Plant-Based Tacos
Tuesday is for tacos! While I often use ground turkey for my taco filling, this plant-forward recipe is hearty, delicious and incredibly satisfying. The dish combines lentils, black beans and walnuts to create a beef-like experience, while delivering fiber, phytonutrients, and other compounds that have been shown to promote health. Plus, by going meatless a few nights each week, you’ll help cut back on greenhouse emissions and reduce your carbon footprint. This recipe makes 5 heaping cups of filling for countless tacos, but this combo also tastes terrific on salads and sammies, too. It’s a fantasTACO feast!
Note: The color of the “meat” filling will vary depending on the type of seasonings and variety of lentils you use.
Definitely top your tacos with my Grilled Corn Salsa!
Plant-Based Tacos
Ingredients
Taco “meat”
- 2½ cups cooked brown lentils, *(or 1 cup dry lentils plus 2-3 cups broth)*
- 1 cup toasted walnuts*
- 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 to 6 tablespoons taco seasoning blend, store-bought or make your own using recipe below
DIY Taco seasoning*(makes 6 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
For Taco assembly
- Hard or soft taco shells
- Chopped lettuce, tomatoes, onions
- Optional toppers: corn, sliced jalapenos, avocado, salsa
Instructions
- Add cooked, drained lentils to the bowl of a food processor, along with black beans and walnuts. Gently pulse to combine and slightly break down the mixture (it will happen fast), but do not puree. There should still be lots of texture with pieces of nuts and some whole beans.
- Liberally coat a large skillet with olive oil spray and warm over medium-low heat. Add lentil-bean-walnut mixture along with ¼ cup of taco seasoning blend and 2 tablespoons warm water. Gently fold and stir the mixture to incorporate all seasonings and warm everything; be careful not to mash it into a puree (maintain as much texture as possible). Taste and add more taco seasoning, if desired (I typically add 1 to 2 more tablespoons), along with any additional preferred seasoning.
- TO ASSEMBLE TACOS: Add ¼ cup filling to each taco shell, along with lettuce, tomatoes, and optional toppings.
Amazing blend. Very delicious. This will be a repeat for me!
So thrilled you enjoyed this one, Cynthia!
This looks delicious, so I plan to try it! Do you think they could be fried as patties for a meatless breakfast sausage option?
Hi Stephanie! I think you’ll need a binder to transform this recipe into patties. Since you want to keep them vegan, instead of adding an egg, try adding a “flax egg”. To make a flax egg, simply mix 1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds + 2.5 Tbsp water and let it sit fr ten minutes to set and slightly firm. Then add it to the mixture. Maybe try adding it to only half the mixture, since this make a large volume. If it works, make another flax egg and add it to the second half. Let me know how it works out if you decide to try it!
I especially love the DIY taco seasoning, which I make in large batches to serve on oh so many things, with a few adjustments: I keep the salt out of the mix and add it separately when serving to reduce total salt intake and instead of red pepper flakes, I use ground cayenne, habanero or whatever other heat I have on hand (and in higher quantities) for ground spice consistency. The spice mixes generally sold in stores contain too many non-spice ingredients with dubious health effects. I don’t need anti-caking ingredients in my diet!
Hi Susan, Joy absolutely loved your comment—and she admires your efforts to eat healthier by making your own seasoning at home. She definitely approves of your tweaks to make it a bit spicier—she is a heat lover herself! Thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts with us—we’re so grateful to have you as part of our community!
—Donna
AAA !! Great recipe!!!
Thanks, Carol! I’m so happy you enjoyed my plant-based taco creation!