A fair mix of sweet, spicy and salty, these Salsa Verde Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Mango Pomegranate Salsa are deliciously addictive but so super healthy!
I have to be completely honest- it is incredibly difficult to get a blog post started when my child decides to wake me up at 4am.
I mean, I don’t understand kids. They have eyeballs. They can see. And they should see that it is still DARK outside. In the case of this morning it wasn’t even a little light out either, it was dark dark.
Apparently my child is a morning person (I have no idea who he got this from) because he was up and ready and charging downstairs at the dark hour of 4AM ready to play, all while demanding that I read to him.
hell no.
Sorry kid, it’s still dark out.
By 6am I finally allowed us to go downstairs. I turn on the TV (I know, worst mom ever) and I proceed to pass out on the couch. Meanwhile, my husband comes strolling downstairs at 7:15am showered and cleaned and appearing to be well rested.
But no. What does my dear husband say? oh man, i’m so tired. I really need to sleep in this weekend.
You guys, I can’t even.
So I layed there on the couch and didn’t move, deciding to do what Octavian does and pretend I hear nothing.
Anyway, enough about that. Let’s chat about something more appealing, like food! Always my favorite, and these tacos are not to be missed! Truly, these surpassed my expectations by a million since lentils are often bland and boring if they aren’t prepared right.
Um, these were prepared right.
Thanks to the spicy and salty tomatillo salsa and the sweet mango pomegranate salsa, these tacos have the perfect mix of salty, sweet and spicy. Of course, if you don’t care for spicy foods, you can always leave out the jalapeños, or add just one. To these tacos I also added roasted cauliflower. We all know I love cauliflower, so this addition was a no-brainer. Plus, it adds more veggies, which is a win in my book.
There are several steps and moving parts to this recipe, but each are so simple and most can be done ahead of time. In fact, I highly encourage you make extra of the whole thing- the leftovers are fantastic and can feed you for a week!
winning!
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Salsa Verde Cauliflower and Lentil Tacos with Mango Pomegranate Salsa
Ingredients
For the mango pomegranate salsa
- 2 mangos - pitted and diced
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- .5 small red onion - diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro - finely chopped fresh
For the Cauliflower
For the Salsa Verde
- 1 lb tomatillos
- 2 jalapenos - cut in half lengthwise
- 5 cloves garlic - unpeeled
- 1/4-1/2 cup cilantro - chopped
- 1 lime juiced
- salt + pepper - to taste
- 1.5 cups water
- ¾ cup lentils - uncooked, rinsed
- corn tortillas
- additional limes and cilantro - to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line two baking sheets with foil.
- First prepare the lentils. To a medium pot over high heat add the the water and lentils. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer the lentils for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils are fork tender (not mushy!) and most of the water has been absorbed. Once cooked, remove from heat (yes, even if all the water has not been absorbed), and drain using a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.
- Prepare the salsa- In a medium bowl combine the diced mango, pomegranate seeds, red onion, orange zest, orange juice, lime juice and chopped cilantro. Mix well and cover. Set aside until ready to use.
- Transfer chopped cauliflower to baking sheet and drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, ground cumin and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Carefully toss to coat. Transfer baking sheet to the oven and roast cauliflower for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until completely cooked and browning on the top and edges. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, as the cauliflower is cooking, start preparing the salsa verde. Start by removing the husks from the tomatillos and rinse them under warm water. Cut each tomatillo in half and place side down on prepared foil-lined baking sheet. To the same sheet add the garlic and jalapeno halves.
- Once the cauliflower has finished roasting remove baking sheet from the oven and set oven to broil. Add the baking sheet with the tomatillos and broil for approximately 6-10 minutes, or until the skin of the tomatillos has blackened and the skin of the jalapeños has darkened. Remove from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
- Remove the garlic cloves from their skin and place in a blender or food processor, along with the tomatillos and jalapeños. Add the lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper, to taste. Blend until smooth.
- Stir in approximately 1/2 cup to 1 cup of the salsa verde in with the cooked lentils. Save any remaining salsa to use as extra.
- Assemble each taco with a scoop of lentils, cauliflower florets and fresh mango pomegranate salsa. Add sour cream or shredded cheese, if desired (not shown).
Jessica's Notes
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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