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.
PrintRoasted Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Mexican
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 Information
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!
michelle @ Boards&knives
Wow! I learned a new term today! Congrats on being included in such a prestigious contest – I voted for you!
Kate
Thank you, Michelle!
Tanya
I love love love pulses! Such a great source of vegan protein. Really good for the body! These tacos are making my mouth water. You took two of my favourite things – cauliflower and lentils- and turned them into this beautiful dish. Here in India, lentils are an everyday dish in the form of dal. Try it sometime :)
Kate
Thanks, Tanya! I love dal! I need some dal recipes on the site, working on that soon!
Cara's Healthy Cravings
You got my vote, looks delish!!
Matt Robinson
Not only do these look amazing, they’re good for you too. LOVE them!
Trisha
Genius flavor combination here, Kate! I seriously cannot get enough roasted cauliflower, and I bet the addition of the lentils and creamy adobo sauce is fantastic! Pinned. :)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
Protein + veggie filled tacos are where it’s aaaaaat!! These look perfect Kate!
Alexa @ SweetLittleKitchen
Voted for you, good luck :) I am a total sucker for chipotle sauce and lentils, so these tacos sound delightful!
Kate
Thank you, Alexa!
Elise
omg this looks good
Tina
These look so delicious! Voting for you now!
Cassie
Ooooh, now I want tacos!
Kelly
Looks delicious!!!
Claudia
This is such a good idea! So cheap, healthy and actually full of flavour – roasted cauliflower is the best! I definitely need to use ingredients like these more often.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
Just voted for ya! And oh my goodness, these are MY kind of tacos! I adore roasted cauliflower and pulses of all kinds, especially lentils. And chipotle sauce… yep, you’ve got me sold!
Kate
Thank you, sweet Angela!
Deepthi
Voted for you! All the best!
Kate
Thank you, Deepthi!
Julia Roberts
Looks delicious although never tasted it before. Plan to make this one day. And thanks for the post and good luck.
Cindy
Made these last night – they were excellent! Even got great reviews from my teenagers. Thanks!!
Kate
Hooray, thanks Cindy!
Anna
Just voted for your recipe, Kate. I will try it out this weekend. Thanks for introducing a new food term, pulse. I sometimes crave lentils, chickpeas and other seeds and find it interesting that the food high I get from eating them comes from eating pulse – as in life force.
Lolette Stephenson
Thank you for this recipe !! I shared it on FB but I can’t find your recipe on the site to like it
:(( if you could post a direct link to that photo of your tacos I will be sure to like it
Kate
Hi Lolette, thank you for your support! I’m sorry you had trouble finding the photo. Here it is!
Janice
Have you used red lentils in this recipe? Looks amazing. Hope you win!
Kate
Hi Janice, I have not, but I bet they would work well. They won’t retain their shape like the brown lentils do, but I think they would be great anyway!
Nicole
I just made these for dinner – WOW! They were so tasty. I immediately liked the fb photo! Hopefully you win.
Kate
Thank you, so much, Nicole!
stacey
Yea for 2016 International Year Of The Pulses! I’m rooting for you, Kate.
Did I miss the chickpeas?
Kate
Oops! My original concept was to include chickpeas with the lentils, but I liked the tacos without better. Thanks for pointing out my copy and paste error, just fixed it!
Nicole
These look fantastic! I was just talking to my husband about how incredible lentils are. Cheap, packed with protein, and eaten all over the world. I can’t wait to try these tacos.
Deanna
I can’t wait to make this for dinner tomorrow! It looks amazing and I’ve been mad about cauliflower lately. I love roasting them with some nutritional yeast.
Gaby
This is such a creative and delicious looking taco recipe!
April
I made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious! I made two changes- I used sour cream instead of mayo in the sauce and I added the cilantro to the lentils instead of using as a topping. Thanks for another great dinner!
Kate
Great ideas! Thank you, April!
Joshua Hampton
These tacos look awesome. I want to pluck them off my screen and stuff them in my mouth. Liked your photo on FB; I hope you win the contest.
Jane
Made these tonight and they were just delicious! I forgot to buy tomato paste at the store, but used three tablespoons of tomato puree (I did a little extra to make up for what I figured would have been the more assertive flavor of the paste) and the lentils came out just fine anyway. Definitely a keeper!
Kate
Thank you, Jane! So glad you enjoyed the tacos!
Linsey
DANG–these are pretty amazing! Quite possibly the best veg taco I’ve had. I am glad I doubled everything for lunches tomorrow! Delicious, and thanks for an easy way to make a great-tasting sauce. I think I’m going to try the chipotle next time with greek yogurt.
Kate
Hooray, thank you Linsey!
Mary Johnston
I made these tonight and my husband and I loved them. We live in a small town in the mid-west and can’t find chipotle peppers, so I added a couple of tablespoons of sriracha to the “just mayo”. We have plenty left over for breakfast. We voted for you on the USDA site and will post a picture on Instagram. Thank you
Kate
Mary, thank you so much! So glad you both enjoyed the tacos.
LuAnn
These tacos are amazing. Thank you for the great recipe. I voted for you, good luck!
Kate
Thank you, LuAnn!
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life
Kate these are gorgeous looking! When I turned vegetarian I became a lifelong friend of pulses too! What a beautiful food for the earth to provide to us to nourish our bodies – and they make great tacos! I can’t wait to try this roasted cauliflower version and that chipotle sauce! You definitely have my vote :)
Angela
Made this for dinner on Saturday -enjoyed by all! I did not have to drain the (green) lentils and the leftovers will be used for vegetable bowls this week.
Kate
Glad to hear it, Angela! Thank you for letting me know. I bet your vegetable bowls were tasty!
Oat&Sesame
Yum! I love lentils! They actually kept me afloat during my “livebelowtheline” challenge this year. I have a bunch left and this is a great recipe to use them in! Good luck with the contest!
Notes on Tea
What a coincidence – I have the two main ingredients in my fridge! Lucky for me, my lentils are already cooked.
Tessa | Natural Comfort Kitchen
ALL of those contest recipes look amazing! I will say, though, I voted for yours :) I discovered lentil tacos myself a while ago but I’m pumped to try them with your sauce recipe. Yum!
cecilia
I voted for you on facebook through my husband account. Go Kate!!!
Kate
Thank you for your vote, Cecilia!
cecilia
And I made those tacos tonight, it was fantastic although I have to admit that I cheated and bought the chipotle sauce from the store;) My husband who is a meat lover really loved them as well!
Kate
Thanks, Cecilia! Glad you two enjoyed the tacos. I’m all for shortcuts!
laurasmess
These sound gorgeous!!! Yay for the year of the pulses too – they’ve been underrated by so many people for so long! Definitely a sustainable and delicious form of protein. Love the idea of the creamy chipotle sauce… mmm :) xx
kelly | kelly's ambitious kitchen
these tacos look amazing! just added them to my menu plan for next week! good luck in the contest – i voted for ya =)
Kate
Thanks, Kelly! I appreciate it! Hope you love the tacos.
Kay
We made the cauliflower and lentil tacos this weekend and loved them. My husbands only request was to have more cauliflower available! Really tasty!
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Kay!
Plant Powered Pediatrician
These were fabulous! My kids loved them too. Used shredded cabbage and guac. Glad I doubled the recipe for leftovers.
Kate
Hooray! Thank you for letting me know!
Joanne
Any vegetarian that DOESN’T eat pulses is just crazy…they are so good! I love the earthy flavor of lentils, and their great texture. So perfect in these tacos!
Denise
I made this tonight for Cinco de Mayo. Very tasty! I added cayenne red pepper to the lentils for an extra kick and used sour cream instead of mayo in the chipotle sauce. Thank you for the great recipe.
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Denise!
Zell
I was SO pleasantly surprised at how amazing this was. I loved the spice from the sauce and the lentils (I used green lentils, they had a great bite to them), everything paired very nicely together. I will definitely be making this again!
Kate
Thank you, Zell! So glad you enjoyed the tacos!
Ellen Lederman
Here I was just singing your praises while having your curried cauliflower soup—and now you do more wonders with roasted cauliflower. Definitely having this next week. Even bought Eziekel tostada wrappers for it.
Voted for you—the least I could do with all the good eating you’ve given us.
Kate
Thank you, Ellen! Hope you love the tacos. I really appreciate your support!
Ellen Lederman
Made these today. My taste buds are still singing! A woman tonight at my tai chi class, incredulous that I am a vegan (“So you can’t eat anything?” Uh—I eat lots of stuff!) changed her tune when I told her about the tacos that I made for lunch. She admitted they sounded really good. Then she asked if I bought the cauliflower and lentils already made. Is it so incredible that some of us like to cook and find it a mindful, healthful, creative activity? Then again, she doesn’t know about sites like yours that would so greatly expand her eating options (and health).
This was simple to make and provided such a depth and richness of flavors (not to mention the nutrition of lentils and cauliflower). Made the recipe as is, except for using vegan homemade mayo from silken tofu and for not using corn tortillas. Used Eziekel sprouted grain tostada wrappers–have you had them? Maybe not as authentic as corn tortillas, but very nutritious.
I love spicy foods but find a lot of blog/cookbook authors are wimpy with heat. You obviously share the high tolerance—I couldn’t have had this any hotter.
Thanks for yet another terrific recipe. (And for the photos of Cookie—I so enjoy her coloring, as well as her happy vibe—love the recent photo with the rhubarb cake where it looks like she is standing with joyful anticipation, begging for a piece. She must be such a great companion.)
Kate
Hi Ellen! Your classmate is missing out on some fantastic plant-based meals, so that bums me out! I spent the weekend at a retreat learning all about the latest research and benefits of plant proteins and so forth. So glad you enjoyed these tacos! I’ll keep an eye out for those tostada wrappers. I always say, the spicier the better, and try to provide a range of spice so everyone can find their match! I’m always at the top of the spectrum myself. ;) Cookie says hello. She is my best friend and beloved little clown dog.
Trish
Kate, all I can say is WOWZA! Ok, going to add a little more ;) My son and husband loved, loved, loved this as did I. I’m vegan so I made the chipotle sauce with a good quality vegan mayo. I didn’t have any cilantro but I did have a small bunch of fresh kale so I shredded that up in my processor and we topped off our soft tacos with that. There is no way I can wait longer than a week to make this again. THANK YOU!! You make me into a good cook LOL. My husband told my son this evening, as we’re stuffing our faces with your recipe, that he (my son) should be thankful that mommy finds and cooks different, delicious meals each night ;) Oh, Friday night, I’m making myself the brussels sprout pizza sans cheese :) Will let you know how it turns out!
Thanks again, Kate!
Kate
Thank you, Trish! So glad you all enjoyed the tacos. Sounds like you have a pretty sweet family. Do let me know about the pizza! :)
B.J.
Awesome, awesome, awesome. Thank you so much for all the delicious recipes. I’ve been visiting the site and making your meals for quite sometime and you have made me a culinary hero! Your recipes have helped to tip the scales towards a mostly vegetarian diet that is more tasty than I could have ever imagined. Thanks for creating this bright spot on the web! For some reason though, the “Rate this recipe” would only let me make it 3stars
Kate
B.J., thank you! Your comment made my day. :)
Dani
Oh my gosh. SO GOOD! I made this two nights ago, had leftovers last night, and just might make it again tonight. Can I give it 10 stars?
ps I voted for you before I even tried it ;)
Anne
I think my husband and I talked with our mouths full thoughout dinner, every bite saying “oh my god this is so good.” I have not yet embraced the lentil in my life but this recipe made me a believer.
A little crumbled feta on top didn’t hurt these tacos.
Kate
Yessss! Victory! :) Thank you, Anne.
AR Fan
These tacos are outstanding!!!!! Kate, you should have heard us while eating these. It went like this: “mmm… these are delicious——— mmmmmmm these are soooo good——- mmm… I love these!” :D Thanks for posting such an amazing recipe!
Kate
Hooray! Thank you!
Madeline
Just made this! Fantastic! Did it without the tortillas, just topped the cauliflower and lentils with the sauce.
Voted, too!
All of your recipes are so delicious. Every time I talk to the friend of mine who recommended your blog, I thank her!
Kate
Thank you, Madeline! Delighted to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes. Next time, please tell you friend thank you from me, too! :)
Janne Swearengen
We had this last night for supper. It was awesome!! Tried both corn and whole wheat soft tacos and enjoyed tremendously. We will share pictures and a link to your site on our The Elf in the Kitchen blog next Sunday. Love your site!
Kate
Janne, that’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing on your blog!
Dianita
Sounds delicious, I will try them for sure. On a side note, you can also substitute the mayonnaise with greek yogurt for your creamy chipotle sauce. It adds nice acid flavor without being so greasy and actually tastes good with veggies by itself. We use this as sandwich and salad dressing instead of store bought ones.
Kate
Thanks, Dianita! I did a side-by-side comparison with yogurt and mayo and mayo won for me, but it sounds like you’re partial to yogurt! Hope you love the tacos.
Ally
Tried the recipe last week and not only was it simple to make, it was crazy yummy! I honestly didn’t even need the chipotle sauce, the lentils and cauliflower alone were good enough. Thanks for sharing; it will definitely be made again!
Kate
Thanks, Ally! So glad you enjoyed it!
Edita
Just finished eating the best tacos ever! It was the first time I had roasted cauliflower and I was very surprised how good it is! Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Kate
Hooray, thanks Edita! So glad you enjoyed them!
Meghan
I just made these for dinner and they were amazing! I have a ton of chipotle cream left over so I’ll just have to make them again :)
Kate
Yay! Really happy to hear it, Meghan.
Amy
We just made these for dinner last night. Soooo good. Even the meat eating husband was so distracted by the taste that he didn’t ask “where’s the meat?
Kate
Awesome!!! Thank you, Amy!
Jen Schoshinski
Hi Kate! I had been wanting to make this recipe since I first saw it on your blog earlier this month…last night my husband and I had the tacos for dinner and we couldn’t. stop. eating. They were soooo good! The roasted cauliflower flavor was really interesting (in a great way!), the lentil mixture was yummy, and the sauce!! So good. In my head I keep finding other things I can schmear that smoky, spicy deliciousness on. Thanks for another great recipe. :)
Kate
Thank you, Jen! Delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tacos so much. Hope you find some more to try soon!
Maureen Schulz
Fabulous! I made these last night for dinner and my meat loving husband LOVED them!! (So did I!). We can’t wait to make them again. The creamy chipotle sauce makes this dish really stand out. Thank you! I just found your website a couple of weeks ago and love your recipes. Also, major dog lover!
Kate
Thank you, Maureen! So glad you found my blog and enjoyed these tacos. Cookie says hi!
Robin
I made these last night and they were super easy, delicious and filling. I didn’t make the sauce and I thought they were still great and would definitely make them again. Thank you!
Tricia
I have never left a comment on a recipe before, but these were just too delish not to! Even my husband (a meat craving man!) was licking his fingers clean afterwards. So, so, so good! Thanks so much!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Tricia!
Liz
This was delicious! My whole family LOVED it. Thank you so much. I am so glad I found your website. The only note I have is that it took my lentils a lot longer than 35 minutes to soften. Was I supposed to soak them first? I added lots more water and cooked for closer to an hour. Thanks again for the delicious recipe!
Kate
Hi Liz! I’m so glad you found my site, too! I’m guessing your lentils may have been older/more dried out than mine—this could totally depend on where you bought them and how long they sat at the store.
Shiraz
It’s been a while since I’ve been on here and I’m so happy to be back! Made these tonight after fasting all day. They were very delicious and economical. Chipotle Veganaise is a wonderful substitute for regular mayonnaise! Thank you, Kate!
Kate
Glad you’re back, Shiraz! Delighted to hear that you enjoyed these tacos, too!
Tim B
Bit of a pilgrimage to find Chipotles in adobo in Sydney, but find them I did.
Phenomenally tasty recipe, Kate. First I’ve tried but certainly not the last!
Kate
Well, I’m so glad you found them! Thank you, Tim! Hope you enjoy the other recipes just as much.
Margaret
I love the flavor combinations, But my corn tortillas fell apart when I put the filling in them.
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that, Margaret! I haven’t had that problem with tacos in the past, so I’d suggest buying a different brand next time.
Janette
I had these for dinner tonight and they were delicious!
I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you for your recipes.
I love trying new stuff.
Kate
Thank you, Janette! So glad you enjoyed these. Thanks for letting me know!
Cindy
Delicious! This is the second recipe I’ve tried off your site and a second hit in my book! (First recipe was sweet potato black bean tacos). Love the flavor and the Chipotle sauce is a definite winner!
Kate
Thanks, Cindy! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes!
Laura
So, a couple of things. First, thanks for the recipe. :) I was excited to see such an healthy, non-traditional combination of taco fillings. Secondly, for some reason, this recipe didn’t turn out as I was expecting. The lentils took a lot longer to cook that stated–approximately 20 minutes longer. I had to add liquid several times until the lentils were no longer crunchy. Maybe because they were a little aged? Not sure. Anyway, the resulting lentils were almost doubled in size as a result, so now I have a lot of leftover lentils. Not to worry, they will make for a good salad topping. The other thing was the corn tortillas fell apart in our hands as we were eating them. Maybe the brand? Anyway, the flavors were excellent, and I would make this again, giving myself more time to prepare for the unexpected. We had some leftover avacado-lime sauce from a previous recipe, which we included along with the chipotle mayo, and it was fantastic. :)
Kate
Hi Laura! I’m bummed your tacos didn’t turn out perfectly. I think your guesses are correct—lentil cooking time varies quite a bit depending on their age. I just cooked up some fresh Bob’s Red Mill brand lentils and they were done at about 23 minutes. Did you warm the tortillas before bending them? That helps keep them pliable, and yes, some brands are just more fragile. Regardless, I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Melissa Field
I’ve finally figured out your flaw! Every time I make one of your delicious recipes I just can’t stop myself from eating and eating and eating! I made these for dinner tonight; who knew lentils and cauliflower could taste so good! Thanks for another great recipe!
Kate
Haha! Thanks, Melissa!
CJ
I made these for dinner tonight- fantastic! Even my non-veg husband loved them!!!
Kate
Thank you, CJ! That’s so great to hear!
Michelle
Congrats on winning the contest Kate! I made these for my family this weekend and we all gobbled them up (including my 1 1/2 and 3 1 1/2 year old kids). Your site is the only one I’ve found where EVERY, SINGLE recipe is amazing and turns out great! I can’t wait to get your book in 2017. :)
Kate
Thank you so much, Michelle! Your comment made my day.
Rhonda
Oh my word, these tacos are delicious! I made them last night, but a few hours beforehand my oven stopped working so I boiled the cauliflower and then sautéed it to get a little browning on it. I also topped each one with a thin slice of avocado. My 17 year old son pronounced it a “10 out of 10” after wolfing down three of them. I will most certainly make these again. Thanks for the recipe Kate, and for your beautiful, appetizing pictures as well.
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Rhonda. Glad you made it work even without an oven!
Beth
Second time trying one of your recipes, second time having a huge hit with the family! I will note like others that I had to add water to the lentils, even though I followed your proportions exactly. Not sure why but I wanted to give a heads up for those who don’t watch simmering pots closely. Also, we usually use flour instead of corn tortillas, and they hold up better. I think they are considered less “authentic” in terms of tacos, but it’s what my family is used to.
Congrats on winning the contest. I hope you enjoyed your trip to NYC!
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Beth. I just amended the recipe to suggest adding more liquid if necessary. Glad you enjoyed these!
Gabrielle
I made these for dinner the other night and they way exceeded my expectations! So delicious. Definitely going to be one of my go to’s!
Kate
Thanks, Gabrielle! Glad to hear it!
Kate
Thank you, Gabrielle! I’m glad to hear it!!
Mariah Harvey
Hi Kate! Congrats on being selected for this recipe. It looks so delicious and healthy. However, I have a vendetta against chipotle sauce. Actually, I just don’t like it personally. But I really think these tacos look SO great. Do you have any recommendations for a substitute sauce? Or would this recipe still be delicious without any sauce?
Kate
Hi Mariah! I like the chipotle sauce because it gives the tacos a creamy, spicy kick. Do you have a favorite hot sauce? If so, I’d say just add that to the mayo, to taste.
Beth
These were fantastic. Like others have mentioned, I had to add water to my lentils and they took about 45 minutes to cook. So if you are lazy about watching your simmering pot, beware. Loved the adobo sauce. Tonight we are trying the brussel sprout, tofu and honey glaze recipe. I’ll comment on that when I’m done. Kate I’m having a good time with your recipes!
Kate
Woop! Glad you enjoyed this one, too.
Kristina W.
These were amazing! They tasted so good and were easy to make too! I loved them so much I brought my leftovers to work so others could try them!
Kate
Yay, thanks Kristina! I hope your coworkers enjoyed them, too!
Amiee
I made this last night and it was fantastic! I used Greek Yogurt instead of mayo for the sauce and it was tasty :) Thanks!!!
Kate
Happy to hear it! Thank you, Amiee.
Tanya
Kate, I have to admit that when I first saw this I was bit scared to make it. Of course, based on how delicious your other recipes are, I should have known better. Well, no need to fear….this is soooo delicious!!!! Another winner for sure, even my nonvegan family loved this.
Kate
Hooray! I’m so glad, Tanya. Thanks for letting me know.
Sarah
Ummm…these are mind blowing good. I told my husband that they are better than any ground beef taco I’ve ever had. The lentils give them “meat-like” heft but they are much more flavorful. Delicious…thanks for the recipe!
Kate
Yay!!! Thank you, Sarah.
Liz Chalmers
I guess I’m late to the party! These cauli-lentil tacos were as delicious as they looked in your post! Thanks for another great recipie, Kate!
Kate
Thank you, Liz! Happy to hear that! :)
Mindy
Made these tonight for the family, they were a hit! The roasted cauliflower and chipotle sauce were what put them over the top!
Jenifer Steele
Made these tacos last night – absolutely delish! We both loved the recipe and will fixing this again soon. We used French lentils and they took a long time to cook – good job we started early! Keep up the good work – we’re new to your blog and enjoying it a lot.
Kate
Thank you, Jennifer! So glad to hear you’re enjoying my recipes! :)
Sherry
Wow. My husband doesn’t think its a meal unless there is 90% meat on his plate. He was very skeptical while I was making these, but really turned around after tasting them. They were delicious! He said he didn’t even miss the meat. Trying to be healthy in 2016! Thanks for the help with an awesome recipe!
Kate
Victory!!! Thank you for letting me know, Sherry. Happy to hear it!
Annie
We loved this, so good. Only thing is my chipotle sauce was really thick. The adobo sauce I bought was more of a paste, wondering if I bought the wrong thing. Now that my husband is willing to have vegetarian meals I am having fun cooking!
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed the tacos! Not sure what kind of chipotle sauce you found, but I’m glad the sauce turned out well anyway. I buy small cans of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the Mexican section of grocery stores.
Sondra
Super yummy! I love how simple yet bright in flavor the cauliflower is. Definitely making it again.
Two tacos was enough for me and my man each. Thanks for another satisfying recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Sondra! Glad you two enjoyed the tacos!
Cassie Dee
I just made these tacos for my boyfriend tonight, and holy wow! He loved them! This was actually the first recipe I followed exactly that came out perfect, and tastes amazing. Finally, I found a recipe on Pinterest that we BOTH love. The cauliflower was actually a little too done, but it added another layer of flavor and a few of the crunchy bits made it even more delicious.
Thank you for being so awesome! We will definitely be trying more of your recipes in the future!
Kate
Thank you for your comment, Cassie! So glad you both enjoyed these tacos. I love those caramelized cauliflower pieces. I hope you love all the other recipes just as much! I work hard to make them easy to follow. :)
Ava
I want to make these tomorrow – I have canned lentils. Would that work? How should I modify?
Lauren
One of my goals going into 2016 was to be more conscientious about the meat I’m eating. I envisioned making trips to the local butcher and farmers market every couple weeks to stock up on expensive cuts, but instead, I cut corners by looking up meatless recipes. I found your blog back in early January and was wowed by the recipes–they all look so simple, healthy, and flavorful. My husband (still a die-hard meat eater) and I have enjoyed every recipe we’ve tried so far and I think I’m officially on a mission to try every one of your recipes before I even start cooking with meat again.
For the past few weeks I’ve been meaning to leave a comment about how happy I’ve been with your recipes, but I couldn’t even finish putting leftovers in the fridge before professing my love for these tacos. The flavors were delicious and balanced and the chipotle cream sauce was perfectly fresh and spicy. My husband and a friend of ours were both complimenting me on the awesome tacos…I owe it all to you!
I’ll do my best to keep commenting on other recipes I try (and I’ll be trying a LOT). As I was reading about you I was also ecstatic to see you live in Kansas City–I’ve lived here my whole life!
Markie
My husband and I LOVE this recipe! Amazing flavors. Thank you for helping me turn my meat-loving husband into a lentil taco fan! Your recipes are fantastic and much appreciated.
bev
Sooo flavourful..gonna be one of my new favs!
Evelyn
Made this for the umpteenth time last night, and it was again so good… in fact, I had such a huge craving for these I couldn’t put them out of my head, and then cycled ten kilometers to the nearest place I know where they sell chipotle peppers (they’re not so easy to come by in my country). The combination seemed so odd to me when I saw this posted first, but it’s now in fact one of my favourite recipes of your website (and that says something). I also tried the tahini sauce and it was lovely too, but your creamy spicy chipotle mayonnaise cannot be topped for me.
Rebecca
I found this recipe in the Optimum Wellness magazine and pulled it out right away. I made it last night and my whole family loved it, including my 8 year old and 4 year old and my husband said he didn’t even miss meat and thought they were amazing!! I love that you used two high fiber ingredients to make these!
Sharma
This recipe is delicious. For anyone who might be debating the cilantro, go for it. It really compliaments the rest of the dish…. Next time I might use two heads of cauliflower.
Dina
This is hands down the most delicious vegan taco EVER! I dream about it and make it all the time. Tonight I’m going to try to shortcut and buy the ready cooked lentils and add all the seasonings. I hope it works out! Also, if you have a whole foods store nearby, they sell a Chipotle veganaise and it’s the bomb.com with these tacos. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful, healthy, delicious recipe! I can’t say enough how amazing it is!!!!
Genevieve
This is the third recipe I make from your blog and I absolutely love everything you do! They are always super tasty and healthy. My boyfriend now loves vegeterian food. I am for sure going to add more of your recipes to my life because they are delecious!
Keep up the amazing work :)
Love from Montreal,
Gen
Roger Dodd
These tacos are an omg experience. I fixed them for my honey her comment was when are you going to do again. I will be fixing for company. the spicy lentils were good the roasted cauliflower are a must but the chipotle mayo takes it to a new level.
Ashwin Powell
Wow, Kate, another winner of a recipe! We are putting this dish on our dinner rotation. Lentils were flavourful, complemented the cauliflower perfectly. And that zippy chipotle mayo was AH-mazing. I used it as a veggie dip for my lunch the next day, but really could have just used my fingers as a dip vehicle :)
Julie
I made these tacos and they were delicious! The cauliflower was great, but if you don’t have any, the lentil filling alone makes these tacos great!
Megan Rich
So delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I’ve made these before and making them again tonight!