Vegan "Ground Beef" Tacos, made out of Lentils - "Carne Molida" Vegana de Lentejas

textured vegetable protein

🥗Healthier: lentils

💰Cheaper: canned chickpeas

Lentils are high in protein and fiber, while canned chickpeas are budget-friendly.

taco shells

🥗Healthier: lettuce wraps

💰Cheaper: homemade tortillas

Lettuce wraps reduce carbs and calories; homemade tortillas can save costs.

avocado

🥗Healthier: guacamole

💰Cheaper: mashed peas

Mashed peas provide creaminess at a lower cost.

black beans

🥗Healthier: kidney beans

💰Cheaper: pinto beans

Kidney beans are nutritious and pinto beans are often cheaper.

Introduce the recipe and explain that it's a plant-based taco recipe mimicking ground beef.

Gather ingredients: 2 cups cooked lentils, spices, onion, garlic, liquid aminos, and olive oil.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add roughly chopped 1/2 white onion to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute until softened.

Add 1 garlic clove (roughly chopped) and spices (smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, cumin, black pepper) to the skillet and mix well to bloom the spices.

Add the 2 cups of cooked lentils to the skillet and mix to incorporate the spices and onion.

Add 1 tablespoon of liquid aminos and mix again.

Cook the lentil mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils start to brown.

Smash the lentils slightly with the back of a spoon to achieve a ground beef texture, if desired.

Taste the lentil mixture and adjust seasoning with pink Himalayan sea salt as needed.

Assemble the tacos by placing vegan crema in the taco shell, adding the lentil mixture, sprinkling with onions and cilantro, and finishing with lime juice.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens