Vegan Lentil Tacos
These Oil-Free Lentil Tacos -- loaded with the most delicious onions, tomatoes and brown lentils over a whole-wheat tortilla -- are the best you will ever taste, and with just 160 calories per serving, and nearly 9 grams of protein, they are guilt-free.
- 1 cup dried brown lentils ((puy lentils are good here too))
- 1 onion ((finely chopped))
- 4-6 cloves garlic, ((minced))
- 2 medium tomatoes ((diced))
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp thyme ((minced))
- 1/2 cup cilantro ((minced))
- 1/4 cup chives ((optional, minced))
- 8 flour tortillas ((flour tortillas preferred here but corn are fine if you are gluten-free))
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onions to the pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and 1/4 tsp of salt.
- Saute, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about five minutes. If the onions dry and start to stick, add more water, a couple of tablespoons at a time.
- Add the minced garlic and saute another minute.
- Add the tomatoes, cumin powder, habanero pepper, cilantro and thyme.
- Stir well, cover with a lid and let it cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down. This should take 7-8 minutes.
- Add the washed lentils and stir well to mix. Add enough water to cover the lentils.
- Bring the lentils to a boil, turn down the heat to a simmer, and let the lentils cooked until they are really tender but still holding their shape. Add more water, no more than 1/2 cup at a time, if the mixture dries up before the lentils are fully cooked. But don't add too much because you want the lentil filling to be quite dry.
- Once the lentils are cooked, continue to saute them on medium heat until the mixture is quite dry and there is no visible liquid.
- Add salt and mix well.
- Remove to a bowl and garnish with chives.
- To assemble the tortilla, place a couple of tablespoons of the filling in the center of a tortilla, top with salsa and guacamole.
These are quite possibly the best tacos ever. The filling's creamy and flavorful, the whole-wheat tortillas are soft and fluffy, and the toppings-- roasted red peppers and salsa-- take them from simply superb to simply sublime.
But here's the most wonderful part: these tacos are absolutely fat-free. Yep, that's right. There's not one drop of gooey, dripping, waist-clutching fat in this dish, and yet it's so delicious and so filling that your tummy-- after eating just one-- will be sending signals to your reluctant brain that it's quite full. But will you want to stop eating? I can't guarantee that.
Lentils are so, so good for you (especially in dishes like these tacos and this lentil soup), loaded as they are with protein and fiber. I calculated the nutrition information for you and believe it or not, there are just 160 calories in each of these tacos (minus the toppings which are just veggies and therefore fat-free and very low-calorie and good for you.) There are also nearly 9 grams of protein and fiber in each taco. Now how incredible is that?
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I am going to leave you with the recipe now because I have an incredibly busy Sunday afternoon ahead, but I couldn't wait to post these for you in case you were trying to think of great recipe ideas for Cinco de Mayo.
- 1 jalapeno pepper (minced. Deseed for less heat. I also love habanero peppers in here but if using habanero use no more than ¼th or ½ and deseed)
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon thyme (minced)
For serving
- Add the chopped onions to the pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
