Good vegan Mexican food should NOT be hard to come by…but sadly, it is. I know, I know, I’ve discussed this before on my blog, but it’s worth mentioning again.
I find it odd that every time I venture out to a Mexican (or Tex-Mex) restaurant, that the vegetarian option always comes with sad, limp zucchini and yellow squash. Whoever came up with the idea that zucchini and squash is good in a burrito has clearly never eaten a good vegetarian dish in their life, because if they had, they would not be pulling these guys into the mix!
I mean, zucchini and squash? Is that the best you can do, really???
“¿Podría alguien por favor darme alguna respuesta?” (Please could I have some answers?)
Vegan Mexican cuisine should be STUPID EASY- but for some reason, the Mexi chains I’ve been to think that squash is the staple of any vegan dinner.
Related: Vegan Taco Soup
Look, if you are going to do vegetarian or vegan Mexican food, DO IT RIGHT.
Related: Vegan Chipotle Coleslaw (EASY Side Dish!)
Give us another option, for the love of God. Not all of us want drowned veg with a hefty ladle of queso. Some of us just want to enjoy a night out, and we don’t want to have to do it with meat or dairy on our plates. Is that too much to ask???
Give me BEANS and RICE and AVOCADO.
Give me MUSHROOMS and QUINOA stuffed in a PEPPER.
And please, don’t charge me EXTRA for avocado, when I actually just got LESS on my plate.
But enough of that. *steps off of soapbox*
More importantly, “por favor” (please), give me these LENTIL and SWEET POTATO SOFT TACOS, and “date prisa” (hurry up).
These tacos put all those zucchini and squash dishes to shame. They have the perfect blend of spices, marrying the flavors of cumin, coriander, and paprika together in holy matrimony. PLUS, they are healthy to boot. Using freshly cooked lentils is a great way to cut back on canned refried beans, as they cook quickly and require no pre-soaking.
As for the sweet potatoes, they bring you that soft mash you need in any filling, as well as offer a good amount of vitamins, including vitamins A, B-5, and B-6.
If you are rollin’ it “low-histamine”, these are the perfect tacos for you! However, if you don’t think that your system can handle the vegan nacho cheese, you can always switch that out for a nice homemade tomato-less salsa. Simply substitute your tomatoes with roasted red bell peppers, and spice it up with cumin, garlic, and onions.
Related: Garlic & Ginger Baked Asparagus (Low-Histamine Vegan)
Either way, these soft tacos should be on every Mexican menu, listed as combination plate #1 with a side of awesomeness.
LET’S DO THIS!
Lentil & Sweet Potato Soft Tacos with Nacho Cheese ( Low-Histamine Vegan Friendly)
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large sweet potato, skin removed and diced small
- 1 ½ C pre-cooked lentils (I usually cook mine early in the day)
- 1 C Not-Chicken Broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- Black pepper and Himalayan pink salt, to taste
- Shredded romaine lettuce
- Green onions, green parts sliced thin
- 8-10 flour tortillas
- Vegan Cheese Sauce (click here for the recipe- you can use it as is, or add a touch of cumin)
Directions:
- Saute garlic and sweet potato in coconut oil on medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and let cook for about 7-10 minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft.
- Meanwhile, prepare Vegan Cheese Sauce.
- Add lentils, cumin, coriander, paprika, and stir until combined well. Heat for an additional 5 minutes.
- Add cilantro, pink salt, and pepper to taste. Turn off heat.
- Fill warmed tortillas with mixture, and top with vegan cheese sauce, shredded lettuce, and green onions.
[yumprint-recipe id=’68’]
What do you order when you try to get vegan Mexican food? Share in the comments below!
Diane
Which colour lentils are you using in this recipe? Definitely going to make it YUM!
Randi Tisdall
Hi Diane, good question! I use standard brown lentils. If you make this, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Carmen
My family and I love these tacos! It is by far my favourite vegan taco recipe and it makes me so happy that they are low histamine too!
Randi Tisdall
Yay! Thanks Carmen, I’m so glad you enjoy them!!
Anais
hi, thank you so much for these tips! pfweew! finally a vegan low histamine story!
I’ve been eating vegan for 7 years and 5 years ago I started reacting heavily to gluten, so leaving that out as well, still leaves many options open 😉 but I just discovered (after I had to take strong medication because of a bacterial infection and reacted with hives) that I’m suddenly reacting more to histamine high foods : hives and red skin again… so my histamine basket is FULL (I just heard the Doreen Virtue youtube video yesterday 🙂 I was still eating chickpeas, but I read here that they’re high histamine 🙁 damn just lentils then…?
and on the other hand I read in several articles avocado & mushrooms and even cumin are high -histamine… so but YOU can have them? I know reactions can differ from one person to another, but still…
heartfilled greetings,
Anaïs (from Belgium)
Randi Tisdall
Hi there Anais, thanks so much for reaching out! I’m sorry to hear that you have been struggling with some food sensitivities and having skin reactions!!
To answer your question, I have heard that avocados are high histamine, which is why I do not list avocado on any of my low-histamine recipes (but personally I’ve never had a reaction to them). As for mushrooms, this is a controversial food that I’ve seen on both high and low-histamine lists, so I think it’s one of those foods that you’ll have to decide for yourself on whether or not to consume it. With the cumin, honestly I have never heard of that being high histamine. Cumin is a fantastic medicinal herb that can help with digestion, but again, if you’re reacting negatively to it, then I would leave it out. I hope this helps in some way!
Truly, this process is really about finding what works for you- there is no one-size-fits-all approach. And as a side note, this recipe is one that I actually posted during the beginning of my low-histamine journey (need to update it)- I will be adding more this year that are versatile and more customizable based on your needs. For more recipes, you can also check out my new cookbook: “Low-Histamine Vegan: TOTAL RESET”
Thanks again!
karen
I Can t have nightshades. Can I go without the paprika. …or perhaps a substitute?
Randi Tisdall
Hi Karen, the paprika is totally optional! If you don’t want to use it, just leave it out. I’m sure the cumin and coriander will make up for flavor.
Amber Harrop
I love tacos and Sweet potatoes so this is a winner Randi 🙂 Thanks for Sharing with us at I am Pinnable
Randi Tisdall
Thank you so much Amber!
Lisa/Syncopated Mama
Hmm, I’ve never thought of adding sweet potatoes to our latin dishes before – I’ll have to give this a try!
Randi Tisdall
Oh yes, sweet potatoes are ALWAYS a good idea!! Hope you get to try it out:)
Deborah Davis
Awesome! These vegan tacos are so yummy. I could eat them every day. I am so glad you shared them with us at the Healthy Happy Green & Natural Party! I’m pinning and sharing this!
Randi Tisdall
Thanks Deborah!