Lentil Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Sauce
This recipe is quick and easy, it takes under 30 minutes to make. The avocado cilantro sauce makes these tacos a real keeper.
This recipe is quick and easy, it takes under 30 minutes to make. The avocado cilantro sauce makes these tacos a real keeper.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon agave
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
- 2 mangoes (chopped)
- 2 tomatoes (sliced)
- 1/2 red onion (thinly sliced)
- Carbohydrate 33.1276118461945 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 4.75450829445021 g
- Fiber 12.2910389620185 g
- Protein 8.7653055624961 g
- Saturated Fat 0.704969114608379 g
- Serving Size 1 1 taco (239g)
- Sodium 150.214297396157 mg
- Sugar 20.836572884176 g
- Trans Fat 0.375122341148877 g
- Calories 200 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the lentils: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add in the spices and continue to cook for 1 minute more until the spices are fragrant. Add in the vegetable broth and lentils. Cover and bring to a low simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until all of the broth is absorbed and the lentils are cooked.
- To make the avocado cilantro sauce: Add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender, and blend until your sauce is smooth.
- To prepare the tacos: On a gas stove, use tongs to hold a tortilla over a flame for about 20 seconds per side to warm them. If you do not have a gas stove, warm the tortillas, by preheating the oven to 350F (180C), wrapping the tortillas in foil, and baking for 10 to 20 minutes until warmed throughout.
- Assemble the tacos by spreading the lentil mixture on a tortilla, adding toppings, and dolloping some sauce across the top.
Traditional beef tacos rely heavily on rendered fat and heavily spiced ground meat for their impact, but plant-based alternatives demand a different approach entirely. Red lentils soften quickly without losing their structural integrity, absorbing broth and spices efficiently during a brief ten-minute simmer. Sautéing the onion and minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat until the onions turn translucent creates the crucial flavor foundation before the dry spices go into the pan. Toasting those spices for exactly sixty seconds blooms their fat-soluble compounds, transforming raw cumin and paprika into something deeply aromatic.
Undercooking the lentils leaves a chalky interior texture, while overcooking turns them into paste inside the taco shell. Many home cooks ruin this dish by dumping the broth and lentils into the pan without blooming the spices first, missing the chance to coat the legumes in toasted aromatics. Another frequent error involves overloading the food processor when pureeing the avocado cilantro sauce, which incorporates excess air and dulls the vibrant green color. Keeping the sauce smooth requires scraping down the container sides twice during blending.
Pairing these earthy legumes with bright, high-acid accompaniments cuts through the dense starch of the tortilla and lentils. Roasted poblano peppers or charred corn salad bring smoky sweetness that contrasts sharply with the creamy, herbaceous sauce. Pickled red radishes offer a sharp crunch that grounds the softness of the mango slices and tomatoes. Serving warm black beans seasoned with epazote alongside the plates rounds out the meal with additional protein and fiber.
Setting out bowls of shredded cabbage, cotija cheese, and lime wedges allows guests to customize their plates with contrasting textures. Fresh lime juice squeezed over the assembled tacos brightens the overall flavor profile immediately before eating. Keeping tortillas pliable requires a hot dry skillet or direct flame contact rather than microwaving, which steams them into a rubbery state.
