Lentil Enchiladas

These Lentil Enchiladas are so good, you won't even notice that they're vegetarian! I have the secret formula for making green or brown lentils taste like ground beef. Next time it's Taco Night, put a pan of these out for the vegetarians, and you will see that everyone loves them!

Like many kids, I was first introduced to vegetarianism in my late teens. Truthfully, I never loved nor craved meat, so the idea of never eating it again wasn't daunting to me. Admittedly, saying goodbye forever to pork and beans or a comforting scoop of butter beans was going to be hard. I was up for the challenge, though.

It was all pretty simple to switch to vegetarianism, until I was forced to live in the dorms my freshman year of college. The cafeteria meals were all very meat-centric. However, we had a little corner of the cafeteria carved out for vegetarian kids like me.

To say that I survived on these lentil enchiladas in the school cafeteria would be an understatement. I ate them for breakfast, lunch and dinner some days. They fueled me through many nights, studying and many nights partying, too, of course.

However, I'm sure that the college dorm version of lentil enchiladas was made with canned lentils, a packet of taco seasoning, all rolled up in a soft flour tortilla with a can of red enchilada sauce poured on top before being smothered with cheese. Easy and effective, but super greasy and unnecessarily heavy.

My lentil enchiladas here have way more flavor, and are much fresher! This method for making lentils taste like ground beef can be used for Lentil Tacos, too!

How to Make Lentil Enchiladas

We're starting with dried lentils today, which sounds daunting, but really, they cook in 20 minutes! Canned lentils can be a bit mushy, and we're really going for the 'crumbled ground beef' texture, so dried lentils are best.

After the lentils are cooked, we're going to spice up the lentils like they're really taco meat! You won't believe how much they taste like ground beef!

Finally, to keep things simple, we're wrapping them up quickly in soft flour tortillas, pouring over our favorite can of red enchilada sauce (or mix--one red and one green!), and then a light sprinkling of cheese.

Before serving, garnish with pico de gallo, a drizzle of sour cream, and sliced avocado, if you prefer. Also check out my Vegetarian Enchiladas made with pinto beans!

The Ingredients

• Green Lentils. We need dried regular plain lentils, also called green or brown lentils.
• Olive Oil.
• Chili Powder. Chili powder is a blend of spices that resembles taco seasoning. It is not the same as chilE powder, which is a single type of chile, dried and ground up.
• Cumin. Ground cumin, not cumin seeds here.
• Smoked Paprika. This is essential for giving the lentils the meaty taste. Smoked paprika is such a star in my kitchen.
• Garlic Powder. Dried garlic powder has more potency than fresh, but if you prefer to use fresh, use 4 whole cloves, minced.
• Onion Powder. In my experience, onion powder is essential for giving things a deep flavor that often resembles packaged food. Onion powder is rich and never subtle. It brings a lot to the table!
• Dried Oregano.
• Red Pepper Flakes. Just a pinch, for a bit of heat.
• Red Onion. One small purple onion, diced.
• Tomato Paste. For its rich, umami flavor!
• Red Enchilada Sauce. You need two 10-ounce cans of your favorite red enchilada sauce. Alternatively, you can mix one can of red sauce and one can of green sauce.
• Flour Tortillas. The smaller flour tortillas that are 6-8" in diameter; often called 'taco size.'
• Colby Jack Cheese. Four shredded cups, some for inside the lentil enchiladas and some for the top.
• For serving: pico de gallo, sour cream, cilantro, and avocado slices.

The Directions

1. Gather all the ingredients needed. Have a saucepan ready to cook the lentils and a 9x13-inch baking dish for baking the lentil enchiladas ready.

2. Add the lentils to small saucepan with 2 ½ cups of water and a generous pinch of salt. Bring the lentils to a boil and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, while stirring occasionally for about 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are tender. They will absorb all of the water; if they look like they need more, add it one tablespoon at a time and cook until tender.

3. Drain the lentils, and then place the pan back on the heat.

4. Add the olive oil and all of the spices (chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes) to the pot over medium heat. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, and saute another minute.

5. Next, add the diced red onion and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally and lowering the heat if the onion threatens to burn.

6. Finally, add the lentils back to the pot, stir to coat them in the mixture, and remove from heat. Let them cool slightly.

7. Preheat the oven to 350. Pour one can of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Warm the tortillas in the microwave gently, until they're soft and flexible.

8. Lay each tortilla flat, and filling it with a scoop of the lentil enchiladas filling. You can divide the lentils in half by eye and use roughly ⅙th of of each half per tortilla. You're filling 12 tortillas total. Add a sprinkle of cheese, and then roll up each tortilla, and place it seam-side down in the baking dish.

9. When all of the tortillas are in the pan, pour the remaining can of enchilada sauce on top, and the remaining shredded cheese. It's my preference to leave a bit of tortilla exposed without sauce or cheese, because it gets crisp in the oven, but you can smother them completely--your choice. Bake until the enchiladas are golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

10. Serve with pico de gallo on top, a drizzle of sour cream, extra chopped cilantro, and sliced avocados--whatever you like on your lentil enchiladas!