1cup(210 g) French green lentils (optionally soaked in cool water for up to 8 hours)
1tablespoon(15 ml) coconut oil
2medium yellow onions, diced
1teaspoonfine sea salt
1large garlic clove, minced
1/3cup(70 g) chopped drained oil-packed sun dried tomatoes
1teaspoonhot smoked paprika (or regular smoked paprika plus cayenne to taste)
1 ½teaspoonsdried oregano
2teaspoons(10 ml) GF tamari (or soy sauce if gluten isn’t an issue)
Tacos (choose your favorite toppings):
Corn tortillas
Chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
Tomato salsa (we love locally-made Papalote salsa)
Sliced avocado
Lime wedges
Cotija, queso fresco, or feta, crumbled (or jack or another melting cheese, melted onto the tortillas in a skillet prior to assembling)
Cilantro
Shredded cabbage
Sour cream
Instructions
Drain the lentils if soaked, place in a medium saucepan, and cover with 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the lentils are very tender but still mostly holding a shape, 20-30 minutes. Drain and rinse well.
In a wide skillet, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, paprika, oregano, and tamari. Stir to coat, adding a splash of water if the pan is dry, and cook until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the lentils and cook until heated through. Taste for salt, adding more if you like. The lentils keep well, refrigerated airtight, for up to 1 week.
To make the tacos, warm the tortillas and top with warm lentils and your favorite toppings.
Notes
Barely adapted from Naturally Nourished by Sarah Britton.Sarah serves these topped with pico de gallo and a spicy lime and red cabbage slaw, which sounds delicious; we usually just use what we have on hand that doesn’t require extra prep. I’ve listed our regular toppings here, but feel free to improvise. Sometimes we take the extra step of melting jack or another melting cheese on the tortillas in a skillet before assembling the tacos.Nutritional values are based on one of eight tacos without any toppings.