Vegetarian Bean and Lentil Tacos

Sarah_Jayne's Note:

I am really trying to eat less meat these days. I was looking for something quick to make but without bouncing back to cooking meat. I looked around at what I had in my cupboards and fridge and came up with these. We enjoyed the way they turned out and will for sure have them again. I suspect this would make a nice tortilla filling too.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 8 tacos

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 cup carrot , shredded
• 1 cup zucchini , shredded
• 1 cup onion , finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ cup mushroom , finely sliced
• 1 (14 ounce) can cooked lentils , drained
• 2 ½ teaspoons fajita seasoning mix
• 1 (15 ounce) can fat-free refried beans
• 8 taco shells
• ½ cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese , shredded

Toppings

• reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
• salsa (optional)
• guacamole (optional)
• jalapeno (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
2. Add in the shredded carrots, zucchini, chopped onions and the garlic powder.
3. Stir for a minute two before reducing the heat and letting them sweat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the lentils, mushrooms and fajitas seasoning and cooking, stirring often, over medium heat for another five minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put the taco shells in the oven to cook through. The ones that I buy take about 5 minutes so this can be done while the lentils and mushrooms are cooking down.
6. Stir the refried beans into the vegetable and lentil mixture until everything is combined and the beans are just warmed through.
7. Spoon the lentil and bean mixture into the taco shells and top with shredded cheese.
8. Add any of the other toppings you may enjoy and eat as you would a 'normal' taco.

Reviews

[SugarJen]

Awesome vegan dinner! Thanks so much for posting!

[Starrynews]

Wonderful variation on tacos! Messy and delicious, just as they should be :) I served with all of the optional toppings, including a homemade guacamole I whipped up while the lentil mixture was warming up on the stove. Thanks for sharing!

[Student of JESUS]

These sounded interesting as I, too, am trying to eat less meat. When I was done, though, I felt that the mixture needed more flavor so I shook some more taco seasoning in there. That made it taste a lot better in my opinion. And when I added sharp cheddar cheese (made with 2% milk) it started to taste more like a taco. I also added light sour cream, salsa and avacado. My kids ages 2 and 4 ate this with enjoyment. I really liked the combination of healthy ingredients. Jesus bless you for sharing!