When Taco Tuesday rolls around, I challenge myself to make a different taco recipe every week. So although this vegan lentil taco recipe is an oldie, I revised it to make it even better. My new lentil tacos are not only full of fabulous lentil taco meat, but I added sautéed vegetables, sunflower sprouts, and my Blackberry Dijon Sauce.
Unfortunately, Mexican food is often not vegan-friendly. So instead, my homemade vegan oil-free lentil tacos, are fresh sassy, and unbelievably summery.
We love flour and corn tortillas and everything about tacos, especially the variety of vegetable filling options in you.
For this recipe, I opted for white corn tortillas. Although these shells are lower in fat and thicker in texture, these taco shells hold all the ingredients I pack into the center without falling apart.
How to make vegan lentil tacos
Vegan lentil taco meat, for instance, is easy to prepare and reheats well. It can also be frozen if you choose to make a batch in advance.
We often eat tacos, so I bought a gadget called a Stainless Steel Taco Holder. It holds the tacos upright, so they don't fall apart and displays the tacos well.
Can you tell I love kitchen gadgets?
We use taco holders every Taco Tuesday, and they work great. They hold the shells upright to add everything at once, without anything falling out. As a result, everything stays intact when I pick up my tacos. This little gadget is a modern taco miracle.
Vegan lentil taco meat
- Brown, Red, or Green Lentils
- White Onion
- Garlic
- Jalapeño
- Rotel Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- Organic Vegetable Broth
- Vegan Taco Seasoning or use your brew
Additional Ingredients for Vegan Lentil Tacos
Sauteed Vegetables
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Carrot, sliced into thin coins
Cold ingredients
- Corn or Flour Tortillas
- Grape Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Jalapeños
- Romaine lettuce, shredded
- Avocado
- Blackberry Dijon Sauce
- Microgreens (garnish)
How to make crispy taco shells without the fat
Make oil-free crispy taco shells by laying flour or corn tortillas over two oven grates that are one space apart, or make corn or flour tortilla bowls/cups by placing them between the spaces of a muffin pan upside down.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden. Not only will they crisp up nicely, but the crunchy shells will also sit upright on their flat bottoms—making them easy to put down between bites without the fillings spilling out.
Are you looking for other healthy vegan taco recipes?
- Tempeh Tacos
- Sweet Potato Tacos
- Mushroom Chorizo Tacos
- Taco Tuesday Potato Tacos
- Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado-Cilantro Cream
- Roasted Vegetable Tacos
- Broccolini and Sweet Potato Tostados
- How to Make Meatless Taco Salad Bowl With Lentils - Quick Recipes!
Vegan Lentil Tacos
Ingredients
LENTIL TACO 'MEAT'
- 1 ½ cups Brown, Red, or Green Lentils rinsed and picked over
- 1 White Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Jalapeño de-seeded
- 20 ounces Rotel Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies
- 4 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
- 2 packages El Paso Taco Seasoning
VEGETABLES/SHELLS
- 1 package Corn or Flour Tortillas
- 20 Grape Tomatoes sliced
- 1 Red Onion diced
- 3 Jalapeños de-seeded and sliced
- ½ head romaine lettuce shredded
- 2 Avocado sliced
- 1 cup Salsa of Choice
Sautéed Vegetables
- ½ zucchini sliced into ¼ inch coins
- ½ red onion cut into slivers
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 carrot sliced thin
- 1 cup Microgreens garnish
Instructions
LENTIL 'MEAT'
- Sauté the onion in a medium-sized saute pan with garlic and jalapeno.
- You do not need oil.
- The vegetables sweat and produce their own moisture.
- You can always splash with vegetable broth, but don't waste the fat and calories on oil.
- When the onions begin to be translucent, add the lentils and 3 cups of vegetable broth, 1 can of tomatoes, and the seasoning packages, stir, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat to low and cook, covered for 30 minutes.
LENTIL MEAT STEP 2
- After 30 minutes, remove the top of the saute pan, and stir the contents.
- Add the next can of tomatoes.
- Continue to cook on low, stirring often.
- Use the remaining vegetable broth if the mixture appears dry.
- The goal is for it to have a thick consistency.
PREPARE VEGGIES FOR TOPPINGS
- Dice the tomato and jalapenos
- Cut avocado into chunks.
- Wash sunflower sprouts
- Prepare blackberry dijon sauce or use your favorite salsa
- Garnisg with microgreens
SAUTEED VEGETABLES
- In a skillet, saute red onion until translucent; use a little vegetable broth if necessary to avoid sticking.
- Add mushrooms and cook until browned.
- Add carrots and zucchini and cook for a few more minutes.
- Removed from heat.
WARMING TORTILLAS
- If using an oven, you want to wrap them to avoid them drying out.
- Place in a 300-degree oven for 10 minutes.
Notes
How To Make Crispy Taco Shells Without The Fat
Make oil-free crispy taco shells by laying flour or corn tortillas over two oven grates that are one space apart, or make corn or flour tortilla bowls/cups by placing them between the spaces of a muffin pan upside down.Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
jane havoonjian
Hi Kathy, I made this and got rave reviews from son and daughter-in-law. They are not vegan but they could not get over how delicious it was. Thank you so much for your effort to put out such delicious and healthy recipes, much appreciated !!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Jane, I love it when the non-vegans rave! I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the tacos. You should try the vegan lentil meatloaf next. I think you might be able to convince them to eat that as well. You never know; you might persuade them to go vegan 🙂 Thank you for the feedback. I appreciate it.
Donna
You weren’t specific in the size canned tomatoes. Did you mean 14.5 or 28 oz. cans?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Donna, sorry about that. Rotel Tomatoes only come in 10-ounce cans. I apologize for not specifying. I fixed it. You can also see diced tomatoes if you can't find the Rotel. I like the Rotel because they come with green chilies.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Cheryl Lawrence
I just made these and I was pleasantly surprised.
Yummy ????!!!!
I halved the recipe and added a bit more homemade taco seasoning. I like mine spicy.
I’m going to use some as baked potato toppers.
Thanks for the healthy recipe.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Cheryl, I appreciate the feedback. I'm glad you like them. I like them spicy too 🙂 I would love for you to share your potato popper recipe on our recipe share Facebook page!