Tasty Lentil Tacos

Taco Tuesday meets Meatless Monday for a cheap & tasty low-sodium meal the whole family will love!

Have you ever tried vegetarian tacos? Perhaps with chickpeas or even TVP (textured vegetable protein)? Lentils might not immediately come to mind, but when cooked they’re soft and brown, with a look & texture not unlike ground beef. Combined with sauteed onion, garlic, some no-salt-added salsa and seasoning, they make amazing taco filling. Warm, hearty & delicious, and SO healthy!

NOTE: Many supermarkets sell salt-free or low-sodium taco shells, but they’re not often marketed as such. One brand to look for is Bearitos; if you can’t find them locally, order them online. Better yet? If you have a Whole Foods Market nearby, they sell their store brand 365 Everyday Value Organic Taco Shells for only $2.79 a box – and with ZERO mg sodium per serving!

Adapted from Taste of Home Dinner on a Dime: 403 Budget-Friendly Family Recipes.

Serves 6.

SODIUM CONTENT: 163 mg per serving

INGREDIENTS

1 t. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c. dried lentils, rinsed
1 T. no-salt-added chili seasoning
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried oregano
2 1/2 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
1 c. no-salt-added salsa (I like Trader Joe’s No-Salt-Added Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa)
12 taco shells (see note above)
1 1/2 c. shredded lettuce
1 c. diced fresh tomato
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
6 T. sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium. Add the onion and garlic and saute 3 minutes. Add the lentils, chili seasoning, cumin & oregano and cook, stirring, one minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Warm taco shells according to directions on package.

Remove lentils from heat, uncover pan and mash lentils slightly. Stir in salsa.

Spoon roughly 1/4 cup of filling into each taco shell, garnish with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Serve immediately.