Description
“Tinga” refers to a Mexican sauce, typically made of blended tomatoes, onion, smokey and spicy chipotle peppers, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Originally from Puebla, Mexico, Tinga is traditionally served with shredded chicken. However our version is made with roasted cauliflower. Feel free to play around with the filling, swapping out the vegetables depending on the season!
Note: If you don’t have an immersion blender or food processor, you can skip the blending step. The results will be different and less sauce-like but no less delicious!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 4 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets (from 1 head)
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced (about 1 onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 3/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped (see note below)
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 large ripe avocados
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced (from 1/2 red onion)
- 1 cup red radish, thinly sliced (from 4-5 radishes)
- 8 small tortillas (our favorites are a blend of flour and corn but all-flour or all-corn are great too!)
- Optional: Your cheese of choice (we love Follow Your Heart brand)
Instructions
- Roast the cauliflower:
- Preheat the oven to 400F (on “Roast” setting if you have it), and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine cauliflower florets, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Toss to coat the florets. Spread the cauliflower evenly between both sheet pans.
- Place the cauliflower in the oven and cook until golden and just fork-tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the Tinga Sauce:
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add the onion, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. To the skillet, add the oregano, thyme, garlic, and chipotles in adobo, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Blend the sauce using an immersion blender or, if too shallow, transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Return the sauce to the skillet and continue to simmer over very low heat.
- Once the cauliflower is out of the oven, transfer to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Turn off the heat, taste, and adjust, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
- Prepare garnishes and assemble:
- In a small bowl, mash the avocados using the back of a fork. To the mash, add ¼ tsp salt and 1 tbsp lime juice. Stir to combine.
- Warm up the tortillas in a pan over medium-high heat on the stove, or for 20 seconds in the microwave.
- Spread a couple of spoonfuls of the avocado mash in each tortilla and top with the cauliflower tinga. Garnish with cilantro, diced red onion, radish, and cheese if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
On canned Chipotles in Adobo:
- Chipotles in Adobo are smoked and dried jalapeños that have been rehydrated and canned in a delicious Mexican red sauce made of tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, and spices.
- Use only the sauce for a milder smoky flavor and add in the actual peppers for a more intense spice level. We like to combine both pepper and spice!
- These can be found at most (if not all) grocery stores, typically in the international or “Latin” aisle. Occasionally, you may find them in the canned tomato section or near the tortilla chips. The peppers are quite spicy, while the sauce is milder and smokier.
- You will likely not use the whole can in one instance, but freeze the rest in a zip lock bag, freezer-safe container, or ice cube tray for future uses!
