(Note: this post was originally published on September 20, 2020. It has since been updated with a few tweaks.)

Green Tacos Fit for a Goddess

I can't wait to introduce you to one of our favorite colorful meals. These stunning green tacos are fun, fabulous, and fresh. They have all the charismatic appeal of tacos but all the nourishing goodness of a Green Goddess salad.

These Green Goddess tacos are exploding with all of nature's greatest gifts. They have hearty and chewy green lentils, spicy blistered shishito peppers, fresh zucchini ribbons, tender baby kale, a decadently creamy avocado sauce, and crunchy pepitas. They're easy to make and infinitely customizable with any green ingredients that inspire you.

Ready to dive in? These lentil tacos with avocado sauce have a few different components, but none of them are difficult. Get ready to feel like a goddess as you make and eat these nutrient-filled Green Goddess tacos!

‍

What is Green Goddess Sauce?

One of the stars of this recipe is a decadent, creamy, Green Goddess-inspired avocado sauce. Traditionally, Green Goddess sauce refers to a green-hued sauce with herbs. Although Green Goddess sauce sounds healthy, many versions are actually based in mayo. Accordingly, it tends to be quite heavy and not plant-based.

‍

How to Make Healthy & Vegan Green Goddess Sauce

In order to make a healthier version of a Green Goddess sauce, my recipe uses a base of creamy avocado. This sauce feels decadent, but it's actually quite light. It has healthy fats from the avocado, tons of fresh herbs, and a nice tartness from lime juice. It's easy to make too, and comes together in just a minute in a high-power blender. You'll see that the recipe calls for both cilantro and mint, since the two herbs together create a lovely freshness and go nicely with these Mexican-inspired lentil tacos.

‍

Green Goddess Taco Variations

There are an infinite number of ways you can vary this recipe to utilize your favorite ingredients. If you want to use this concept as a base and create your own green tacos, I suggest choosing one protein-rich component, one cooked veggie, a couple raw veggies, and a couple fun toppings in order to provide a diversity of texture and flavor. You can experiment with edamame, grilled zucchini, peas, various greens or sprouts, tomatillo salsa, pickled or raw jalapenos, and even pistachios.

I've shown these lentil tacos served platter-style, but this concept would work equally well for a make-your-own taco bar; just lay out the ingredients and everyone can assemble their own Green Goddess tacos. Or, ditch the tortillas and try this recipe in a lettuce wrap to make it lower in carbs. For an easy weeknight meal, serve it bowl-style instead of in a tortilla (and don't forget to browse my taco/burrito bowl guide for lots of ideas).

‍

Make-Ahead Tips

Although these tacos with avocado sauce require some last-minute prep, there are a few things you can do to get ahead. You can make the lentils up to a couple days in advance; just store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. You can also slice the zucchini ribbons and make the Green Goddess sauce up to a couple hours ahead (it won't brown quickly thanks to the acidity in the lime juice). I don't suggest cooking the shishito peppers ahead of time since they can get soggy as they sit, but you could easily substitute another green ingredient instead. Just make sure to save all the assembly for right before serving.

‍

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here's what you'll need for these tacos with avocado sauce, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Green lentils. Lentil tacos have such great texture. However, if you're looking for a shortcut, try using thawed frozen edamame instead.
• Avocado. You'll use this as the creamy base for the Green Goddess sauce; make sure to get an avocado that's perfectly ripe.
• Fresh cilantro
• Fresh mint
• Lime juice. You'll need two limes, one for the lentils and one for the sauce.
• Sea salt
• Hot sauce. Optional; you can use this to add as much heat as you like to the lentils.
• Zucchini
  
• Shishito peppers. Shishito peppers are generally mild but about one in ten is spicier (hotter than a poblano, not as hot as a jalapeno). If you can't find them, slices of poblano pepper would work nicely, or use green bell peppers for a no-heat option.
• Cooking oil
  
• Baby kale. Or sub another small-leafed green or hearty sprout (like sunflower) that can stand up to heat.
• Small corn tortillas. You can also serve these green tacos bowl-style or even in a lettuce wrap.
• Roasted salted pepitas. Or feel free to use pistachios instead for a different flavor.

‍

Closing Thoughts

You guys have undoubtedly noticed that fresh and colorful Mexican-inspired food is my greatest love. While these Green Goddess tacos are far from traditional, they're a really fun and nourishing taco riff. They're bright and fresh thanks to the herb-filled avocado sauce, loaded with nutritious plants, and very eye-catching.

Will you try these lentil tacos for your next get-together? I hope so! Don't forget the margaritas (which are also green and totally necessary!).

‍

‍

Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

‍

Suggested Pairings

Ginger Margarita

Vegan Watermelon Nachos with Avocado Sauce

Healthy Mexican Street Corn Stuffed Peppers

Spicy Skillet Orange Jalapeno Brussels Sprouts

Rainbow Mexican Black Bean Salad