Utterly amazing tortillas that are naturally grain-free, oil-free, vegan, and require nothing more than red lentils (plus some tap water and salt). They are also a cinch to make!
Mondays need some “wow.” And do I ever have some!
First, a question: do you have some split red lentils in your pantry?
If yes, and so long as you also have some water and salt in the house, you have everything you need to make my (and, soon to be, your) favorite new recipe: Red Lentil Tortillas.
I am crazy about these tortillas. Their flavor is a cross between a corn and a flour tortilla, which tastes delicious and delectable with any topping or filling (savory or sweet) you can imagine.
They are tender, too. Despite having no added oil, they are very pliable, so bend, fold or roll them for tacos, wraps, roll-ups, enchiladas and more. They are hearty, to boot: these are not crepes posing as tortillas, they pass California and Tex-Mex muster as true tortillas.
Because of the singularity of ingredients (red lentils), these tortillas are naturally:
*Grain-free
*Vegan
*Gluten-free
*Oil-free
*Sugar-free
At the same time, they are very high in fiber (7 grams per tortilla!), high in protein (6.5 grams per tortilla), and offer 10% of your daily iron needs.
As promised, WOW!!!
Now, allow me to share a few visuals for making these super-power tortillas. They are quite easy to prepare, but different from traditional tortilla or crepe recipe methods. I want to make these as easy for you as possible for your first run-through.
First, rinse 1 cup of the lentils under cold water, and then combine with 2 cups of water in a bowl or other container. Loosely cover and let stand, at room temperature, for at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours. (Update: Several readers have informed me that they have left the lentils soaking in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.)
The lentils will get very plump with the absorbed water, and there is still water at the bottom of the bowl (Update: do not worry about how much or how little water remains after soaking; just be sure that you do not drain the lentils.)
Now, add the whole shebang (soaked lentils and remaining water in the bowl) to a blender (preferable) or food processor, along with the salt. Again, do not add more water! Blend on high speed until very smooth (no tiny bumps at all), stopping the blender once or twice to scrape down the sides. The batter should be lslightly fluffy, like so:
It’s time to cook some tortillas!
I used a well-seasoned, cast-iron skillet to make the tortillas; it’s my favorite “non-stick” pan. You can also use another variety of nonstick pan, or make these on a nonstick griddle. You do not need to use nonstick spray, but if you like, add a spritz (or a quick wipe of oil) for peace of mind.
Heat the skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add 1/4 cup of batter to the center of the pan (the recipe yields 2 cups of batter).
The batter is thick, so tilting the pan (as you would with a crepe) is not sufficient for spreading the batter. Instead, use the back of a metal spoon (I used a soup spoon) to spread the batter into a 6-inch circle.
It does not need to be pretty! Also, as you can tell from the photo, there is no need to worry if the batter starts to set up as you are spreading. Not a problem. Simply keep spreading the wet batter into the circle shape, spreading over any set batter, if needed.
Cook the tortilla for about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes until the surface of the tortilla appears dry. Try sliding a spatula underneath the tortilla; once it glides under easily, go ahead and flip! Let the tortilla cook for another minute or so, to brown the other side.
That’s it! Cool the tortillas on a wire rack and repeat with the remaining batter.
I know you are going to love these tortillas every bit as much as I do. Happy eating, everyone, and have a grand Monday!
1-Ingredient Red Lentil Tortillas {Grain-Free, Vegan}
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 8 6-inch tortillas 1x
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Utterly amazing tortillas that are naturally grain-free, oil-free, vegan, and require nothing more than red lentils (plus some tap water and salt). They are also a cinch to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup split or whole red lentils, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional; adjust or omit as needed)
Instructions
- Combine the rinsed lentils and water in a medium bowl or other container; loosely cover. Let stand, at room temperature, for at least 6 hours or up to 12 hours.
- Do not drain lentils.
- Add the entire contents of bowl (soaked lentils and remaining water) and salt to a blender or food processor, Blend on HIGH speed until completely smooth (no tiny bumps) stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of container. The batter should look somewhat fluffy. Scrape into a bowl or measuring cup.
- Heat a nonstick skillet (well-seasoned cast iron skillet is ideal), or a nonstick griddle, to medium heat (no hotter).
- Once warm, add 1/4 cup of batter to the center of the pan (the recipe yields 2 cups of batter). Using a metal spoon, spread the batter into a 6-inch circle.
- Cook1 to 1-1/2 minutes until surface of tortilla appears dry. Slide a spatula underneath and flip. Cook about 1 minute longer to brown other side. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
Notes
6/3/18 UPDATE: Thanks to a reader’s comment, I tried the recipe with whole red lentils–they work perfectly! no extra time is needed, they split apart naturally as they soak. I have made the change in the ingredients list.
Storage: Store the cooled tortillas in a covered container at room temperature for 1 day, the refrigerator for 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tip: Split red lentils have become widely available in recent years. You can find them in most grocery stores, shelved alongside other dry beans and legumes. They are not expensive, either (about $2.50 for a 1-piound bag, depending on where you live).
Tip: Be sure to use split, not whole red lentils for this recipe. It should not be a problem as split red lentils are far more common (whole red lentils tend to be available in Southeast Asian markets, or, occasionally, in bulk food sections of very well stocked natural foods stores.
- Category: Tortilla, Bread
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tortilla
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 72.7 mg
- Fat: 0.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 mg
- Trans Fat: 0 mg
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Amazing, I am looking forward to trying these..
Would it work with brown whole lentils and if i wanted more a pancake batter would I just add water to the blender ?
Thank you
Sarah
★★★★★
Hi Sarah,
Yes, these definitely work with brown lentils, or any lentils for that matter. It will probably take a bit longer to soak, as I was using split red lentils for this recipe and brown lentils are whole.
I’m not quite sure what you mean by the pancakes because adding more water would make these thinner. I am probably misunderstanding your query, apologies!
I really, really want (need!) this recipe to work but have SO many issues with the batter sticking to the pan! I’ve tried sunflower, olive, and sesame oil and nothing works. I’m using a well-seasoned cast iron skillet at at medium heat. the tortillas look quite mangled when done and it’s really disheartening. could it be because I let the lentils sit for 12 hours as opposed to 6?
Hi Ben,
I am so sorry to hear that these are causing so much grief! How frustrating, I hate to hear that you are left with nothing but mangled tortillas after all of the soaking and patience with trying to get them right.
Let me try to troubleshoot: (1) I want to check that you are keeping your heat fairly low (medium heat at highest). The medium to low heat helps to dry the batter evenly as opposed to getting some hot spots –prompting the need to flip sooner–and some still slightly wet spots; (2) When it comes to flipping, just nudge the spatula under the edges at first. If it is still sticking, turn down the heat, so it will keep drying without burning, and then try nudging the spatula under again. If it is not budging in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet (that’s what I use for mine, too), that means they are not ready to flip, need to dry out (cook) a bit longer.
I hope this helps!
Excellent thank you! Love them! And so does my husband who is very picky!
I chose to add about a 1/4tsp each garlic and onion powder in addition to
himalayan salt. I didn’t use as much water as you called for which made
a thicker tortilla.. They are luscious. I will make these often.
★★★★★
Wonderful, Carol! I am so glad to hear it , and the suggested flavorings (and less water) are so helpful, thanks for taking the time to share!
So there I was, draining and rinsing my soaked lentils.. thinking ‘there was something about rinsing in the recipe..’ And because you can’t ‘unrinse’, I tried adding some fresh water and blending them anyway! Turned out fine! Too bad the kids don’t like the taste! (We do)
★★★★★
Oh my goodness, I have done that sort of thing so many times. Clever you for making it work anyway!!! Ha, my teenage son is not a fan either (his loss!)
Love this recipe and been using it for months. These are so great! Thank you!
QUESTION: Can the same be done with dried chickpeas? Soak them, blend them, then cook them in a pan?
★★★★★
Yay, thanks for letting me know, Gordon! Yes, it will indeed work with chickpeas. Blackbeans work well, too, but I tried with dried white Northern beans and they were not quite right.
I’m super excited to try this recipe and glad that I found your blog! The Print Recipe button is no longer working on this recipe, just an FYI.
Do you have to soak the lentils or do you think I could cook them (if I’m short on time/bad at planning)??
To borrow a Southern expression: it might/could work 🙂 Try cooking them for about a third of the time (maybe 5 or 6 minutes) until they have plumped up (do not drain the water)
I tried these today. My first attempt I became discouraged because they stuck really bad to my green pan. My second attempt was much better because I ended up cooking them a little longer and they flipped with no problem! I missed that part of the recipe 😉 The smell of the batter was offsetting at first but the taste of the cooked tortillas was very good! I any recommendations for additional herbs and spices?
★★★★★
This recipe looks awesome. But I live in Japan, and it’s really hard to find lentils here. The only ones I can find are canned brown lentils. Any tips on how I could get them to work? Thanks in advance!
Hi Brandon,
Are there any other kinds of dried legumes available in Japan? If so, use an equal weight of those in place of the lentils 🙂
Im curious as to why are you naming a lot of your recipes that use beans or lentils grain free when clearly beans and lentils are in fact grains. I know that my stepdaughter has to be in a strict grain free and gluten free diet due to her colitis and lentils are a big no no for her. Lentils and beans are grains.
Hi Claudia,
Thanks for bringing this up. It is true that many individuals who cannot eat grains must also avoid beans and lentils.
However, beans and lentils are not, in fact, grains. They are legumes. Here is a scientific article regarding their classification (1)
The confusion may come from the fact that grains, beans/lentils, and also nuts and seeds are seeds. Grains are the seeds of grasses, beans and lentils are the seeds of legumes, nuts are the seeds of trees, and seeds are… well, seeds 🙂
I know that many who have colitis, IBS, and other similar issues, often have to avoid all categories of seeds: grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
I hope this clarifies, Claudia! Thank you for raising the issue.
Hi. My son is on a low sodium diet so just curious if the salt plays a role or if it is simply for flavour?
Thank you
Hi Rebecca,
Yes, the salt can be left out, it’s for flavor only 🙂
These are amazing. They taste like tortillas. I tasted the batter, and I thought, I don’t think I’m gonna like these and then I made them and was like wow! I had to keep turning down the heat under my cast-iron griddle because they started cooking so quickly I couldn’t get them spread out. I ended up cooking them on medium low but never really timed them just checked how they looked. I actually think cooking them at a lower temperature made them better because I could spread them more thinly. I am also amazed at your creativity, I never would have thought of using lentils this way.
Such a simple yet brilliant recipe! I am excited about bringing breakfast burritos and tacos back into my life! Yay!!!
I used whole red lentils that I had laying around. I was so excited to try it, I started them soaking but didn’t actually get to make them until a day and a half later. For those of you wondering, you CAN stick them in the fridge for more than a day if needed. I filled a mason jar to the 8 oz line with lentils, and then added 2 cups of water. I left the jar on the counter, and it was fun to see them expand and reach clear to the top of the jar! But I wasn’t able to make them for dinner that day so I stuck them in the fridge. That was Friday, and I just made them today (Sunday).
It took a few tries and fails to get them just right. At first they were too thick (I just poured them from the blender and poured too much). Plus I realized the batter was too thick so I added some water to get a thin consistency (which is MUCH better!). I used a small ceramic non-stick pan, first with butter=flavored coconut oil, then with no oil (they stuck horribly to the pan), then I tried adding coconut oil TO THE BATTER and didn’t need any oil in the pan! It worked perfectly to prevent sticking. .(Next time I’ll just use the griddle though!)
I tried adding cinnamon to one (my hubby wondered if these would be good pancakes). Not good, lol. Of course they did have salt in them…maybe with no salt and some sweetener it would come out differently?? Next time I’m going to experiment with garlic salt and rosemary….or creole seasoning…or Tuscan or Mexican seasoning…. it seems the possibilities are endless with these! Thanks, Camilla!!! <3
★★★★★
These are similar to Indian dosas….if you add some sauerkraut juice and/or the water potatoes are cooked in, the batter will ferment and impart a wonderful sourdough taste. I soak the lentils overnight, then blend with some sauerkraut juice and potato water, cover and let ferment overnight. Really tasty.
These are good and quite easy if you use the correct pan. I made these last night using two different cast iron pans: one that was well seasoned, one that was only so-so. I oiled the worse pan and got to cooking. Even oiling the pan the tortillas stuck in the bad pan. In the well seasoned pan things were fine even without oil. So make sure that you use a good non-stick pan!
Tried them added chili and just delicious. Thank you so much
I’m so glad you like them, Carmel!!! ❤️
Feeling ambitious…Do you think these would hold up to baking for an enchilada casserole?
This sounds amazing! Can I use sprouted lentil flour (the bag by Pure Living) doesn’t list what type of lentils it used) to make the tortillas? Should I just try to eyeball and get the same consistency as your picture? Thanks!
I am rather jazzed about finding this recipe; I have a new tortilla maker that I want to try out!
Have you tried making these tortillas with lentil flour (I mill my own lentil flour)? If you have, would you mind sharing the quantities of water and flour that you used? Or perhaps I will have to just experiment! 🙂
Hi Heather! Tortilla presses are lots of fun, they make the process so much easier. I have not made these with lentil flour, but I have made many tortillas with chickpea flour. I think you could use the same proportions. Ironically, you will not need to use the tortilla maker; even though they have the consistency of tortillas, they are made like a crepe (batter). Here is the link: https://powerhungry.com/2016/04/chickpea-flour-tortillas/
Can any lentils be used to make your lentil tacos? I have brown lentils..
Thank you
Hi Lynda— Yes! I have now tested with multiple varieties of lentils (colors as well as both whole and split) They all work!
Just made these and enjoyed them very much. I had several disasters when trying to flip them but that is due to my ineptitude NOT your recipe. Once I got my act together they looked just like your picture and were amazing. I have been looking to get legumes into my diet and these look like the answer! Many thanks for (another) great recipe!
Excellent! Glad you persisted, Christopher. And thanks so much for taking the time to let me know that these worked for you 🙂
I’m sure that canned chickpeas wouldn’t work, correct? These sound wonderful!
Hi Marsha! No, it will not work with canned chickpeas. Hope you give these a try!
I had quite a bit of water left so my batter is very runny – does that mean maybe my lentils are too old?
Hi Gwen,
It should be just fine. I have made some updates in my write-up (as of today!) becuase the amount of water leftover after soaking varies from one batch of lentils to another. But the good news is that it does not matter, so long as tey have soaked. I have made about 18 batches to date, and all work, regardless of how much water is absorbed, so you are good to go!
Any chance baking these on parchment paper instead of pan frying them could work?
That’s a great idea, and worth a try! It might work better to spread the batter into circle on a sheet of parchment while the baking sheet itself preheats in the oven, then slide the parchment onto the hot sheet pan. If you need to flip them, you could use the flip the whole sheet of parchment over onto the plain sheet pan (they will be mostly dry by then, so they should not stick, but you could spritz the pan before flipping). Would love to know if you try it this way, Kerri!
Made these tonight… wow really good! I got about a dozen 6-7” sized tortillas from the 1C lentils 2C water ratios. Tacos for lunch tomorrow!
Thanks for the great idea
Yay! So thrilled they worked for you, Amy!!!
Hi there. Just wondering is it possible to make the batter and then use it later (i.e. within 24 hours)?
Yes, that should be fine–perhaps just give a whisk before using in case it has separated at all.
Hey there!
I’m wondering if its possible to drain the lentils and just add fresh water in that same quantity? I personally don’t like the idea of using the soak water because it contains some of the stuff you’re trying to get out of the lentils. Or is there a specific reason why you need the soak water?
Thanks!!!
Sure, that would work!
I tried. Not sure what I did wrong, but it did not work for me. I wanted it to so badly. The first one I though maybe I used the wrong pan (All Clad stainless steel). So I tried LeCruset…. same result. Then I thought, possibly start out with a pan too hot. Tried the LeCruset again but starting at a lower temp. Same result. Went to the cast iron griddle. Same result. 🙁 I wanted it to work so badly. Obviously it does for others. Zero idea what I am doing wrong.
Hi Nancy! So sorry to hear that you are having issues with the recipe. Are the pans you mentioned all nonstick when you make other recipes in them? My cast iron skillet is really well-seasoned, which makes it nonstick. Is the Le Creuset the ceramic-coated variety? I am not sure if that, or stainless steel are nonstick. If you want to use those pans, as opposed to a coated nonstick-style of pan, the solution should be as simple as adding a quick swipe of oil to the pan, or quick spritz of nonstick spray.
I had the same problem. I tried with split peas and with lentils, also using two different nonstick pans. I even tried spraying them just in case, and every time they stuck to the pan. I really want these to work. any ideas? I measured carefully, but my batter might look a little thinner than your picture in the post. Could that be it?
Re: the sticking: During my experimenting with this recipe, I put in some coconut oil into a 6″ ceramic non-stick pan. When I put the batter in, it pushed the oil out to the sides, but the lentil wrap didn’t stick. The 2nd round I tried no oil, and it stuck really bad. Then I got the idea of adding some oil to the whole batch, and that worked brilliantly!
Next time, I’ll just use the griddle so I can make several at once. I have also found, btw, that using non-stick spray on a non-stick pan will eventually render the pan useless as a non-stick pan due to the spray burning into the pan as the food cooks.. Even olive oil resulted in burning/food sticking after a while. The only thing that continues to work well in my non-stick pan is Smart Balance or coconut oil (butter flavored on Amazon).
Help! I am so excited about this recipe. I let mine sit for 6 hours but when I took the top off (tight not
a loose cover in case that makes the difference) the mixture was very watery. I still transferred to my Vitamix but never
thickened. Ideas?
Many thanks!
Hi Gail,
Oh no! Usually they are very soft after a couple of hours, they are typically super soft after 6. Did you blend them until completely smooth?
Can they be frozen to use later? Do they retain their pliability after freezing?
Hi Pat,
Yes, you sure can! The storage info is at the bottom of the recipe. And yes, they are still pliable after freezing and thawing. 🙂
Can they be sprouted first??
Hi Diana! I confess, I have zero experience with sprouting. But after looking up and (quickly) reading up a bit about sprouting lentils (prompted by your inquiry), it sounds like I would work very well with this recipe! If you give it a try, I would love to know how it goes. Or I may try it, too *thanks for bringing it up!)
I have no luck sprouting red split lentils.
Thanks for the update, Cecilia!
Wonderful recipe! Looks absolutely amazing… Can’t wait to try 😉
I hope you enjoy these, Anna! Let me know what you think, when you do 🙂
Do you know if these can be baked for a crispy chip?
Hi Flora! You are a mind reader–that is the topic of today’s post! Coming soon…they are so good! 🙂
Hi Camilla, did you use whole red lentils or split ones? as far as I can judge from the photo, they seem to be whole ones. Does is make any difference at all (I happen to have a bag of split red lentils in my fridge). Keep up the fabulous work; Every one of the 4 recipes I’ve tried from you blog has been sensational.
Hi Keren! I am thrilled to hear that the recipes are working well for you! Thank you so much for the compliments, it means a lot 🙂 Thank you for alerting me to my omission re: the red lentils. They are definitely SPLIT red lentils. I will correct that as soon as I finish typing this reply. Thank you!
Omg such an awesome idea!! Gotta stock up some red lentils!! Do you think green lentils will work too?
Thanks Kandy, I hope you give them a try! 🙂 As for the green lentils: they will not work in this recipe, as written, because the red lentils available in the stores are actually split, whereas green and brown lentils are whole. So the soaking will definitely be different (much longer), as will the water to lentils ratio (more water will be needed, but I do not know how much).