Cauliflower Lentil Tacos

June 8, 2020

Tacos are always a good idea! Am I right? Who doesn’t love a good taco? There are so many delicious ways to stuff a taco. And yes, vegetarian tacos are a thing and they are delicious.

No disrespect to “faux” meat (e.g., meat made from a soy or pea protein), but I wanted to eat something more creative than a meat substitute. I love to eat REAL plants as much as possible and find these tacos to be so much more fun (which a taco should be) and satisfying (read: filling). This cauliflower and lentil taco filling is made with several different spices resulting in a flavor profile that a meat-substitute just could never match.

Here’s what we have with the taco:

Roasted cauliflower
Spiced lentils
Topped with crunchy cabbage, guacamole, jalapeños and cilantro
Corn tortillas

That’s it! It couldn’t be easier, healthier or more delicious.

And why limit yourself to just a taco shell? Try a burrito or a burrito bowl! Make a big batch of lentils and roasted cauliflower and you can make tacos or burrito bowls all week long.

And don’t feel like you need to limit yourself to the toppings I suggest. Try this taco filling with:

plant-based cheese
pico de gallo
pickled onion, radish or cabbage
avocado slices
Roasted corn

In short, you can have them however you like!

Cauliflower Lentil Tacos

A plate of tacos featuring a lentil and cauliflower filling, topped with guacamole, red cabbage and jalapeños.

Print Recipe

This plant-based taco filling is made with delicious roasted cauliflower and lentils, served with “quick” guacamole, jalapeño slices and red cabbage. Easy, healthy and satisfying!

Author: Jeannine Rowan
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 8 tacos 1x
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Scale

Roasted cauliflower:

1 head cauliflower
2 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Lentils:

3/4 cup brown lentils, picked over for debris and rinsed
2 teaspoon avocado or olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the taco assembly:

For garnish: sliced jalapeño, thinly sliced red cabbage, chopped cilantro (de-stemmed)
6 inch corn tortillas

Quick guacamole:

1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup cilantro, de-stemmed
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 small avocados or 2 large

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Instructions

For the cauliflower:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Chop one head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Coat with 2 teaspoons of oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast for 30 minutes, turning half-way through.
Note: If you can find it, I love to shake a little of the Chili Lime Seasoning Blend from Trader Joe’s on my cauliflower before roasting.

For the lentils:

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Sauté onion for about 5 minutes with a dash of salt. Add spices and tomato paste and stir for one minute over heat.
Add broth and lentils.
Raise heat to medium-high and cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes (until tender – you may need to add more broth if it all evaporates). Once lentils are tender, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and stir. Drain excess liquid (See notes below for Instant Pot recommendations).

For the guacamole:

Toss roughly chopped red onion, 1/4 cup cilantro, 2 tablespoon lime juice, 1 garlic clove and 1/4 teaspoon salt into food processor and chop.
Add flesh of 2 avocados and pulse until desired consistency. Add additional salt to taste.

To assemble tacos:

Heat corn tortillas in pan (cast-iron if you have it) until just starting to brown
Spread 1 tablespoon guacamole on a 6 inch tortilla
Layer 2 tablespoons lentils, 1/4 cup cauliflower and garnish as desired

Notes

I always use my Instant Pot to make lentils. If you have one, use the following instructions:

Reduce broth to 1.5 cups.
Using sauté function, sauté onion with a pinch of salt until just starting to soften on high. Add spices (except salt) and tomato paste and immediately turn off sauté function. Add lentils and coat with onion mixture. Add water/broth (do not add remaining salt as this may impede the cooking of the lentils).Give a good stir.
Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Press the Pressure Cook or Manual button to cook at high pressure for 9 minutes. When cooking cycle completes, immediately move the steam release valve to Venting (make sure to put a towel over the steam release valve so you do not burn your hand). Once the floating valve drops its safe to open the pot.
Stir the lentils. Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out.