I am sure everyone has seen this pin on Pinterest. I remember it being one of my early pins and I was excited to give it a try. I did make a meat version of it a couple of years ago, and like many of the reviewers, I did not get my potatoes as crispy looking as the picture. Nonetheless, Mr. TCW loved it and I was happy with the results. I decided to revisit this recipe recently and try for a vegan version (as I was making lentil tacos quite frequently.) I was so impressed with the outcome! Maybe because the mashed potatoes were made with no cream or butter they had a better time drying out and producing a golden brown quality about them. Or I just got lucky, who knows! I will say that I did not use leftover mashed potatoes and instead made them fresh.
Now, yes this recipe is vegan. I am sure I have scared off some people already. However, you can easily accommodate this recipe to your liking. I don't tend to carry vegan sour cream in our fridge, so subbing in regular sour cream is suitable for my vegetarian lifestyle. If you don't have to worry about a gluten-free diet, feel free to use an actual pie crust. The results would probably be tender, flaky, and oh-so delicious! What I am trying to say is, make this recipe your own. My husband doesn't like lettuce so he would omit it and add cheese instead.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Taco Pie
Craving tacos but not feeling all the hassles of making homemade tortillas? Try this gluten-free and vegan taco pie made with a mashed potato crust.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils
- 4 cups water
- Salt
- 1 tbsp. homemade taco seasoning *see below
- ½ cup salsa
- 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (I cooked up 5 small potatoes and mashed them with apple cider vinegar, nutmeg, and some almond milk.)
- 1 tomato, diced
- Lettuce, ripped or sliced
- ½ cup vegan sour cream (or use regular sour cream for non-vegan)
- 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce
- Homemade Taco Seasoning:
- 1 tbsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. red chili flakes
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- To make the taco seasoning, combined all the seasoning ingredients and combine. Store in an airtight container.
- Mix together your sour cream and the chili garlic sauce. Set aside,
- Add the lentils, some salt, and water to a medium-sized saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Drain any leftover liquid in the pot. *I tend to not overcook my lentils as I like them whole and a bit of texture to them. Up to you though. Add he taco seasoning and salsa. Adjust ratios accordingly if you feel as though you want a stronger taco seasoning flavor.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Take your leftover mashed potatoes and press them into a 9 or 10-inch pie pan. Try to get the potatoes up the side and push them firmly to create a "crust." Pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.) Remove from oven and pour in the lentils. Top with the sour cream mixture and try and spread it out nicely. Pop into the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the pie is nice and hot. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Top with lettuce and tomatoes (and any other topping you see fit.)
- *For non-vegans, feel free to add cheese and use regular sour cream. You would be surprised though at how tasty this dish is as a vegan meal. I didn't even miss the cheese!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1306Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 5849mgCarbohydrates: 170gFiber: 36gSugar: 30gProtein: 45g
I cannot wait to make this again! I am going to dice up some onions and mushrooms to mix in with the lentils. You can never have enough veggies!
As for how many the pie serves, it all depends. I found I could eat quite a bit but I think it is because I liked the meal so much. I would easily say 4-6 people. If you have a side with it, you maybe able to get a bit more out of it. But to be safe, assume your guests are big eaters. Also, the salad featured in this post is also vegan and you can find the Sweet Potato and Mushroom Salad by clicking on the link.
Jenna
This looks so good, cannot wait to try this and some of the other recipes on your blog! Excellent work. 🙂
Kacey
Thanks so much! This recipe is definitely a favourite and I plan to experiment with it a bit more this winter.
aa
What kind of lentils?
Kacey
I used whole green lentils. You can use whatever type you like, but be wary of cooking time.
Chelsea
This looks amazing! I am trying it out for dinner tonight. What do you use for chili garlic sauce?...
I’ll probably already have this baked by the time you see the comment haha.. but always good to know for next time. Thanks!! 😍
Kacey
Oh shoot, I am sorry Chelsea! I cannot remember the brand I use (of course I am currently out of chili garlic sauce!) but I just hit up the International section of my grocery store 🙂
Michael
I want to make this with the mushrooms and onions when would you add those? Would you precook them separate then combine?
Kacey
Oh, you can easily fry those up separately. Once cooked to your liking, I would stir in the lentils and fry them up a bit just to give meld the flavours. Look up popped lentils recipe if you have never tried them: they are seriously amazing!
Debbie
OMG, this is so good!! My daughter made it tonight and we all loved it! This reminded me of a dish I would make when we ate meat but even better. My daughter accidentally baked the cooked lentils with the mashed potatoes but it was nummy. She decided to add the sour cream after it came out of the oven. Along with the sour cream we served it with tomatoes, olives, and lettuce. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Kacey
So happy to hear!! I definitely need to update the pictures for this dish, haha. But at least we know it is good 🙂
Barb Lawrence
I was inspired to make a vegetarian riff off this tonight. I made a polenta crust, and after baking a added a cup of shredded Mexican cheeses. Instead of lentils I used homemade pinto beans that I cooked with onion, garlic, and jalapeño. I added the taco seasoning and salsa to the pinto beans and followed the rest of the recipe. I topped with lettuce, tomato, and fresh avocado