So what are lentils exactly? Lentils are a ‘pulse’. A pulse is the category of foods that are edible seeds of legumes. These include beans, chickpeas, faba beans, and field peas. Lentils come in various colors.

Brown lentils: The most common type of lentil, they range from brown khaki color to black. They generally have a mild, earthy flavor. The blackest, smallest type that you can find in this category are Beluga lentils, which have a rich and deeply earthy flavor.
Green lentils: The lentils in this category have a bit more of a peppery flavor and can take longer to cook, usually around 45 minutes. They are good for certain recipes though because they keep their shape well.
Red lentils: These lentils can range in color as well, from orange to actual red. They have a nuttier taste than green or black lentils and cook in about 30 minutes. They do tend to get mushy when cooked making them perfect for an Indian Daal or curry.

Lentils are a great staple to have in your cupboard year round partially because of their long shelf life. When stored in a pantry in a dry, closed container you can keep them for a year or more. Lentils older than a year tend to take longer to cook and decrease in quality.

Another reason they are a great pantry staple is because you can cook them with so many different dishes- from Chicken and Lentil Stew to Mediterranean Chopped Lentil Salad.

These little guys are also nutritional powerhouses. A 100 gram serving will provide you with 26 grams of protein, 18 grams of fiber, and are a good source of folate, iron, and potassium. All that fiber and protein will help keep you fuller longer and keep your blood sugars stable.

Cooking these guys is pretty easy too! Just rinse under running water, boil for 5-40 minutes depending on the type of lentil, and season. For every cup of whole lentils add 3 cups of water, this yields 3 cups of lentils. If you buy split lentils they generally require less time and water to cook, usually 2 cups of water per every 1 cup of dry lentils.

If you are like me growing up you probably didn’t eat lentils too often but you probably had your fair share of tacos so this taco Tuesday, or whenever you choose to have tacos try throwing in some lentils.

I believe my husband’s exact words when trying this recipes were, “These lentils look a bit weird…” *takes bite*

Oh, actually this is pretty good! Except my d@mn tortilla keeps falling apart, but it’s surprisingly good.

The verde sauce on this recipe adds a lot of flavor and the recipe makes quite a bit, perfect to freeze and save for other recipes.

I topped these tacos with sweet potato and avocado- mostly because I love them and they have a lot of nutritional benefits but feel free to top yours with whatever you choose!

Lentil Tacos with Chili Verde Sauce

Recipe by Ariel JohnstonCourse: Main Dishes

Servingsservings

Prep timeminutes

Cooking timeminutes

Total timeminutes

Ingredients

Verde Sauce
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
16 small canned or fresh tomatillos
2 jalapenos, seeded and halved
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large white onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro
4 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cumin
sea salt
black pepper
Taco Filling
2 cups cooked lentils
Feta cheese
Sweet potato, cubed
Arugula
Cilantro, chopped
Whole wheat tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Peel and cube medium sweet potato. ON medium sheet pan toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until sweet potato soft.
While the sweet potato is baking, in a medium pot over high heat, bring broth to a boil. Reduce to medium-low. Add tomatillos, jalapenos, and garlic cloves. Stir the mixture for about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender. Add the onion, lime juice, cumin, salt, and black pepper while the blender is running. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Rinse lentils with cool water. In medium pot boil 4 cups of water and add lentils. Let simmer for 20 minutes or until soft and tender then strain.
Mix together Verde mix and cooked lentils in medium bowl.
Assemble tacos with lentil verde mix, sweet potato, feta cheese, arugula, and cilantro and enjoy!

Sources:
https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-brown-green-and-red-lentils-111139
https://www.lentils.org/