Lentil Walnut Tacos with Avocado Crema
Savory lentils are topped with smooth-tasting avocado cream and served in corn tortillas in this vegan recipe. For speedy preparation, cook lentils and toast walnuts a day in advance. Other tricks: measure all dry spices into a small cup so they are ready to add to the pot!
Serves:
5Prep Time:
15 minutesCook Time:
20 minutesINGREDIENTS
Lentil Filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ancho chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups cooked brown lentils
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (substitute: smoked paprika)
- ¾ cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted
Avacado Crema:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 cup unflavored almond milk
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup fresh chives or scallions, chopped
- Salt to taste
To Serve:
- Fresh corn tortillas, heated
- Sliced radishes
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Pickled or raw red onion
DIRECTIONS
-
For the lentil filling: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Stir in cumin, ancho chile, cayenne, salt and pepper, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-
Stir in tomato paste until dispersed. Add lentils, soy sauce, and liquid smoke, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add toasted walnuts and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
-
For the crema:
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. -
To heat tortillas:
Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and microwave for a minute. Or heat tortillas one by one in a hot skillet. Wrap warmed tortillas in towel until serving time. -
To serve:
Top heated tortillas with lentil filling, and drizzle with avocado crema. Garnish with radish and cilantro and serve with lime wedges, as desired.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Per serving (one-fifth of recipe): Calories: 309 Total Fat: 20g Saturated Fat: 2g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 485mg Total Carbohydrate: 21g Fiber: 12g Sugars: 2g Protein: 15g
Adapted by Sydney Carroll from Connoisseurus Veg, author Alissa, February 2019.