• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SimpleFitVegan

Helping You Live a Healthy Vegan Lifestyle

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Entrees
    • Appetizers and Sides
    • Desserts
    • Dressings, Sauces & Dips
    • Smoothies & Juices
    • How Tos
  • Lifestyle
  • About
  • Shop

Chickpea Cauliflower Tinga Tacos

February 29 by Nara Leave a Comment

122 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

My brand new cookbook is out on Amazon! It’s called “30-Minute Plant-Based Recipes” and it’s perfect for busy vegans. Grab it now!

Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking.

Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal

Ah, tacos! You gotta love’em. You can make tacos pretty much out of anything! I love Cauli Tacos with Chipotle Aioli in the summer, my fave Butternut Squash Tacos in winter, and Cauliflower “Meat” Tacos any time of year.

What is Tinga?

Tinga is an authentic, Mexican sauce that is a smokey and spicy. Don’t worry though, I’ll show you how to tailor the spice level from mild to Ouch!

I love the roasted, savory flavor of Tinga sauce so much! You honestly don’t even need no taco shell here, just eat the sauce with a spoon! hehe

Easy Cooking Steps

Our two main ingredients are chickpeas and cauliflower. We’ll be using canned chickpea so no cooking here.

You have two options to make the cauliflower: either steam it in the pan (what I did) or roast it in the oven. The result will be the same. If you’re roasting just make sure you don’t overcook the cauliflower, nobody likes mushy cauli. (15-20 mins at 400 F/ 200 C is all you need)

  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal
  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal

While cauli is cooking, make the sauce.

  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal
  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal
  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal
  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal

Meal prep the smart way! Check out my FREE guide How To Meal Prep Without A Recipe.

  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal
  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal
  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal
  • Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal

Toppings

This is my favorite part, you guys! 😊 Here are some yummy topping ideas:

  • Quick pickled red onions
  • Coleslaw mix
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Cilantro
  • Lime juice
Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal

P.S. Try my FREE 5-Day Vegan Clean Eating Challenge to help you cut down on packaged and processed foods and enable long-term, clean eating habits!

Beyond Tacos

Wanna vary it up a bit? Turn this recipe into a burrito, a sub, or a sandwich. Make sure to grill the burrito/sub/sandwich – it will make everything crispy which goes nicely with our saucy middle.

Eat it with a side of rice, quinoa, or have it as a side dish. As I said at the beginning of this post, one night I just ate this tinga concoction straight up with a spoon!

Don’t forget to download your FREE Healthy Vegan Dinner Recipes e-cookbook!

Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal
Print
Chickpea Cauliflower Tinga Tacos
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
Keyword: cauliflower, chickpeas, taco
Servings: 12 tacos
Calories: 83 kcal
Author: Simple Fit Vegan
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onions (approx. 1/2 medium onion)
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1-2 chipotle in adobo sauce, use 1 for mild version and 2 for spicier version
  • 1 tsp fresh or dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 cup fire-roasted tomatoes (one 15-ounce can)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable stock
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas
  • 1 large head of cauliflower
  • 4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 12 whole wheat taco shells
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tbsp oil* in a medium non-stick pan or pot over medium heat. Add cauliflower florets and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover with a lid, and let steam for 10 minutes. Stir halfway through.

  2. Heat 1tbsp oil* a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in chipotle in adobo along with spices and toast for 30 seconds. Stir in fire-roasted tomatoes, cover, bring the sauce to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Side aside and let cool.

  3. Pour the sauce in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer back into the saucepan over low heat. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as necessary.
  4. Gently stir in chickpeas and cauliflower.
  5. Serve with warm taco shells, quick pickled onions, fresh cilantro, and a lime wedge.
  6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Recipe Notes

Nutrition Information (per serving, without tortilla): Calories: 83 Fat: 3.4 g Saturated fat: 0.4 g Carbohydrates: 10.8 g Dietary Fiber: 3.1 g Sugar: 2.7 g Sodium: 177 mg Protein: 3.2 g

Authentic, Mexican, saucy tacos make an easy vegan dinner! These tacos are healthy and you can adjust the spice level to your liking. #tacos #tinga #veganmeal

My brand new cookbook is out on Amazon! It’s called “30-Minute Plant-Based Recipes” and it’s perfect for busy vegans. Grab it now!

Filed Under: Entrees, Recipes

Previous Post: « Apple Pie Bread
Next Post: Healthy Sticky Sesame Cauliflower »

Reader Interactions

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

nara in the kitchen

Footer

COPYRIGHT

All images and text on this site are the property of SimpleFitVegan, unless otherwise stated and regardless of whether photos are watermarked or not. Feel free to use one photo provided that a link back to my original post is included. Please do not remove any watermarks, crop, or edit any of my images without first obtaining written permission from me at nara{at}simplefitvegan{dot}com. All free guides and recipe e-books offered on this website are for personal use only. Pinning and sharing is always welcomed and appreciated! Thank you!

Disclosure and Privacy Policy

Please click here to read the full Disclosure and Privacy Policy.

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework