Cauliflower tacos? Spicy riced cauliflower and lentils make a delicious but light vegan taco filling. Gluten-free too!
Welcome to the latest edition of Cauliflower Magic Tricks! In today’s exciting episode, our hero will enter a food processor as an ordinary head of cauliflower only to emerge as…RICE! And then that rice will, through the use of culinary arts, be transformed into a delicious, spicy, low-calorie filling for tacos.
In past episodes, Cauliflower has been magically transformed into vegetable steaks, a creamy alfredo sauce, creamy mashed potatoes, and a rich Indian curry sauce. Today will be Cauliflower’s first attempt on this blog to become a grain.
Our hero has been performing this trick to much acclaim on other blogs (see notes at the bottom), but until this moment has not dared to attempt it on the site of an avowed brown rice lover. The stakes are high. Let’s see if Cauliflower can pull this off…
Ta da! Cauliflower magically transformed into rice–or, at least, something that looks like rice and behaves like it but has a fraction of the calories.
Cauliflower rice has been playing to packed houses for years. Here are some of its best performances:
- Red Lentil Soup with Cauliflower Rice, here on FFVK
- Savoury Cauliflower Rice from Tinned Tomatoes
- Cauliflower “Spanish Rice” from A Veggie Venture
- “Cauliflower Rice” with Fried Onions and Sumac at Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Cauliflower “Risotto” with Fresh Basil from Alisa Cooks
- Cauliflower Rice at Nami-Nami
Lentil and Cauliflower Rice Taco Filling
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentils uncooked, or 3 cups cooked lentils
- 3 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large head cauliflower (or 24-32 ounces of frozen riced cauliflower)
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons mild chili powder divided
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne pepper to taste
- Generous grating black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- If you’re starting with uncooked lentils, rinse and drain them and place in a medium-sized saucepan with 3 cups of water, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and a little salt, if desired. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare the cauliflower “rice” by removing the leaves and bottom stem from the cauliflower. Grate the cauliflower using either a box grater or the food processor to produce rice-sized pieces. To use the food processor, cut the cauliflower into quarters and then cut or break each quarter into pieces. Process one quarter at a time, pulsing on and off, until grated. Be careful not to over-process or you’ll have cauliflower dust! (If you’re using frozen cauliflower rice, skip this entire step and just add it to the pan, still frozen, in the next step.)
- Once the cauliflower is grated, heat a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown. Add the cauliflower and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder and continue cooking until the cauliflower is tender, about 4 more minutes.
- Drain the lentils well and add them to the skillet. Add the remaining chili powder and all remaining seasonings. Cook on medium until heated through and flavors are combined. Add salt to taste.
- Makes about 7 cups of filling. To serve, place about 1/3 cup of filling in a small corn tortilla and garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, and any other fillings you like. Serve with salsa. Allow about 3 tortillas per person. (Here’s how to make your own tortillas.)
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please Pin and Share:
Arlene
April 12, 2013 at 7:18 pmJUST finished eating these for dinner and can I just say, AMAZING! What a great great recipe 🙂 Never would’ve thought of that one on my own. my daughters (ages 6 & 8) couldn’t believe they were meat free. I put the taco ‘innards’ over a bed of spinach with some lime and hot sauce too and it was like a yummy taco salad. Thank you!
Sara
April 13, 2013 at 11:36 amSusan,
I was feeling hungry for a warm breakfast and I remembered this post, so I got out the half head of cauliflower and cooked lentils left over from a curry and threw together a half batch of your taco filling. I make up my own chili spice blend using dried green chili, so I used that instead of all the spices in the recipe. I also had half of a block of extra-firm regular tofu in the fridge, so I added it and transformed the dish into a fabulous tofu scramble-like filling for a couple of warmed corn tortillas. I topped them with salsa and . . . Best breakfast ever! Thanks for the enticing photo and great recipe!
Dawn
April 14, 2013 at 1:18 pmDelicious! Kind of reminded me of a picadillo. I’m eating it by the bowlful topped with sliced green olives.
Lisa Magoulas
April 15, 2013 at 12:33 pmOMG this sounds fabulous! Definitely going to try it. I just so happen to have all the ingredients. 🙂
moonwatcher
April 15, 2013 at 6:15 pmHi Susan,
This filling makes a great warm taco salad. I tossed greens with lime juice and ground flax, cut up some baked sweet potato and put on top of that, then a heaping serving of the taco filling, then a little spoonful of crushed pineapple and tomatillo salsa, and some cubes of avocado. A little extra lime juice. Heavenly!
moonwatcher
Amy
April 22, 2013 at 9:27 pmWow! This was a definite winner. Made for a great summer meal. I served it with your zucchini noodles with peanut sauce (https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2013/04/zucchini-noodles-with-sesame-peanut-sauce.html) My husband and I loved it.
Marsha
April 29, 2013 at 10:29 amI can’t wait to make this!!
Denise
April 30, 2013 at 8:32 pmWe enjoyed the cauliflower tacos tonight. Although the cauliflower flying all over my kitchen when I was grating it was annoying. But cleaning up the mess was a worthy sacrifice for such a low calorie dish. My husband never was fond of cauliflower, but he has enjoyed the steaks, the cauliflower cream sauce and now the rice. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Charlotte
May 12, 2013 at 11:35 amI made these last week and loved them. My omni husband said “we can have these again.” I made a taco salad with the leftovers for lunch the next day with a dressing of salsa with a bit of vegan mayo added. It was great!
Brenda
May 15, 2013 at 9:06 pmMade this tonight and it was wonderful! I used the rice/lentil filling for a taco salad, serving it on shredded lettuce. Topped with salsa and your cauliflower cheese sauce, it was ridiculously tasty.
stephc102
May 21, 2013 at 9:54 amI originally sent this recipe to my daughter to try out with her boys and she kind of just ignored me so I took her all the ingredients one day and we made it for lunch. It is now a family favorite. I’m not sure the boys know yet that the tacos don’t have meat in them – they loved it.
stephanie
May 31, 2013 at 1:16 pmHello Susan!
This is a wonderful recipe and one of my new favorites! The nutritional information you provide is always helpful and accurate, however I recently started counting my calories and need a point of clarification if you don’t mind. You are clear that the info does not include the tortilla, but I am wondering if it includes the veggie toppings you list (tomato, lettuce,etc.). Doesn’t seem like it, but I am trying to be accountable so I thought I’d better be sure.
stephanie
May 31, 2013 at 1:23 pmAlso, I’d like to ask your permission to add the recipes of yours I prepare to the calorie counter website. I would list the brand as FatFree Vegan Kitchen and put down the url for each recipe, with the exception of the times I alter or substitute things, just for accuracy. I added this and another without thinking, but can easily have them removed if you object. Sorry for that ethical lapse. Are you ok with that?
If I add them, the recipes and a link to your site will be shared with all the other CC site members. : )
Susan Voisin
May 31, 2013 at 2:06 pmHi Stephanie! The calorie count is just for the lentil & cauliflower filling–the ingredients listed under “Ingredients”–and not for any lettuce, tomato, etc. that you might add to the tacos. I think I’m fine with you adding the recipe to the calorie counter website as long as you don’t copy and paste the whole recipe–in other words, that people would have to come here to my blog to get the instructions, etc. I’ve been doing that myself over at My Fitness Pal.
stephanie
June 1, 2013 at 11:44 amThank you so much, Susan! That will help tremendously as I cook from your site ALOT!
I will not copy any of your recipes onto the site. : ) It asks only for the name, brand, a brief description and the nutritional information. Listing the source is optional, but I will copy the link to each recipe in the “source” section. That way when people read my food log (a horrifying prospect!) they can come directly to your site if they want to prepare a meal I have logged.
Your blog has helped me so much over the years with my health and weight loss journey, I will be very happy if I can expose even a few new people to your brilliance.
ti
July 22, 2013 at 1:19 pmI was just reading the comments here and I hope you are listing FFV recipes to myfitnesspal!!!! That’s the site I use and it would be a great help! I’m going to go check it out!
A. Hammond
May 31, 2013 at 10:07 pmWow. This recipe is ingenious, creative, and DELICIOUS.
I added a touch more cumin, cilantro, and left a little moisture in the lentils before mixing.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Jardine
June 8, 2013 at 3:46 pmWanted you know we just finished our Taco’s. This recipe is the BEST taco one around. It was the right texture and flavor. Many times there is disappointment with a recipe, not this one, it really delivered. You are brilliant in the use of the cauliflower. This is a keeper and will replace all the other ones. Thank you!!!!
Marjorie
June 13, 2013 at 2:03 pmYour cauliflower and lentil tacos are absolutely wonderful. I doctored the recipe a little using my own preferred spices, and spice levels, and a little tomato sauce (could you enchilada sauce instead) but it is the first time I have eaten a taco “guilt-free” in I don’t know how long. It is a great fat-free vegan recipe, thank you,
Marjorie
p.s. I just stumbled on your site, but it is a favorite now!
Brenda
July 28, 2013 at 5:47 pmI just tried this recipe as stuffing for bell peppers and it was delicious! I added a little tomato sauce over the top, and cut back on the chili powder a bit. Most of my cooking now is from your recipes, thanks SO much!
orthohawk
March 17, 2016 at 2:41 pmIt also makes a very yummy dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) filling!
mary
October 4, 2013 at 10:32 pmJust made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious. My picky hubby loved it. He said it was “just like meat tacos”. I think it was just delicious, not like icky meat. We served it in warmed corn tortillas with romaine, salsa and a sliver of avocado. Easy and so yummy! Thank you so much!
Brenda
October 30, 2013 at 2:38 pmI want to make this tonight, but I was thinking about using my pressure cooker for the lentils. Not sure if you’ll see this in time, but would 10 minutes on high work? I have the Fagor multi-cooker that you recommended, if that helps! And I’ve read to add oil when pressure cooking lentils–what’s your advice? Thanks a ton!
I love this recipe, by the way, just never tried it with the Fagor.
Susan Voisin
October 30, 2013 at 2:44 pmI would cook them for a little less than 10 minutes–maybe 8–so that they are still firm and not mushy. Then let the pressure reduce naturally.
I never use oil when cooking lentils or even split peas. I just make sure not to over-fill the cooker and have never had a problem.
Good luck!
Brenda
October 30, 2013 at 3:00 pmWill do! Thanks for the speedy answer!
Lucinda
November 18, 2013 at 9:44 pmHi, just want to say thank you for this wonderful recipe. It has become a staple around our house and several of my non-vegan friends like it, too. Even a few teen aged carnivores think its great. It’s wonderful rolled in a wrap with cabbage and cilantro for an easy lunch the next day.
Karina
January 1, 2014 at 3:48 pmMade this for a family holiday get together where I was the only non-meat eater. The carnivores all loved it and couldn’t believe it contained cauliflower!! It was a bit of the pain in the butt to make (cauliflower bits got everywhere) but it was so worth it to have something delicious to eat at the get together and made plenty for leftovers 🙂
Rosie Hernandez
January 5, 2014 at 5:58 pmThank you for the recipe .. The tacos came out great didn’t even get a chance to miss the meat part if the tacos.. Im thinking of cutting alot if my families meat intake and by finding stuff like this will be a great way..
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
April 4, 2014 at 3:01 amWow Susan this recipe is genius and I can’t wait to try this out next time I make tacos 😀 Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Stephanie Dreyer
May 30, 2014 at 1:15 pmThis recipe looks delicious. Taco Tuesday is a weekly tradition and I have been getting bored of my regular two recipes I rotate – black bean and corn or portobello asada tacos. Both are delicious, but I am so excited to have a new recipe to add to my rotation. Can’t wait to try this next week!
Amy
July 15, 2014 at 2:53 pmSusan….I can’t tell you anything that someone else already hasn’t. Amazing food. Amazing photos. Every recipe I try, we love. These tacos were last nights menu pick. I have been looking for a make-from-scratch recipe since I discovered recently the powdered mix at the grocery store contains dairy. No wonder. All six of us chowed down in silence and asked for more, and more, and then just a itsy bitsy more please, until we were rounded bellies in our chairs. When I told one of the boys it had cauliflower in it, he said, I don’t even like cauliflower and I can’t taste it! Bingo. That’s the whole idea buddy. There are leftovers in the fridge that I can’t stop thinking about. I will add to your pile of thank you’s, another warm and extremely sincere thank you.
Melissa
January 26, 2015 at 2:59 pmOne of my favorite dishes period. Sometimes I use beans sometimes lentils. Both are awesome.
Jules
May 29, 2016 at 1:24 pmMmmmmm! This is a great recipe. I made tacos, but also made enchiladas with it. Next I plan to change up the seasoning and make lasagna. Also, sloppy joes. And meatloaf….Thanks for sharing!
Janet Jones
September 14, 2016 at 12:12 amI bought frozen riced cauliflower from Trader Joes along with the steamed lentils in the produce section. By using these shortcuts I got dinner on the table in no time! Hubby and I loved this, I put pickled jalapeño peppers on top along with tomato, onion, lettuce and cilantro. Yum!
Heather Watson
October 13, 2016 at 2:01 pmCan you tell me if I used canned lentils, what kind would you suggest?
Julie
April 24, 2017 at 11:24 amThank you so much for this delicious recipe! I make it all the time. Thanks also for the calorie info. as I am trying to count calories to lose weight.
Stephanie Colant
August 1, 2017 at 7:53 pmJust made this recipe for my teenage sons. We absolutely love it! I added a little white cheddar. Delicious, nutri
Kerry
January 6, 2018 at 9:46 pmThank you for this delicious recipe. I made it for dinner tonight. My 16-year-old son who despises cauliflower ate four tacos and did not even know it was in there. Shhhhh… I’m not telling.
Susan Voisin
January 7, 2018 at 12:39 amThat’s amazing! Thanks for letting me know.
Laura
June 3, 2019 at 10:16 pmCan’t wait to try this. I’d also love to try to make Asian lettuce wraps (like PF Chang’s) with this lentil cauliflower mixture. Any advice on spices to start with. I’m guessing soy sauce? Ginger?
Susan Voisin
June 4, 2019 at 9:30 amSoy sauce, ginger, garlic, and maybe something a little sweet like hoisin sauce—that’s what I would start off with. Take a look at this recipe for inspiration: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2013/05/mu-shu-jackfruit-lettuce-wraps.html
Melanie
April 5, 2018 at 9:19 amI apologize if this has been asked before, but approximately how many cups of cauliflower rice would this recipe use? I’ve made this numerous times (I love it!) with a head of cauliflower but using the frozen rice would be a huge time-saver!
Susan Voisin
April 5, 2018 at 9:45 amI find that a cauliflower is about two pounds, so I would use about that much of the prepared cauliflower rice (2 bags if it comes in 12-ounce bags.)
Cindy
June 7, 2018 at 2:20 amCould you put this mixture in a crockpot on “warm” setting for a taco bar crowd dinner, or would it dry out? Want to make this for graduation party coming up & I am bringing it to someone’s home. Trying to figure out best wat to keep it warm?
Thanks for your help
Susan Voisin
June 7, 2018 at 8:03 amI think if you keep the crockpot covered, it should do fine. Just stir in a little water if you notice it drying out, but I don’t think that will happen.
Em
July 22, 2018 at 9:02 pmYummy recipe! Mine did turn out a little drier than I wanted. Next time I’ll probably add some canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce.
Erin
March 4, 2019 at 10:16 amHi! Question – my store did not have brown lentils, only green and red. Would using green work okay? I am new to lentils so am unsure. I am trying to incorporate more veggie meals in our week and this sounds delicious! Thanks 🙂
Susan Voisin
March 4, 2019 at 10:44 amYes, the green should be fine. Usually green and brown lentils are the same, just slightly different colors. Hope you enjoy it!
Chris
May 28, 2020 at 11:49 amHi Susan – I love this recipe and refer to it often. I noticed with your new search feature that this recipe doesn’t show up when I search for “taco”. I know that it contains cauliflower, so I was able to find it when I searched for “cauliflower”, but others may enjoy this if they are looking for a different taco recipe. Not sure if it’s tagged appropriately, but I just wanted to let you know so that others can easily find it.
Thanks for all of your recipes and articles – love them!
Chris
Susan Voisin
May 29, 2020 at 10:16 pmChris, thank you so much for your feedback about the search function. I’d noticed similar problems, so I contacted the software’s support and they have it working much better.
Jill P
July 6, 2020 at 9:44 pmHello! I came across this recipe in a general google search for “cauliflower tacos”. I was a little hesitant as I did not know what to expect but they were amazing! Will be in my monthly rotation. Even my meat loving mom adored them – she could not believe there wasn’t even a little meat in them. Excited to try some of your other recipes!
Jill Princehouse
April 17, 2021 at 4:53 pmSusan: would you recommend a good brand smoked paprika-organic if possible?
Andrea Tersigni
May 14, 2023 at 8:58 pmI feel like I’m a little late to the party having just found this recipe. (10 years after the fact) The texture and flavors are spot on. I made some red cabbage and radish slaw with red wine vinegar as a side to the tacos. I just cleaned the kitchen and I am already thinking about the leftovers for tomorrow. Thank you!!!