Smoky Pumpkin and Lentil Tacos

An easy pantry recipe that’s packed with brain healthy ingredients

Hello, Brain Health Ambassadors. I write to you today from the air en route from Cincinnati to Nashville where I am attending the Mind What Matters annual fundraiser. While in Cincinnati, I presented to the medical students and staff at UC School of Medicine about the science of brain-protective diets in the prevention of neurodegenerative disease. You can watch the entire talk, as well as the panel discussion to follow, below.

Before leaving on this leg of the book tour, I had three days at home (on “furlough” as my husband quipped) to work on this recipe for black lentil tacos, a process that began in 2020. As much as I love these chile, cinnamon, and smoked paprika-spiked black belugas folded into soft tortillas, they always seemed to be missing something. They didn’t make it into the book and I set the recipe aside. Then, while in Panama for the Brain Health Retreat, while enjoying my favorite breakfast bowl (roasted pumpkin and tomatoes, black beans, cubed avocado, spinach, and egg), it dawned on me: the tacos needed a creamy, lime-spiked pumpkin base to anchor the tiny lentils that annoyingly escape from the ends of the tortilla. Plus, the squash adds a subtle sweetness to all the layers of spice, not to mention a good dose of brain-boosting carotenoids.

How lentils stack up when it comes to fiber

Black beluga lentils, I should mention, are a fantastic source of fiber, flavonoids, and plant-based protein. While all lentils are good for you, black belugas provide about twice as much fiber as the green, brown, and red ones. Just one serving of black belugas (about 1 cup cooked, the amount in two Smoky Black Lentil Tacos) provides a whopping 9 grams of fiber, or about one-third of the recommended daily fiber intake. Named for their striking resemblance to black beluga caviar, these tiny, purplish-black pulses also provide a good dose of anthocyanins, the same flavonoid pigment that makes blueberries so good for your brain. 

These tacos fit the bill for easy, plant-based recipes you told me you were hungry for 

Thanks to all who weighed in on this FAQ post about what types of recipes you’d like to see more of here.  (If you still want to leave a comment, be assured I will read it.) Lentils are the closest thing to fast food in the dried legume world since they’re ready from scratch in under half an hour, no soaking required. Unlike many lentils, black belugas keep their shape after cooking, making them the perfect taco filling. Plus, their earthy flavor pairs well with all the spices we have going on here, which they soak up after a short time in the skillet.

I am using canned pumpkin here, a minimally processed food rich in fiber and carotenoids. I like to think of it as conveniently healthy. Pumpkin is not just for once-a-year-pies but great in savory dishes like this. Store leftover pumpkin in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer and add to smoothies, oatmeal, a batch of Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins, or my Pumpkin Polenta.