Vegetarian Tacos
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Description
With an easy, super-flavourful lentil mushroom filling that packs a real savoury umami punch, vegetarian tacos are ready in less than half an hour.
Ingredients
- 60 grams (⅓ cup) dried brown lentils
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 250 grams (9 oz.) mushrooms finely diced
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder see notes
- 1 tablespoon soya sauce
- ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
To Serve (Toppings)
- Tortillas
- Avocado
- Coriander (cilantro)
- Pickled onion
- Pickled red cabbage
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Salsa
Instructions
- Place the lentils in a pot and cover with water. Add a generous pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain very well.60 grams (⅓ cup) dried brown lentils
- Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, mushrooms, and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. The mushrooms should decrease in size, have a light golden colour, and the water should have cooked off.1 tablespoon oil, 250 grams (9 oz.) mushrooms, 1 medium onion
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for another 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste is a dark brick-red colour.3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Stir in the spices and cook for another minute. Add the soya sauce and stir. This should lift any small pieces that might be stuck to the bottom of the pan.2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon soya sauce
- Season with salt and taste the mixture before serving with your desired tortillas and toppings.½ teaspoon sea salt
Notes
Choose small brown lentils, or small green or black lentils. Don't use the large, lighter brown lentils, which are too starchy.
If you have leftover cooked lentils, it should be 150 grams cooked.
To replace chili powder, use: ¾ teaspoon sweet paprika, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, and ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes.
Use any toppings you like, but be sure to include something creamy (like avocado) and something acidic (like pickled onions) to balance out the filling.
The nutrition calculation is only for the taco filling, not including any toppings you might add.
Storage: transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to three days. Reheat as usual before serving.
Freezing: cool fully before transferring to an airtight container. Freeze for up to three months and thaw in the refrigerator. This freezes surprisingly well, with almost no changes to taste or texture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.