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–+ servings

Plant-Based Tacos

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.
Yield: 20 tacos
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

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
Ingredient Details to Know
• To make lentils, cook 1 cup dry brown lentils according to package directions, typically with 2-3 cups vegetable broth for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. This will yield ~2½ cups cooked lentils.
• To toast walnuts, spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in 300°-oven about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
• To make your own taco seasoning blend, mix all seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl; set aside.
 

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.

Notes

 
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Serving Size: 2 tacosCalories: 330Carbohydrates: 40gProtein: 11gTotal Fat: 14g— Saturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 275mgPotassium: 527mgFiber: 10gTotal Sugar: 1g— Natural Sugar: 1g— Added Sugar: 0gCalcium: 67mgIron: 3mg
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.