Lentil Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Sauce

These lentil tacos from vegan food blogger Sam Turnbull of It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, are super quick and easy to make, only 15 minutes! Not only are they speedy, but they’re full of spices and bursting with flavour, making them a hearty meal everyone will love (carnivore or not).

Ingredients

For the lentil filling:

1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons (10 mL) of chili powder
1 teaspoon (5 mL) of cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of paprika
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of oregano
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) of chili flakes
1 cup (250 mL) of red lentils
2 cups (500 mL) of low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon (2 mL) of salt

For the avocado cilantro sauce:

1 avocado
A small bunch of fresh cilantro
1/2 cup (125 mL) of water
1/2 of a lime, juiced
1 tablespoon (15 mL) of agave syrup (or maple syrup)
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) of salt

For the tacos:

8 small corn or flour tortillas
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Prepare and preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Turn on your convection fan if you have one.

To make the lentil filling, add the oil into a large frying pan or skillet, over medium heat. Toss in the onions and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally until they’re softened and just begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the spices and continue cooking until they too are fragrant, another minute or so. Add the lentils, broth, and salt, then cover. Bring to a simmer, and continue cooking until the broth is absorbed and the lentils are tender and delicious, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the tortillas and make the sauce. Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake until warm, about 10 minutes. While you wait, add all the sauce ingredients to your food processor or blender and simply purée until smooth.

To assemble the tacos. Spoon some of the lentil filling onto a tortilla, top with mangoes, red onion, and lots of avocado sauce. Bon Appetegan!