Smoky Green Lentil Taco Recipe

Happy taco Tuesday y’all!

Of course, it doesn’t have to be a Tuesday to enjoy a taco. We love Mexican-style food in this house and eat it quite often. Though I usually tend to lean more toward making Mexican Buddha Bowls (bowls with a quinoa or rice base and topped with taco fillings) for my family, sometimes I opt for the full taco experience as my 4-year-old son gets a kick out of it and just loves taco night. That said, he prefers his to be deconstructed so that he can eat each ingredient separately or else break up the taco shell and make little sandwiches.

Until just recently, I was regularly making meat-based bowls or tacos. It has been crazy times over the past year or so and sticking to what I know and don’t have to think too much about in getting my family fed was my go-to. But, while visiting a friend a few months ago, she mentioned that she makes her tacos with lentils and I was inspired! I have been wanting to get back to eating a much more plant-based diet and I wanted to try something new BUT I don’t like to follow recipes (or rules - Rebel type over here ha ha) so I just got going in the kitchen and made it up based on what I know about our family likes and dislikes.

I chose to use green lentils to create this recipe because, in my opinion, they are heartier and meatier than other types of lentils, such as red lentils, which tend to turn to more of a mushy consistency when cooked. I love that green lentils are loaded in fiber. Fiber is considered to be the most lacking nutrient in the North American or Standard American Diet (SAD) according to Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, the author of “Fiber Fueled”. I have written about the importance of fiber in relation to gut health (and therefore overall health) in a previous blog post, which you can find 👉here . I also love green lentils because they are super high in protein and iron and a good source of folate (helps with cell division and the creation of new blood cells as well as helping the body use B12 and some amino acids) and magnesium (used in basically every bodily process). Green lentils are abundant in polyphenols, which are rich in antioxidants. Polyphenols help to fight free radicals in the body, which can cause damage to cells, while simultaneously reducing inflammation in the body. This can lower your risk of developing a chronic disease, plus they are delicious, so what’s not to love?

This is what my lentils look like when all cooked up and soft.

Without further a do - here’s the recipe

Author: Andrea Black
Prep time: 20 - 45 min
Cook time: 20 - 30 mins
Total time: 40 - 75 mins
Yields: 10 -12 tacos

Ingredients:

*1 cup of green lentils (soaked for at least 30 mins) or you can use canned lentils

1 medium yellow onion diced

4 cremini or button mushrooms chopped finely

1 large carrot (or two smaller carrots) chopped finely or grated

3 cloves of garlic chopped finely

2/3 cups of vegetable broth (you can use bone broth if you aren’t vegetarian for added gut health benefits)

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 to 1 ½ tsp smoked paprika (to liking)

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

*1 box of hard corn taco shells

Toppings:

I used guacamole, shredded red cabbage, shredded vegan cheese (if you aren’t vegan, you can use any cheese you like) and salsa.  Other ideas for toppings are pickled banana peppers, jalapenos, sour cream (there are vegan brands), kimchi, lettuce, vinaigrette slaw, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, corn niblets or anything else that your heart desires.

Directions:

Pour lentils in a bowl, cover with water and let soak for at least 30 minutes (unless you are using canned then omit this step and make sure to adjust your broth amount to much less to reflect this change. Canned lentils will require far less broth as they are already fully cooked – add broth slowly and then add more as needed)

While lentils soak, prepare your ingredients and heat olive oil on medium in a large pan or wok and sauté onions until soft.  Add mushrooms, carrots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes.  Add spices and sauté a few more minutes until fragrant. 

Add broth and bring to a boil, let simmer until veggies and lentils are cooked and there is little to no broth left in the pan. 

While the lentils cook, prepare your toppings of choice. 

When you are just about ready to serve, heat the taco shells in the oven at 350F until warm.  Stuff them with the lentil mix and toppings and serve immediately with a napkin for messy hands.  Enjoy!

*Note on green lentils - these can easily be cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen in batches. This will allow you to add them the same as canned lentils to cut your prep time down during busy weekdays.

*Note on hard corn taco shells - Substitutions - if you want to have a healthier version of this meal, use soft shell corn tacos, lettuce or collard green wraps or you can make it into a bowl with rice or quinoa as the base.

Finally: This recipe makes tons, which is great for freezing or for using as leftovers in a taco bowl with rice or quinoa or on a bed of lettuce for a taco salad.  Another great use is at the bottom of a Mexican-inspired lentil Shepherds pie. Also, the lentil stuffing can be made ahead of time to make for an easy-breezy lemon squeezy (my son says this to me all of the time) weeknight meal. This recipe is so dynamic, there is a substitute for everyone!

I hope that you enjoy this recipe! I’d love to hear your thoughts and see pictures of your creations!

Stay well friends.