on the mark. 5 stars for sure!
This was terrific!! I think the only changes I made were using frozen cauliflower to roast, and using Better than Bouillon veggie broth base to cook the lentils, and it turned out delicious! Thank you for helping me to try out some healthier, meatless recipes :)
Our family have just decided to be more vegetarian with our diets and this was the first “vegetarian” recipe I followed. Wow!! These are absolutely delicious and everyone LOVED them. I can’t believe how easy these were to make and they pack a punch with flavor! We did not miss the meat at all and will definitely be making these for friends and family when they come for dinner. Thank you for such a great, easy, and tasty vegetarian meal. Its very encouraging for us “newbie” vegetarians to have such a success in the kitchen!
I’m glad these were such a hit, Emma. I appreciate your comment and review!
I stumbled across this recipe and “the creamy chipotle” is what got my attention as I love chipotle. Made this dish for my husband and neighbour and let’s just say we didn’t talk very much while eating these tacos! Absolutely amazing – all the flavours gelled together and the flavours bouncing around in our mouths – we couldn’t get enough of them! Definitely a keeper and I will be making this again. Will also be a staple added to my collection of dishes to remake.
I’m glad you stumbled on it and loved it, Trixie!