Lentil and black bean tacos
Three weeks down! Only one and a half weeks of Vegan January left. I must say, as much as I’ve been enjoying the vegan meals I’ve been making, I’m kind of looking forward to February. I definitely don’t think I’m cut out to be vegan long-term – respect to those who can do it!
Perhaps if I was allowed one non-vegan meal a week just to get my cheese fix, it would be a lot easier for me, because I am actually coming up with plenty of awesome vegan dinner ideas – like these lentil and black bean tacos. They’re a simple mixture of lentils, black beans and spices, served in a tortilla with whatever other taco fillings you fancy – I went for salsa and some fresh coriander, but avocado, tomatoes, red onion, or (if you really want to make me jealous) some sour cream or grated cheese would be great too.
The lentil and black bean mixture in these tacos is great hot or cold, so they’re also pretty good for taking to work for your lunch. Just beware that you might need a bib if you’re likely to end up making as much of a mess as I did – you can’t really fold in the end of a taco in the same way as you can with something bigger like a burrito, so everything inevitably slips slowly out of the open end. I’m sure there’s some technique to eating these things neatly, but I’ve yet to find it. Maybe a knife and fork is the answer, but I think I would feel a little ridiculous doing that (and this from a girl who uses a knife and fork for pizza).
Perhaps we just need to embrace the fact that tacos are messy, but as long as they’re delicious, it’s okay. These were definitely worth it.
- 60g brown lentils
- 400ml vegetable stock
- 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained but not rinsed (240g when drained)
- 1/2tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2tsp hot chilli powder
- 1/4tsp ground coriander
- Black pepper
- To serve: 4 mini flour tortillas or taco shells; taco toppings such as salsa, fresh coriander, avocado, tomato, cheese, sour cream
- Add the lentils, stock and black beans to a saucepan, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for around ten minutes, until the liquid has begun to boil off. From this point onwards, you will probably need to stir more often to prevent the lentil and bean mixture from sticking to the pan. Cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and has no excess water. If the lentils are still not quite tender, add a dash more water and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add the spices and plenty of black pepper, and mix well.
- Serve in mini tortillas or taco shells with your favourite taco toppings.
If you like quick and easy Mexican-style meals, try these enchilada noodles:
Hi Becca, these look fabulous! Could I make them with green lentils? What is the difference between the different colored lentils?
Actually green lentils and brown lentils are pretty similar, so you could definitely try using green :) Red lentils, on the other hand, cook down a lot mushier than brown and green.
Ahhh! Thank you for the 101 on lentils! Although I have used them all I really never knew the difference, LOL. Thanks again Becca! I will be adding this to my menu if not tonight then this week for sure!
Enjoy! :)
Just whipped this up for dinner. Most excellent. Simple & quick (and really good!)
Lentils and black beans together in a taco! I feel like I have gone to foodie heaven. These are my favorite beans so I am delighted to see them paired in this delicious taco recipe. Your photos look good enough to eat! So glad I found your blog on The Wednesday Roundup! We share a love for healthy, plant-based food, I see! All the best, Deborah
I’m excited to find this recipe. I’ve been looking to find some lentil recipes that sound good, other than soups. My family might even give this a try. :) Stopping by from the DBB and pinning!
I gave up meat for Lent last year. I don’t think I cold give up cheese, but these sound good!
Becca, this looks delicious and something I would love to try. Stumbled it.
mmm these look great! So fresh :)
Dang, these sound perfect!! YUM!
These sound great. I make lentil tacos for my son but admit they make me want to go back to my beef tacos. The secret to eating tacos is to not overstuff them! I grew up where a pound of beef was used for 2dozen tacos! That means the filling was really a seasoning and they weren’t overstuffed even adding lettuce and tomato. I’d eat 3 or 4 with Spanish rice and a bit of retried beans on the side so you can see we didn’t overfill our tacos.
I hope these make me not miss the beef tacos!
Very impressed you’ve done an entire month without your beloved cheese Becca. Yoghurt is one of the main reasons I could never go vegan, I’d find it very hard to live without the cooling element on spicy food.
Thank you! It’s not been easy ;)
Soy yogurt is really as good as milk yogurt! Some vegan things aren’t up to par but this is.
I’m all for embracing the messiness of tacos…and most other delicious foods, come to think of it. Also, I love how this month had forced you to be more creative with your meals- not that you needed out because I love all of your cheesy recipes, too!
Wow, these look delish! One question: are the tortillas vegan if they’re cooked in peanut oil, but you don’t have a peanut allergy? I can never keep the boundaries straight :p
Haha yes peanuts don’t come from animals so as long as you’re not allergic, peanut oil is fine!
Okay, the true test of a taco’s goodness is whether it gets all over you (or at least your plate) while you’re eating it. A preternaturally neat taco would just be wrong. :) Anyway, NOM TACO YES PLEASE.
Messy tacos are the best tacos! I try to cut down on dairy and I admit, it’s very hard with tacos. But these look delicious without cheese!
I’m very impressed with your vegan experiment. Sounds like you’re doing well. These look delicious – I actually really like lentils when they’re cooked well. And so healthy! Love the photos here!
They look super tasty Becca. Another gorgeous meal!
i have never tried beans and lentil tacos – thanks for the idea. Will you be doing your overall vegan recap?
Hi Dixya! I’ll definitely be doing some sort of recap at the end of the month – is there anything in particular you’d like to see?
I have all of the ingredients on-hand to make these tacos – I will be doing that soon! Looks delicious.
What a fantastic and creative taco idea! Also sounds extremely healthy, great recipe :)
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
i don’t know how you’re doing it, I know I can’t! I need milk so I don’t break anymore bones lol
These tacos look delicious, but I might start the lentils and black beans with a little bacon… bad influence
Enchilada noodles?! What a concept! I love it :) Adding these to my recipe tab.