If you’re looking for a meat-less dinner option to throw into your week, you need this plant based lentil taco “meat”! It has an incredible flavour & texture. Add this to your next meat-less Monday menu!
Meat-less taco “meat” with lentils
I will be the first one to say I personally love a good taco made with high quality ground beef. But that’s not to say I don’t love to experiment with plant-based options as well! I am all for a meat-less Monday or meal every now & then. That’s where a recipe like these, or my bean-less veggie burgers come into the mix.
Even my meat-loving boyfriend was a fan of these plant-based lentil taco “meat”. If you know him, that is saying a lot!
Make lentils easier to digest
If you watch my IG stories, you would have seen me talking about lentils & digestion. Beans & legumes/lentils are not super easy for me (& many others with sensitive digestive systems) to fully break down. For me, I still need to make sure I don’t overdue lentils or my sensitive system will not be feeling so hot. I did some research & came across a few tips & tricks that can really make a difference in how you digest lentils.
Rinse & then soak the lentils
The first step after measuring out your lentils is to rinse them really well with cold water. I used a fine mesh sieve for this step & rinsed them for a couple minutes.
Then you want to immerse them in a large bowl with cold water. Ideally, you want to let your lentils soak in this water overnight, but at least 4-6 hours should also work. Now after they are done soaking, you want to fully get rid of this water & give them another really good, thorough, cold water rinse like you did in the beginning.
Now you are ready to cook them!
Cooking the lentils
In a large saucepan I added 3 cups of water to 2 cups of lentils & cooked them over low-medium heat until they were soft & the water had dissolved. I left them uncovered for the first 10 minutes & then covered for the last 10-15 (or until the water was absorbed & they were nice & soft).
This is how I prepared my lentils for this lentil taco “meat” & it turned out really great! Another tip (I should have listened to) was to go slow with lentils if you don’t consume them regularly. Ease into the lentil world is the best way to decrease any gas or bloating that commonly occurs with lentil consumption!
Putting the plant based lentil taco “meat” together
After you have your lentil prepped & cooked, you can remove them from the pan & start cooking the mushrooms, onions & other ingredients, placing the lentils back in just at the end. This plant based lentil taco “meat” is actually really easy & can be whipped up in no time after prepping your lentils for optimal digestion.
Other preparation tips for improved digestion
- Start slow. If you don’t eat many beans or legumes/lentils your body will need some time to ease into the transition. Start with a little & slowly increase your intake. Some people may not be able to tolerate much & will do best having lentils in moderation, occasionally!
- Pressure cook them. I have heard this can help significantly with regards to bloating & gas. If you have a pressure cooker, it may be worth a shot!
- Consider sprouting your lentils. I haven’t tried this, but there are many Google articles that outline exactly what to do or you can buy them pre-sprouted already.
- Lentils are relatively high in FODMAPS. This means they have several types of carbohydrates that ferment in the intestine & can lead to gas/bloating/stomach pain. If you follow a lot FODMAP diet or don’t tolerate FODMAPS well, lentils may not be the best option for you.
Want more plant based recipes?
BUTTERNUT APPLE FALL SOUP [DAIRY-FREE, VEGAN, PALEO, WHOLE-30]
VEGAN DILL LEMON CREAM SAUCE [7 INGREDIENTS]
PLANT-BASED VEGAN EGGPLANT LASAGNA [LOW-CARB, PALEO, WHOLE-30, NUT-FREE]
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Plant-Based Lentil Taco “Meat”
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 12 hours
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
If you’re looking for a meat-less dinner option to throw into your week, you need this plant based lentil taco “meat”! It has an incredible flavour & texture. Add this to your next meat-less Monday menu!
Ingredients
Lentil “meat”
- 4–5 cups prepared lentils (2 cups dry lentils, I used green lentils in this recipe)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 red onion, thinly diced
- 1 + 1/2 cups mushrooms, thinly diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp pink salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- Hemp seeds, optional (you can mix in 1/4 cup or sprinkle in as desired)
- 1/4–1/2 cup salsa or tomato sauce, optional (adds moisture if desired)
Taco spices
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano, dried
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
Prepping the lentils
- Start by rinsing the lentils really well with cold water. I used a fine mesh sieve for this step & rinsed them for a couple minutes.
- Then you want to immerse them in a large bowl with cold water. Ideally, you want to let your lentils soak in this water overnight, but at least 4-6 hours should also work.
- After they are done soaking, you want to fully get rid of this water & give them another really good, thorough, cold water rinse like you did in the beginning.
- Now you are ready to cook the lentils
Cooking the lentils
- In a large saucepan add 3 cups of water to 2 cups of lentils & cooked them over low-medium heat until they were soft & the water had dissolved.
- I left them uncovered for the first 10 minutes & then covered for the last 10-15 (or until the water was absorbed & they were nice & soft).
- Remove the lentils from the saucepan & set aside in a bowl while you make the rest of the “meat”.
Taco “meat”
- In the same saucepan, add the avocado oil, diced onion, mushrooms, & garlic.
- Sauté this for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- Add in the salt, pepper & spices.
- Add in the lentils & a dash or two of water if needed to get the mixture to your desired consistency. Being careful not too add too much as you will get a mushy final mixture.
- Mix everything together & add in hemp seeds &/or salsa for more flavour & moisture, if desired.
- I added this “meat” to cassava flour tortillas with pickled onions, cilantro, jalapeños, diced avocado, & almond feta “cheese.”
- Enjoy!
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