My desire for vegetables has been fleeting over the course of the first and second trimesters. Some days I don’t want to touch them with a ten foot pole (except in smoothies, maybe), but when I do get a craving for veggies I have to eat all the vegetables, as soon as possible. There’s no middle ground. I either make a salad the size of my head or no salad at all.
These lettuce-wrapped tacos are the result of one of my undeniable, all-consuming veggie cravings last week. All I could think about was something super fresh and crunchy. Before I knew it I was pulling every single vegetable out of my fridge and piling it onto the counter. Eric could see that crazy look in my eyes and he knew I would stop at nothing to get my fix. I whipped up the lentil-walnut taco meat from my cookbook, sautéed some red pepper and onion, blended up some cashew sour cream, and got to chopping. I knew this was going to be the veggie-packed meal of my dreams. I almost shed a tear of joy when I took my first bite. Heck yes. I hit the flavour, texture, freshness jackpot! Somehow I managed to share with Eric and we stuffed ourselves silly. Surprisingly, we even had leftovers for lunch the next day. I’m telling you, these tacos prove that leftovers can be a great thing. It was such a fun treat to open the fridge the next day and have this great lunch waiting to be gobbled up a second time around.
Here’s how I constructed the wraps:
1) Romaine/Iceburg/Butter lettuce “wrap” + Lentil-Walnut Taco Meat (creates an amazing base for a taco!)
2) Sautéed onion and bell pepper:
3) Chopped tomatoes or salsa:
4) Lots of Cashew Sour Cream:
5) Chopped green onion + a squeeze of lime juice
Other topping ideas = sliced avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, _________ ?
6) Stuff into face. Make a HUGE mess. Repeat as necessary (until you can’t fit one more bite).
Veggie craving conquered.
Ultimate Green Taco Wraps
Yield
8 large tacos
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Get ready to pack a ton of veggies into one irresistible, healthy meal! If you haven't tried my lentil-walnut taco meat, this is a great recipe to do so. It's high in protein, and the taco seasonings and chewy texture create a realistic-tasting taco base. Feel free to use tortilla wraps or corn shells instead of lettuce wraps to change it up, or you can make this recipe into a big salad, too. You can save time by cooking the lentils and prepping the taco meat in advance (or simply use canned lentils). This recipe is inspired by Simple Vegan Blog taco wraps. The lentil-walnut meat is adapted from the from the The Oh She Glows Cookbook (page 186).
Ingredients
For the lentil-walnut taco meat (makes 2 1/2 cups):
- 1 cup uncooked French green lentils (you will use 1 3/4 cups cooked lentils)*
- 1 cup walnut pieces, toasted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) water
For the toppings and wraps:
- 1 to 2 large bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 to 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- Cashew Sour Cream
- Diced tomatoes or salsa
- Green onion
- Fresh lime juice
- Lettuce wraps (large romaine, iceberg, or butter lettuce leaves)
Other topping options:
- Sliced avocado
- Hot sauce
- Cilantro
Directions
- Cook the lentils: Rinse lentils in a fine mesh sieve. Add to a medium pot along with a few cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until tender (cook time will vary depending on the type of lentils you use—see package). Drain off excess water.
- Toast the walnuts: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Add walnuts onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10 to 13 minutes, watching closely, until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Sauté the pepper and onion filling: Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of oil into a large skillet or wok. Cook the onion and peppers over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat if necessary and stirring frequently, until translucent.
- Prepare the taco meat: Add 1 3/4 cups cooked lentils (you'll have some leftover) and all the toasted walnuts into a food processor and pulse until chopped (make sure to leave texture). Stir or pulse in the oregano, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Stir in the oil and the water until combined.
- Prepare the rest of your vegetable toppings and wash and dry the lettuce wraps.
- Assemble: Add a large lettuce leaf onto a plate, top with taco meat, sautéed peppers and onion, and the rest of your desired toppings.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in sealed containers to be enjoyed the next couple days. The cashew cream will keep for at least a week in the fridge. Use sour cream leftovers on sandwiches, wraps, stirred into salad dressings, on vegan nachos, or with chili or soup.
Tip:
- * To save time, you can use one (15-ounce) can of lentils (drained and rinsed) instead of cooking the lentils from scratch. When I have time, I love to cook French green lentils due to their chewy texture, but regular green and brown lentils will work too. Do not use red lentils as they are much too mushy and don't have the required chewy texture for this recipe.
- Make it nut-free: I haven't tried this yet, but you could try subbing the walnuts for 1/2-3/4 cup toasted pepita seeds (shelled pumpkin seeds) and swapping the Cashew Sour Cream with vegan mayo (such as Vegenaise).
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Once again, you hit this one out of the park!!! Your recipies are so delicious that I feel like there must be some witchcraft involved. This recipe was so easy and quick to make. Thank you for creating recipes that have ingredients that are available everyone and without random ingredients that you have to buy but will never use again. I was super skeptical of the vegan sour cream (as someone that LOVES regular sour cream) and it was perfection!! Keep it up you, you are helping to make eating healthy so delicious and fun for me.
Hi Katie, this was such a great message to read, thank you! It’s always so great to hear that my recipes are helping to make a healthy, plant-based lifestyle enjoyable and fun for my readers. :)
These are truly fabulous! Such a great mix of flavors. I doubled the taco meat because I wanted to use up all the lentils we had on hand, and put half in the freezer for the future use. And cheers to you on the best cashew sour cream recipe ever. I could eat it with a spoon.
Thank you!
I could definitely eat it with a spoon, too! ;) Thanks for the great comment, Mary — so glad to hear you like the recipe!
These are a summer staple for me, but I made them for my meat loving boyfriend last night and he loved them!
Yay! I’m glad they were a hit, Jamie. :)
A coworker brought this recipe to work today as part of a project she was working on. They were a huge hit with everyone and she had printed a copy of the recipe so that we could find it to make it. I am so glad that she did!! They were delicious and won over a lot of skeptics. I’ll be making them for my next dinner party group to pass the good food vibes on. Great job:)
That’s so great! I’m glad the recipe was such a hit with everyone – thanks for sharing. :)
Seriously the best thing I have ever ate! They’re so easy to make too! My Omni boyfriend loved them!!
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was such a hit, Asha!:)
Shared this recipe with my non-vegan friends. They were blown away, too. I cannot believe the walnut meat tasted so, well, meaty. As a newly minted vegan (that’s a thing, right?), I am so happy to have stumbled across this website for creative recipes. Mind you, I love a good salad, but not for every meal, every day. Plus, I need protein and carbs and all the other stuff. Thanks for being such a wonderful teacher, Angela, and for sharing all your wisdom. :-)
Oh, and I made these as taco bowls, btw, using quinoa corn chips as the base. Yummo! Next time, going for the lettuce, just did not have any in the house this time around. ~LR
I am so happy to hear it was such a hit! Also, taco bowls? Awesome idea! I hope you’ll find lots of other recipes here that you’ll enjoy just as well. :)
yesterday and todays lunch. So amazingly good!
Love this taco “meat”! I just wrote a blog post about feeling fulfilled or just full (not in the food sense, but in the how do you spend your time since) and as I was eating my tacos I realized that they left me feeling fulfilled. I added some different toppings and used corn taco shells, but Delicious! I was just recently turned on to your site and I love it! It has inspired me to cook and eat healthy delicious food again! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment, Melanie! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, and am so happy you’ve been finding inspiration in my blog. :)
This was just beyond. Beyond!! My husband did the “meat” part and I was supposed to do the peppers and onions. Since I got involved in chatting with my neighbor, I forgot the peppers and onions. We ended up just putting avocado and cherry tomatoes on it. I cannot believe how delicious it was.
It was easy, and incredibly delicious.
I am so glad you are in the business of making recipes! My husband said to me at the dinner table while we at it “she’s amazing” talking about you and your recipes. Since I work from home on Thursdays, I’m going to make that avocado/strawberry/balsamic thing and surprise him with it for a morning snack. Thanks again for all you do!
Aw, thanks so much for the sweet comment, Christine! You’re too kind. :) I’m so glad to hear you and your husband enjoyed the green taco wraps, and I hope you love the Strawberry Caprese when you try it today!
Hi, Angela!
I am very eager to try this recipe, but I have a severe allergy to pecans and walnuts. I’m wondering if you personally have tried any other nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews) or seeds to make this. If you have, how have they turned out?
Thank you :)
Oh. My. Goodness! First recipe I have tried from “oh she glows”/I am a convert/sign me up PLEASE for more meals like these! I am a meat eater, but if vegan tastes this good, I could get used to being vegan. Thanks a million for a game changing meal =)
Aw, thanks for the awesome comment! I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe so much. :)
This taco meat is delicious! Very flavorful, nice texture and quite filling. Even my non-vegetarian husband and son love it. It also freezes well so it’s handy for a quick taco or taco salad lunch. It’s become a staple in my house.
So glad to hear it, Cathy! :) It’s a staple around here, too, for sure.
I made the lentil walnut taco filling from this recipe and it was very tasty. I added a scoop of salsa to the mixture as that is what I usually do when making meat tacos and it added a nice tomato flavor. I have finally found a great vegan replacement for one of my favorite foods -tacos! Thanks Angela! Looking forward to the new book.
I just made these and they are SOOOO delicious. This is going into my weekly rotation. Thank you so much for sharing.
Glad the taco wraps are a hit, Lisa!! :)
I made the “meat” version of this recipe for someone who already had all the regular taco fixings. But anyway, it was awesome! Great texture and flavor. It will be added to my regular schedule.
I’m glad it was a hit, Christine!
I’ve made this at least 10 times in the past year and I’m SO happy to eat it every time! Thanks for such an amazing healthy recipe.
Aw, thanks for the lovely comment, Shannon! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe. :)
Made this for dinner tonight and they were SO good! I’m not vegan but your recipes are so tasty and easy that I incorporate them into my week! I added turmeric to the “meat” which made it extra tasty and healthy! Can’t wait to have the left overs for lunch tomorrow – thanks!
Wow! This is a great recipe. I have seen your recipe one week ago and at once I decided to make and wanted to present my husband. I just made a taco meat with normal onion instead of green onion and it tasted fantastic. My husband really amazed to taste it and for that I really grateful for you. I will definitely make this again. Thank you Angela for share this.
This recipe was easy and delicious – I loved the depth of flavor of the taco meat (good combo of spices), and the cashew cream drizzled over the top was delish! Additional bonus: my two kids – who are inherently suspicious of any “green stuff” – ended up finishing, and, dare I say, liking it! Well done! :)
Aw, I’m so happy to hear it was a hit with the kiddos! That’s always a huge bonus. :)
I made the lentil walnut taco meat and it was great!! I added a little garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder and cayenne for more a kick though.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Sara! A bit of extra kick is never a bad thing ;) love that idea!
seriously..wayyy better than any meat and i am NOT a vegetarian
the texture and spice of this taco meat is brilliant.. just snuck some in for Breakfast ..it was just sitting there and needed to tasted.. just as good cold too!!
thank you!
Oh, I’m so happy to hear that you’re loving it, Allie!
This gets 5 stars from my husband and I. I haven’t seen him get so excited about something I’ve cooked in a long time. It’s not that he doesn’t like what I cook, he just doesn’t get THIS excited. He was very excited about how much the taco filling reminded him of “real” tacos (he has been vegetarian for 20 years and kind of misses some things). These were just absolutely delicious. I made the “sour cream” after soaking the cashews for only about 15 minutes. It turned out fine, just a little grainy which doesn’t bother us. I also toasted the nuts in a pan on the stove instead of the oven (it’s winter in Texas and it’s warm here). My husband wants me to make the tacos next time with real tortillas, but I think I’ll just leave that option for him because I loved being able to pig out on these with the 2 calorie “tortillas.” I’m definitely making these again…..with flour tortillas and lettuce tortillas.
I made these last night and they were amazing! So delicious! I love veggies, and am a meat eater, but man I’m considering going vegeterian. Even my meat eating hubby loved them.
These were amazing! Loved them!! Will definitely be making again.
I saw this lentil-walnut taco meat on your Insta yesterday and knew I had to come find the recipe! This looks perfect wrapped in a tortilla for lunches! Can’t wait to try it! :)
Hope you enjoy it when you give it a try, Danielle! :)
OMG this recipe is amazing!
Excellent! I switched it up a bit though. I sauteed an onion and pepper in a large pan. Added crushed garlic for a couple of mins and then added the lentil/walnut mix along with some crushed tomatoes, canned chilies, the spices with a little vegi broth and let it reduce until desired consistency. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas or tostada filling. Muy Bien!
Wow!! I just made this and it was so so so good!! I loved the texture of the lentils with the toasted almonds. I added a little salsa instead of water for extra veggies and flavoring. Fantastic recipe! :D My husband and I are trying to be much more plant-based, and wonderful recipes like this help the transition.
I’m so happy to hear you both enjoyed the recipe, Ariel! If you try any other recipes of mine, I hope you love them just as much :)
This sounds so good! If I don’t have a food processor large enough to mix the lentils and walnuts (I only have a baby one for dressings, etc.), can I mix by hand? Worried that a blender would turn it to mush… thanks!
Hey Mei-Lin, would probably suggest processing it in batches, a small amount at a time, so you can achieve the right texture. :)
The directions in this recipe are subpar as though not a lot of thought went into it. I followed the recipe exactly and the tacos came out undercooked and not flavorful.
I made these for dinner when we had my brother-in-law and his fiance over. The lentil and walnut filling was lovely! I also made your cashew sour cream – mmmmm – a must have topping! We used a Mexican inspired slaw for our veggie – red cabbage, carrot, jalepeno and lime. Thank you for another awesome recipe Angela. I know I get the vegan cooking right when they go back for seconds (and thirds).
This is fantastic. I added a bit extra chili powder because I love spicy food. Overall such a delicious recipe and amazing twist on tacos. Feels super healthy while eating it, full of fresh crunchy veggies and hydrating, yet indulgently delicious! Will definitely make again.
Love the look of your recipes , but totally put off making the ones that dont have actual weights put besides the ‘cups of ‘. Love the ones you DO put weights.
Hey Pamela, I started adding metric measures to my recipes in late 2016/early 2017 and we’re in the process of updating previous ones too. I’m so glad to hear you appreciate the conversions!
Hi Angela! I love your lentil-walnut taco meat, and I was wondering if this could be made into sloppy joes. Most sloppy joe recipes are just lentil based, but the texture of your lentil-walnut meat is spot on for texture. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Hey Tara, Ohh I’ve actually wondered the same myself but haven’t got around to trying it! I honestly can’t see why it wouldn’t work. I think the texture of the walnuts would be amazing.
Tacos are one of my and my kids’ favorite recipe, but I love salmon tacos and I never try other beef or chicken tacos but after this, I’ll try this recipe for my kids and tell you about my experience.
I am wondering whether this can be prepared in advance, and frozen. And for leftovers, do you reheat it in the microwave, or stove top? Thanks.
Hey Grace, I haven’t tried freezing the taco meat before (I think that’s what you are referring to?), but if you try it please let me know how it goes. As for reheating, we don’t have a microwave so I would reheat the “meat” on the stove top and would likely add a bit of oil or water to moisten it back up.
Hi Angela,
Yes. I was referring to freezing the taco meat! I’ll let you know!
Thanks for the advice on reheating. Not much of a microwave fan myself, so stove top is perfect.
Okay great! I’d love to hear how it goes. :)
Oh and I’m not sure if you know, but the vegan cashew cream freezes beautifully. SOmetimes I freeze it in those mini silicone muffin trays.
The meat eaters at my house love this recipe more than my vegetarian daughter. She says it tastes too much like meat! It freezes like a dream. I use it in spahgetti, chili, on wraps (spelt, lettuce and rice), on pizza and on salads. I am using this recipe for my friend that has terminal cancer. She removed meat from her diet and really misses it. I’m soaking lentils instead of cooking them to make the recipe a little more raw. Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Mary-Jo, That’s so wonderful to hear how much you love it. It really is so versatile, right? I love that about it too. Such a sweet gesture to make it for your friend. <3
Hi Angela! My friend gave me your cookbook for my 50th birthday now I’m a huge fan. I am allergic to walnuts, peanuts, and sesame seeds what nut can I substitute for the walnuts in the lentil walnut taco “meat” recipe? I am thinking pecans or cashews and would appreciate your take. Thank you and congratulations on your new baby!
Hey Yolanda, Thank you! :) I often sub in toasted pepita seeds for a nut-free version. I think there’s one in my taco salad in the app.
Delicious!! We make this regularly and add the lentil-walnut meat to our pasta sauce now as well. The vegan mayo alternative works too, add a bit of garlic, garlic powder and celery powder and it is a delicious alternative to the cashew cream.
Really grateful for this fabulous recipe.
I wanted to share a quick tip I just discovered for an easy way to make lentils with great texture: instead of boiling them and watching them, tasting a million times, which can take forever, I had a busy morning, so I put sprouted lentils in the pot with a bay leaf, garlic clove, and a big scoop of Better than Bouillon, as I normally would. I then boiled water in the kettle while I started heating the stove element (with the pot off), put the boiling water in, stirred it, put it on the preheated hob, let it boil for a few minutes, covered, then turned it off and left it on the hot element. I came back one to two hours later, and the lentils were perfectly cooked–with better texture and shape than the usual method.
Thanks again!
That’s such a great tip! Thanks for sharing :)
I love your recipes but this one didn’t taste good! I think I disliked the spices. The kids and my husband didn’t like it either.
Hey Kari, Aww I’m so sorry to hear that! I wonder if you try it out again if you can adjust the spices somehow.
I just made the lentil/walnut mixture and it is SO good. I added smashed back beans and some mushrooms.
Question: Can I just reheat the mixture with a little olive oil in a pan?
thank you!
Hey Karen, Yes you sure can! Just add enough oil or a bit of water and adjust the spices/seasonings again to taste.
LOVE THIS!! I make a double batch and freeze it!
Loved it!!!!
Made this for dinner tonight and they were fantastic! I did have to add more cumin and chili powder, but we like things a little spicy in our house ?
Been following you for years and truly appreciate all of your inspiration!
Can you make these without the oil? Would you substitute it with something or just leave it out?
I only made the lentil-walnut crumble. It’s delicious. I made one tiny change and instead of salt I did 1T of soy sauce, 1T of water.
I made this for my husband and he loved it – he asked me to save the recipe. I sauteed some onions and garlic in avocado oil then added already cooked lentils from trader joe’s – the whole package which was like double the recipe. I added some tomato paste and lawry’s seasoning along w/ the spices in the recipe and some water. We had them in corn tortillas w/ lettuce tomato hot sauce and the cashew sour cream. So good!