Lentil-Walnut Vegan Tacos Recipe

There's a lot of love for lentils in all cultures around the world and for good reason. They're packed with essential nutrients, they're loaded with plant-based protein, and they're full of fiber. Plus, lentils are incredibly versatile and can be used in a wide range of dishes. 

Today we bring you a delicious lentil walnut vegan taco recipe that combines the earthiness of the lentils, the nutty crunch of the walnuts, along with flavorful spices to bring you a mouthwatering taco creation. 

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn shares this recipe and says, "Years ago I learned that cooking with lots of spices and fresh ingredients can totally transform something simple into something delicious. In this recipe, the combination of the lentils and the walnuts give you a meat-like texture, and cooked with the other ingredients, they provide an amazing plant-based meal." Read on to learn how to make these tacos in under 30 minutes.

fTo make this recipe, our two stars are lentils and walnuts. "I love to buy the pre-cooked lentils for this recipe that you can find in the produce department of some grocery stores," Hahn says. If you are cooking your own lentils, that works too, just cook them al dente because they will get some additional cook time later. For the walnuts, you can buy them whole and give them a rough chop or you can buy chopped walnuts to save time. 

You'll also need some garlic, tomato, avocado, romaine, and red onion from the produce department. The remaining ingredients are canned chipotle peppers, avocado oil, fire-roasted tomatoes, cumin, oregano, salt, and whatever type of taco shell you prefer. 

"You can use a hard shell, soft corn or flour tortillas, or even just spoon the filling into lettuce cups," Hahn shares.

The first step is to chop the walnuts (if you bought them whole), the garlic, and the chipotle peppers. Then go ahead and add the oil to a large frying pan and bring the heat to medium. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the walnuts and cook for 3 more minutes. "The aroma of the garlic and walnuts toasting in the pan will smell nutty and delicious," Hahn remarks.

Now, add in the chipotle peppers, lentils, fire-roasted tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and salt. Stir and lower heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. You can see how quickly this dish comes together.

Heat up your oven or toaster oven to 300 F so you can get your tortillas or taco shells warmed up. While those are heating up, chop the tomato, avocado, romaine, and red onion for the toppings. You may want to have some fresh salsa on hand too. This fire-roasted salsa or this mango salsa are both great options. Now you just need to assemble the tacos or set up a taco bar so everyone can make their own. The lentil-walnut "meat" is a great meal prep item and will last well in the fridge for up to 5 days, making for a quick lunch or dinner. You may just be adding this recipe to your weekly meal rotation!