Spiced lentil lettuce tacos with avocado and tomato salsa
15 min · 17 g protein · 377 cals / serving
Canned lentils simmered with onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and corn into a thick, savoury taco filling, spooned into crisp butter-lettuce cups and topped with lime-dressed avocado and a quick fresh tomato salsa. Taco night, vegan and gluten-free, in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Lentil filling
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika, smoked if you have it
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cans (15 oz each) lentils, brown or green, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lime juice
Avocado and salsa
- 2 avocados
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, finely chopped, optional
- 1 pinch salt
To serve
- 2 heads butterhead lettuce, leaves separated (or romaine hearts)
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the onion 3 minutes until it softens. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until fragrant and brick red.
- Add the lentils, corn, water and salt and simmer 5–6 minutes, stirring and mashing a few lentils against the pan, until the liquid has gone and the filling is thick. Stir in the tablespoon of lime juice.
- While the filling simmers, dice the avocados and toss them with the other tablespoon of lime juice (if half the tacos are for tomorrow's lunch, dice one avocado now and keep the other whole), and mix the tomato, red onion, cilantro, jalapeño and a pinch of salt into a quick salsa.
- Spoon the warm filling into the lettuce leaves and top with avocado and salsa. Leftover filling keeps 3 days in the fridge, stored apart from the lettuce, and freezes for 3 months; the salsa keeps 1–2 days. Dice the second avocado when you eat, and reheat the filling until steaming.
Good to know
Is it spicy?
Gently warm: US chili powder is a mild blend. Keep the jalapeño in a separate bowl for children and anyone who wants heat, and pass hot sauce at the table.
Can I use corn tortillas instead of lettuce?
Yes, eight small corn tortillas, warmed in a dry pan, keep it gluten-free and make it more like a classic taco night, at about 54 instead of 66.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 87
- Protein
- (19%)
- 4 g
- Fat
- (36%)
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- (46%)
- 12 g
- of which sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 188 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1507 kcal goes into the pot and 1840 g of ingredients comes out as about 1725 g of food: 87 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.