Lentil and Walnut Taco Filling

This lentil and walnut taco meat is a perfect vegan alternative for taco night! It has all the delicious taco flavors you know and love and a great texture. Use it in tacos, burritos, salads, bowls or anything else!

Cooking Tip

This recipe will work without the walnuts, if you want to leave them out.

Yield6 servings

Serving size1 serving

Perfect forOne-pot

Dietary preferencesGluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted walnuts
1 cup uncooked lentils
1 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
lime juice, to taste

Directions

In a small bowl, add the walnuts to enough lukewarm water to submerge them. In a separate bowl, add the lentils to enough lukewarm water to cover them. Soak both for 30 minutes.
Once the walnuts have finished soaking, drain them and transfer to a cutting board. Let the lentils continue to soak. Roughly chop the walnuts until they have broken down into a “meat crumble” texture. You don’t want them to be powder, you want them to have some texture still.
In a medium-sized pan, add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Once warm, add onions and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes.
Add chopped walnuts, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cayenne, and cook for 1 minute.
Drain the lentils and add them to the mixture along with liquid smoke, tomatoes, and broth. Mix until everything is combined and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Allow to simmer covered for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the lid from the pan and continue sauteing until the liquid has cooked off and the lentils are soft.
Remove from heat and add in cilantro. Mix until well combined and serve warm. Enjoy!

Nutrition facts (per serving)

240Calories

10 Total Fat (g)

1Saturated Fat (g)

260Sodium (mg)

30Carbs (g)

6 Dietary Fiber (g)

11Protein (g)

This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

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