Lentil Taco Meat
Easy peasy lentil taco meat is a perfect healthy topping that takes less than 30 minutes. Perfect for high protein vegan meal.
Servings: 8 Tacos
Calories: 156kcal
Equipment
- 1 Spatula for stovetop cooking
- 1 Dutch Oven For stovetop cooking
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw brown/ green lentils or 2 ½ cups cooked/ canned lentils
- 2 cups vegetable broth or ¼ cups in case of cooked lentils
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 - 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional; sub - ½ jalapeno pepper
- 1 bay leaf optional for additional flavor
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil can skip as well
Instructions
Soak the lentils (Optional)
- Rinse lentils and pick through for any debris. You may soak the lentils for a few minutes (up to 20 minutes). However, soaking is optional and can skip the step.
Stovetop Method
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and garlic.
- Saute them till translucent.
- Add rinsed and soaked lentils followed be the seasonings. Give them a nice stir.
- Saute for a minute and then pour the vegetable broth.
- Simmer for 12 - 15 minutes till it's cooked well and all liquids used up. Keep the pot covered with a lid while simmering.
- Check if the lentils are cooked or not by pressing a few with fingers or using a spoon to mash lightly. They won't fall apart but should have a soft texture.
Instant Pot Lentils
- You can make it completely oil-free also.
- Add all the ingredients to the inner pot and close the LID.
- Turn the pressure valve to the VENTING position.
- Start the PRESSURE COOK on MANUAL mode for 8 - 9 minutes.
- Once done, let it be on NPR (Natural Pressure Release) for 8 - 10 minutes.
- Then open the instant pot lid carefully. Lentils are cooked perfectly.
- Give them a nice stir. Remove from the pot and serve warm.
Notes
Brown lentils and green are the best in holding the shape and making the best taco meat. Don't choose red lentils and yellow lentils for this recipe as they tend to turn mushy while cooking.
You can also add walnuts, cauliflower rice, and quinoa to your lentil taco meat. If adding walnuts, pulse them coarsely and add to the onions and saute for a few minutes before adding the lentils. The same is with cauliflower rice.
Use cooked/ canned/ leftover lentils for a quick recipe. Cooking raw lentils may take 15 - 20 minutes extra as compared to using cooked lentils in this dish.
To make oil-free, skip the sauteeing step and dump everything in one pot and start cooking. Bring it to a boil and then lower the temperature to simmer on medium to low flame covered with a lid.
Storage and reheat
It stores well in the refrigerator for 5 - 7 days when stored in an air-tight container. This is freezer friendly as well. Thaw it before reheating for use. To freeze pack them in several servings and not all in one container. When ready to use remove the portion servings to use instead of removing the whole batch. To reheat, transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes, stirring at 1-minute mark. Or in a skillet, till it's warm enough to use.Nutrition
Calories: 156kcal