Easy Lentil Tacos

Lentil Taco meat on tortilla topped with avocado and cabbage.

5 from 10 votes

Ready in under 30 minutes with simple, affordable ingredients, these Lentil Tacos are made with ridiculously delicious seasoned lentils, crunchy cabbage, and a fresh avocado sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 189kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

For Lentil Taco Meat

1 cup dried green or brown lentils
2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon taco seasoning see notes for individual spices

For Avocado Sauce

1 large avocado
2 limes divided
1 teaspoon salt

For Serving

2 cups shredded cabbage
1 tomato optional
¼ cup cilantro optional
6 tortillas

Instructions

Bring broth, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and lentils to a boil in a large stock pan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture is boiling, cover and turn the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Once cooked, fluff the lentils with a fork and taste to adjust the seasoning.
While the lentils are cooking, prepare the cabbage and avocado sauce and toast the tortillas. Thinly slice the cabbage and drizzle with the juice of half of a lime and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat. Prepare the avocado sauce, by mashing or pureeing the flesh of an avocado with the remaining fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet over high heat for 30-60 seconds per side, until warm and pliable.
To assemble the lentil tacos, place a layer of cabbage on each tortilla, top with lentil mixture, and drizzle or dollop the avocado cream over the lentils. Add cilantro, tomatoes, etc if desired, and serve immediately.

Notes

Lentils: Be sure to use green or brown lentils for the lentil taco meat, not yellow or red lentils.

Taco Seasoning: In place of the homemade taco seasoning blend use 2 teaspoons chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, and a pinch each of oregano, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.

To prepare lentils in the Instant Pot: Place rinsed lentils into the inner pot of the instant pot. Add in 2 cups of water or stock and 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Stir well. Top with tomato sauce--do NOT stir. Place lid on the pressure cooker and set cook time for 9 minutes on high pressure. Once cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally on its own for at least 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, stirring in the tomato sauce, and serve as desired.

Leftovers: Store cooled lentil taco meat in an air-tight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.

No Broth? If you don't have vegetable broth, you can use chicken stock (no longer veggie tacos) or water. If using just water, you may want to increase your taco seasoning by an additional 1-2 teaspoons.

Adding Onions and Garlic: Feel free to saute 1 minced onion and 2 cloves of garlic in 2 teaspoons of oil before cooking the lentils. Once the onion and garlic are softened, add in the lentils, taco seasoning, broth, and tomato sauce and simmer.

Replace Tomato Sauce with Salsa: Add some more dimension to this simple recipe for Lentil Taco Meat by using jarred salsa in place of the tomato sauce.

Nutrition is based on lentil taco meat and avocado cream, not tortillas.

Nutrition