Lentil Taco Salad

This is a great, easy meal adapted from one of my favorite blogs (budgetbytes.blogspot.com). Lentils are versatile and packed with protein and fiber, and they make a great replacement for ground meat in this veggie version of a Tex-Mex classic.  This taco salad is so good, even my carnivorous husband requests it!

This salad also offers a great opportunity to add some leafy greens to your diet, too. Leafy greens like spinach are high in calcium, vitamins K and A, and 22 other essential micro-nutrients, so pile it on!

Serve with finely chopped spinach, tomatoes, mango, cilantro,  avocado, salsa, or any of your favorite toppings. With fruits like pineapple and cantaloupe for dessert, this is a great meal anyone can love.

For 4-6 servings, you will need:

All the ingredients for this simple meal.

• 1 cup of lentils
• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• Fixin's: Tortilla chips, spinach, tomatoes, beans, cilantro, mango, avocado, salsa, etc.

Start by rinsing the lentils and boiling them in three cups of water.

While they boil, measure out your seasonings and chop the fruits and veggies so the fixin's will be ready to go. Make sure that your tortilla chips are additive-free. The ingredients should be corn, oil, and salt.

This would be a good time to make some "Not Refried Beans" (recipe coming soon!) if you like.

When the lentils are tender (after about twenty minutes of boiling), drain any excess water. You want to keep a little liquid in there, so just make sure there's no water over the level of the lentils. 

These are my boiled lentils. 

Add the oil to a large skillet and saute the onion until tender, then add the lentils and spice mixture.
Reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes so the flavors come together. 

Looks like taco filling to me!

Now for the fun part! Call the family, and have everyone assemble their tacos (or taco salad in my case).Then sit down and enjoy good food and company.

A simple "roll your own" weeknight meal with fresh pineapple  dessert.

Bon appetit!