Lentil Walnut Vegan Taco Meat
Lentil walnut vegan taco meat is a soy-free, gluten-free, plant-based alternative with no added oil, easily made in the Instant Pot or stovetop.
Servings: 10
Calories: 178kcal
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup walnuts chopped
- 1 cup French lentils (Puy lentils)
- 1 cup brown basmati rice or another brown rice
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ - 1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- How to Make Vegan Taco Meat in the Instant Pot
- Add the walnuts, lentils, rice, tomato paste, taco seasoning, and vegetable broth to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and move the steam handle to the Sealing position. Cook the lentils on High Pressure for 16 minutes. Turn off the warming button.
- When the beeper goes off, leave the Instant Pot for 16 minutes to naturally release the steam (NPR). Once the time is up, carefully open the steam handle. When the silver steam valve sinks down, carefully open the lid.
- Stir and serve. Gently stir to fluff up the rice. You’re ready to stuff tacos.
- How to Make Vegan Taco Meat on the Stovetop
- Add all the ingredients to a large skillet with a lid or Dutch oven. Increase the vegetable broth to 2 ½ cups. Mix all the ingredients.
- Cover the pot and bring the ingredients to boiling over medium heat. Then lower the heat to simmering. Cook for 30 -35 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and fluff up the taco meat before serving.
Notes
- This recipe works best with lentils that hold their shape after cooking. If you want a substitute for French lentils, consider green, brown, black lentils or mung beans. If you use black beans instead, be sure to soak them first.
- This recipe is made using brown basmati or brown rice. The time required for the lentils will overcook white rice. This can impact the texture.
- If you want to skip the walnuts, 2 tablespoons of sunflower or pumpkin seeds will give you a bit of crunch.
Nutrition
Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 516IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg