Spiced Lentil Tacos with Guacamole
Spiced lentils make a hearty taco filling, spooned into warm shells with fresh guacamole. It is cheaper and quicker to make than the traditional version, which suits a weeknight well.
By Vegan Cook. Published 5 August 2026
Ingredients
Serves 3.
- 5 cupscooked brown or green lentils
- 6taco shells or small tortillas
- 1onion, finely diced
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- 1/2 tspdried oregano
- 1/4 tspcayenne, to taste
- 1ripe avocado
- 1lime, juiced
- 2 tbspfresh coriander, chopped
- 1 cuplettuce, shredded, to serve
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 1/2 tspsalt
Cookware
- Frying pan
- Bowl for the guacamole
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Start the filling
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and soften the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and cayenne and cook for 1 minute until it smells toasty.
- 02
Season the lentils
Add the cooked lentils, the salt and a splash of water (about 1/4 cup). Simmer for 8-10 minutes, mashing a few lentils against the pan, until the mixture is thick, glossy and easy to scoop rather than wet. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- 03
Make the guacamole
While the lentils simmer, mash the avocado with the lime juice, coriander and a pinch of salt. Keep it chunky.
- 04
Warm the shells
Heat the taco shells in the oven or a dry pan until crisp and warm.
- 05
Assemble
Spoon the lentils into each shell, top with shredded lettuce and a spoonful of guacamole. Serve straight away while the shells are crisp.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
If you avoid gluten, check that your taco shells and seasoning are gluten-free, as many are but some are not. Otherwise this recipe is free of soy and nuts.