You know how we all kind of have our own one-trick, easy dinner that gets us through a busy day with our bellies full? I think there’s zero doubt in my house, that taco nights are my go-to!
My favorite reasons? The seemingly never-ending variety of main ingredients to put into tortillas, and the simple flavor additions that I always keep on hand! For main ingredients, I love to use up any leftover or extra vegetables I have in the refrigerator with sprouted lentils, black beans or garbanzo beans. Sprouting legumes ahead of time, keeps the Vegan Lentil Taco recipe under a half of an hour in cooking time! Using plant protein over animal protein, also keeps cooking time for the taco skillet minimal, and means you don’t need to worry about whether you have fresh or defrosted chicken or meat on hand. Using fresh ingredients, vegetables, sprouted corn tortillas and whole food sourced plant protein you can easily make taco night a healthy and nutritious family meal! * When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*
Here’s what I always keep stocked for impromptu taco nights:
- Chili lime seasoning blend
- Smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Avocados
- Fresh limes
- Tomato paste
- Garlic
- Red onion
- Cilantro
- Sprouted corn tortillas
Within 30 minutes, I easily throw together this Vegan Lentil Taco Skillet with what I already have on hand or with a quick grocery run! I always sprout legumes in bulk, to freeze, which makes it super easy to add them to the Vegan Lentil Taco Skillet, but you could also use fresh lentils.
Another fun thing about a Vegan Lentil Taco Skillet is that it can feel fancy for weeknight dinners and casual for the weekend. I absolutely love adding leftovers to eggs the next morning, for a savory breakfast or using it up for lunchbox tacos on a school night. Either way, this easy recipe yields tons of flavor that tastes like you’ve been cooking up a storm! Hope you love it as much as we do!
Vegan Lentil Taco Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chili lime seasoning I buy a blend from Trader Joes
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp tomato paste I buy it in glass jars, to avoid metal and plastic contaminents
- 1/4 c water
- 1.5 c sprouted brown lentils pre-cooked, unsprouted will work too!
- juice of 1 lime
- handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add olive oil and onions, cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Once the onions have begun to brown (please don't burn them), turn the heat to low, add in the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute more.
- Stir in seasonings, tomato paste, water and lentils. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in lime juice and cilantro.