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.
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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
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I made these to take to lunch during the weekday.
Due to limited time, I ended up using canned lentils. Otherwise I followed the recipe as written.
Once all the toppings and fixings are added, it is quite delicious and so easy to make…love the simplicity of the recipe and the complexity of the flavours
Next time I will use fresh french lentils and add more spice and salt to give the lentil walnut “meat” a bit more flavor (i was a bit hesitant with the spices when making it for the first time)
Will definitely make again!
I always make a meal on Sunday so I will have food to bring for lunch during the week. This recipe was sooooo good. It kept well in my fridge and made enough to last me a few days. I can’t get enough of the cashew sour cream!! I did end up adding a lot more water and apple cider vinegar than the recipe called for but that was just my preference. So very delicious Angela!!!
I tried these tonight and had to come on here to give a rating for them!
I’ve been trying to maintain a vegan diet for almost a year now, but I’ve struggled to find meals that I truly enjoy! I’ve purchased 2 of Isa’s books, and 2 Happy Herbivore books – About 5 recipes of Isa’s (Isa Does It) are acceptable, and I eat them pretty much exclusively, but I honestly have not found any meals that I adore.
This one may be the first!
As usual with trying a new vegan recipe, I didn’t expect much, but when I took the first bite I was pleasantly surprised! I insisted my husband (who is not vegan) take a bite and even his eyes lit up in shock as he announced “This is really effing good!”
I wish I’d discovered your website sooner! I’m planning on buying your cookbook this weekend! Thank you so much Angela for sharing this wonderful recipe!
To anyone reading these posts who is skeptical (like I often am) – Try this one! It’s a gem!
These are yumm… I substituted the romaine lettuce with swiss chards and it turned out great..
I have been meaning to comment here for a month or so. I have made this recipe several times, always to rave reviews (even from the meat eaters!). The combination of walnuts and lentils is so delicious that I have to resist adding it to our meal plans every week! We add sliced avocado to the veggies on top, and it’s a great addition. So yummy. Thank you.
Made these tonight and we stuffed our faces silly – SO good!!!
This was so delicious. I kept seeing the picture every time I logged onto your website and I finally tried it last night and it’s wonderful!
Forgot to say that I added sliced avocado and my toppings were sautéed sprouted lentils and my own vegan ranch made from a veganaise type product with spices mixed in- garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives, and dried parsley – and it made a wonderful topping since I didn’t have the cashews to make the cashew cream.
Hi – I made these, along with the “sour cream”, frozen pumpkin pie and creamy tomato soup – ALL over the top delicious!!!!! I’m so happy I found you!!!
I love this recipe. We make it at least a few times per month. I changed it though, I add 1/2 c. cooked quinoa, 1/4 c. sunflower seeds, and upped the spices a bit. It is fantastic!
I made this recipe for a potluck lunch and everybody liked it. This is a keeper. Will make it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I substituted the 1 cup walnuts with 1/4 cup walnut plus 3/4 cup chopped mushrooms, took out the cumin since my family does not like the taste of cumin. It was still good. Will make this again.
What a deliciously vibrant and rich recipe! We loved them and will certainly make them again. Next time I’ll make them for my parents, in order to convince them that vegan does not mean tasteless ;-) – although I think your expresso torte from the cookbook already did the trick… Thanks Angela!
This was fantastic. I was surprised bc I don’t really like lentils but it just tastes like tacos.
I just finished making these for the third time in about a month. They are delicious! To give you some perspective, my husband, mom, and I took the Engine 2 Diet challenge (book by Rip Esselstyn). We basically went vegan for 28 days! I’m in for the long haul, while my husband and mom will probably stick to it 75+% of the time. That’s a win in my book. (I was vegetarian before the challenge.). Sooooooo this recipe is my “meat and potatoes” husbsnd’s favorite vegan dish. He requests it. He asks that I use the lentil/walnut “meat” alternative in other things as well.
Oh, I used pecans for this last round, since I was out of walnuts. Equally delicious.
Just made these for lunch. I have to say they were not as good as I thought they would be. The walnut “meat” was bland and while I was eating them I was like “please turn into a real taco.”
I really loved these. As someone who still eats meat sometimes, this was a nice substitute. I did mine in lettuce wraps just like the recipe and I loved them. Hardly missed the meat. My boyfriend’s son had one in a taco shell and liked his as well. Nicely done. We will be making these again for sure.
Just prepped the filling and veggies, can’t wait to eat these later! I’m out of cashews though and didn’t realize, so sad – I will top with avocado and salsa and dream about the cashew “mayo” for next time! Love your pretty drizzles. Quick question, did you warm the filling and or/veggies when you ate them as leftovers? If so, how – microwave, stove top? Thanks and congrats on the little one!!!!
I could eat this for days and I wouldn’t get bored. :) Thanks for the great recipe!
Amazing recipe! Walnuts! Who knew?!