My family has long been a fan of tacos. I grew up eating them often and it’s one of my very favorite things my mom makes.
Several years ago David, Chris and I went vegetarian for a year. Surprisingly, we didn’t really miss meat. Perhaps that’s because I found delicious alternatives to our favorites, such as…lentil tacos.
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Lentil Tacos
I’ve been making these for quite awhile. I ended up buying 5 pounds of lentils in bulk from a natural food coop after I discovered how much we like them and how versatile they are. Until recently I cooked them in a pot on the stove which is certainly easy enough. But just before Christmas I took advantage of a sale on the Instant Pot (an electric pressure cooker) and now I can make lentils for tacos without keeping an eye on them. Last night, for instance, I put the lentils and other ingredients in the Instant Pot and turned it on, then put rice in my rice cooker and turned it on. I then did my daily 30 minutes on the treadmill without a worry that either would burn. Both appliances also keep warm after cooking which is a very handy feature.
So here’s my recipe for the lentils:
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry lentils
- 4 cups water
- 4 ounces tomato sauce (or may substitute salsa for more flavor)
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- Creole seasoning to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in Instant Pot.
- Lock lid and make sure pressure release valve is in closed position
- Adjust manual setting to 15 minutes.
- Release pressure manually or allow to release on its own.
After the lentils are done and the pressure has been released, open the Instant Pot, stir and allow to sit a few minutes while frying the tortillas.
Serve in fried tortillas, or I suppose you could use those icky, hard boxed taco shells but I can’t imagine why. Top with shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced green onions, hot sauce, sour cream or any combination of taco toppings you prefer.
I like to serve lentil tacos with seasoned rice, tortilla chips and salsa.
Note: I like to make my own taco seasoning mix instead of buying packets. It’s super easy! Here is how I make it:
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Classic Tacos ~ A Family Favorite
Yum, yum!
I love the new updated recipe! Thanks again, it’s a family favorite.
You’re welcome – we love them, too!
Now I find your lentil taco recipe. Plan on having tacos tomorrow (for taco Tuesday) but will probably use meat since I made Lentil sloppy joes today. Of course, I might use your recipe and do lentils two days in a row. Thanks for the idea.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe (and sharing that you had it at the RT bonus call last week). I have never been able to figure out how to eat or prepare lentils where I actually wanted to eat them. This smelled so good and I loved the texture. I had no idea it could be this easy! Thanks so much!
Oh, I’m so glad you liked them! I make them pretty often. We love tacos of most any kind. 🙂