Name: Weeknight Lentil Tacos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 300 min
Ingredients: 1 pound lentils (dried); 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock; 1 cup water; 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes (fire roasted); ½ cup onions (chopped); 2 (1 oz.) packets low sodium taco seasoning; 1 tablespoon cumin; 1 teaspoon chili powder; ½ teaspoon black pepper; salt (to taste); 1 (12 oz.) bag vegetable crumbles (frozen (optional)); 1-3 dashes hot sauce ((optional))

^{Looking for an easy, inexpensive, healthier Taco Tuesday? This is your recipe! A vegetarian go-to that shockingly will become the star of any weeknight dinner!}

There’s no question – tacos are by far my favorite food (right behind fried chicken and some sort of pizza/stromboli variation). I don’t think I’ve met someone who says they DON’T like tacos.

I love every type of authentic street taco paired with grilled Mexican street corn. And I love any and all Mexican restaurants and any and all tacos they serve. I have to admit though… there’s still a place in my heart for a good ole’ boxed taco kit.

This was such an easy week night dinner for my mom to whip up. When it came to my birthday we would go out to eat but she also offered a day of the week to make me a meal of my choice. It was always the simple weeknight tacos. There is something so comforting and oddly flavorful about this dinner.

If you asked me how many tacos I planned on eating in one sitting, it’s nothing less than a dozen. That’s sick, I know. But if I could I would. I even remember the day I passed my real estate exam I celebrated at a chain Mexican restaurant for all-you-can-eat taco night. My stomach never forgave me.

The point I’m making about the basic-homemade-from-a-can-or-packet tacos is they are addicting but not the healthiest. Plus, there’s never enough. Stop telling yourself you cannot eat a couple extra tacos when you really want them. Here is a way to feel no guilt with eating my all time Mexican favorite.

When I started thinking about this recipe I was talking to a friend at work that raved about how they loved all bean and lentil tacos. It hit me, I needed my slow cooker to make this happen. And once I did…I fell in love with the simple weeknight tacos like I loved as a kid. As a grown adult, I felt sooooo little guilt. So little guilt that I felt great about eating a dozen!

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Weeknight Lentil Tacos

Print Recipe

Looking for an easy, inexpensive, healthier Taco Tuesday? This is your recipe! A vegetarian go-to that shockingly will become the star of any weeknight dinner!

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:5 hrs

Ingredients

1 pound lentils dried
4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 cup water
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes fire roasted
½ cup onions chopped
2 (1 oz.) packets low sodium taco seasoning
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
1 (12 oz.) bag vegetable crumbles frozen (optional)
1-3 dashes hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

In a slow cooker, add lentils, stock, water, tomatoes, onions and seasoning. Stir.
Cook on high for 3 hours. Add the frozen bag of veggie crumbles, and let heat for 30 minutes on high (omit if you don't have these on hand). For the last 1 1/2 hours, take off the lid to the slow cooker and turn heat down to low.
(Can be cooked for 8 hours on low. Take the lid off at the end and add the veggie crumbles. Continue to cook on low without covering until serving time.)
The lentils should be thick enough for a fork to stand up in the middle. Taste at the end and add salt and/or hot sauce if needed. If too thick, loosen with water or stock, 1/4 cup at a time.

Notes

Ingredients and Techniques

I highly suggest using a slow cooker when making lentils. At least for this lentil recipe. You don’t have to but this makes the best texture…once you get it down. I did test this recipe for years. It really depends on if you want them to be more stiff vs. chewy. (Choose stiff – it’s the best comparison to sautéed meat and beans).

Try this at least once while you are home and can monitor the consistency to your liking.

Feel free to add extra onions, salsa, beans, chiles, etc. to your slowcookers. This is another recipe that’s hard to mess up. Just make it how you prefer.

How long does it last and where?

This lasts in the fridge in an airtight container for 5-6 days

Can you freeze it?

Absolutely. My mom and I make this often and freeze the leftovers in sandwich bags for a quick fix on a busy night.

Substitutions?

Vegetable stock can be replaced with chicken stock if you are not a vegan or vegetarian.

My mom uses salsa instead of canned tomatoes sometimes. It works just as well.

You can always make your own taco seasoning. I just like that nostalgic flavor of the packet. Plus there are lower sodium options now that give you a little more control of the salt content.

You can add or leave out the frozen vegetable crumbles. I just like that they give more bulk to the recipe and I always have tons on hand. If you want to use any other variation of “meatless” meat then just prepare accordingly. You don’t have too. I like crumbles that resemble ground meat. You can usually find these in the freezer section in bags labeled as ground meat substitutes in their own creative brand way.

Tips and Tricks

A Slow cooker is the way to go. Feel free to try stove top. Please know there will be a lot of babysitting.

Also, as suggested before, try this while at home to test the consistency you want. Eventually if you LOVE this recipe (which you will) you can throw it together before work and it’ll be perfect when you get home!

What to serve it with or do with leftovers?

I am in the crunchy taco fan club! Doesn’t mean I don’t love soft tacos but for these I prefer the old school boxed shells.

Also, this is great on top of a salad or in a burrito bowl. It works wherever taco meat would be…nachos, burritos, salads, taquitos…you name it.

Serve with the variation of the following:

- - Tortillas
  - Guacamole
  - Salsa
  - Sour Cream (vegan or regular) – I used plain Greek yogurt
  - Black olives
  - Cheese (vegan or low fat)

****Nutritional Facts**** Each taco should average out to 1/4 cup or less of filling. The nutrition is for JUST the filling. I averaged 3 tacos per person. This nutrition is for 3/4 cups of filling.