Simple Vegan Lentil Taco Meat Recipe

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are having a fabulous Monday! Over the weekend I made this delicious vegan lentil taco meat recipe, and I’m super excited to share it with you all.

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One of my favorite meals to have is tacos. I usually have tacos with kidney beans or garbanzo beans, but I wanted to make a vegan “meat” that would serve as an alternative to vegan meat and actual meat that you would buy at the store.

I wanted to use lentils because they’re a great source of iron and protein for vegans. I try and eat a little protein for each meal, and lentils is actually one of my favorite foods. They’re super delicious and packed full of nutrients.

So, for this taco meat recipe, I basically threw together a bunch of spices. I also threw in some spinach and parsley for some greens.

This is the perfect recipe to make if you’re looking for a healthy dish to make for lunch or dinner. This recipe makes a large batch, so you’ll definitely have leftovers for days.

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Ingredients you’ll need:

1. Lentils

The first ingredient you’ll need to make this vegan lentil taco meat is lentils. Like I previously mentioned, lentils are super nutritious and packed full of nutrients. They’re rich in protein and iron, so it’s a great food for especially vegans to make if you’re lacking iron or protein in your diet.

All you need to do is add one cup of lentils to a pot and let it simmer on the stove for about 20-25 minutes, or until the lentils are softened. You’ll have to add water of course, but keep an eye on the lentils so they don’t burn.

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2. Water

The next ingredient you’ll need is water. You’ll need one cup of dry lentils and three cups of water to properly cook the lentils. One cup of dry lentils makes a ton of lentils, so one cup is all you need for this recipe.

You’ll want to cook the lentils on medium heat. Cook until the lentils are soft and edible!

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3. Cumin

The next ingredient you’ll need is a spice and it’s cumin. I love cumin because it’s nutritious and a bit spicy. I don’t love spicy foods, but I wanted this taco meat to be a bit spicy and have some nice flavor. You’ll need 1/4 teaspoon of cumin for this taco meat recipe.

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4. Black Pepper

You’ll also need black pepper. I seriously love pepper and add it to almost all of my dishes. It’s a great spice to add if you want your food a little spicy.

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5. Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice that’s a bit orangish/yellowish. It has numerous health benefits and gives the taco meat a nice kick. It’s super powerful, so you only need 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric for this recipe.

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6. Garlic Powder

You’ll also need garlic powder. Garlic powder is another spice that I pretty much add to any food that I can. It’s super yummy, garlic is great for you, and it adds a bit of a salty touch to any meal.

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7. Nutritional Yeast

Next up we have nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is high in vitamin B12, which is a vitamin primarily found in animal products. Thus, I add nutritional yeast to almost every meal I make to make sure I get sufficient vitamin B12 in my diet.

If you’re unfamiliar with nutritional yeast, it’s essentially a vegan dupe for cheese. While it doesn’t taste like cheese by any means, it has a great flavor and is a great alternative if you’re looking to eat a non-dairy version of cheese that’s healthy.

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8. Salt

You’ll also need salt. For this recipe, I only used a dash of salt, but you can use 1/4 teaspoon or more if you like your food saltier. I try and keep my dishes low in sodium, so a dash of salt is all I typically add to my meals. However, you can add as much salt as you want.

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9. Cilantro

You’ll also need cilantro. Cilantro is seriously a staple when making tacos. I don’t know what it is about cilantro, but it honestly gives the tacos the best flavor and is the finishing touch. I used 1/4 cup of parsley for this recipe, and it was just the right amount.

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10. Spinach

You’ll then need spinach. I love spinach and it’s super healthy, so I added two cups of spinach to this taco meat recipe for some additional health benefits. Spinach is rich in iron and is a great ingredient to add to any dish, especially if you’re looking to add some more greens to your diet.

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11. Lime Juice

Up next is lime juice. Ah, lime juice is essential for tacos. I added two tablespoons of lime juice to the taco meat and it was seriously the finishing touch. Lime juice is super flavorful and adds a great flavor to the taco meat. I also like to squeeze a bit more lime juice on my tacos at the very end for an extra kick of lime.

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12. Chile Powder

The last ingredient you’ll need is Chile powder. I added 1/4 teaspoon of Chile powder because I wanted the taco meat to be a bit more spicy. It’s not too spicy, which is what I prefer, but it has just the right amount of spice to it.

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Let’s get into the recipe!

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Final Thoughts

If you’re vegan or vegetarian and haven’t tried making a vegan version of taco meat, I highly recommend trying this recipe out. It was a huge hit in my family, and it seriously turned out so amazing.

I like to add it to tacos, add some avocado on top, and squeeze a bit more lime juice for some extra lime flavor. This taco meat recipe is perfect for “taco Tuesday,” and for any day of the week. It’s healthy, nutritious, and high in protein and iron.

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Here’s some of my favorite vegan alternatives: 

1. Orgain Creamy Chocolate Fudge Protein Powder

2. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip No Cow Bar

3. Lenny & Larry’s Cookie 

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Check out my other recipes! 

1. Vegan Chocolate Cookie Bars

2. No-Bake Vegan Crustless Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

3. Healthy Vegan Chocolate Cookie Bars

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