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1-Ingredient Red Lentil Tortillas {Grain-Free, Vegan}

05/07/2018 by Camilla 51 Comments

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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!

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!

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1-Ingredient Red Lentil Tortillas {Grain-Free, Vegan}


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Camilla
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Yield: 8 6-inch tortillas 1x
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Description

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!


Scale

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

  1. 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.
  2. Do not drain lentils.
  3. 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.
  4. Heat a nonstick skillet (well-seasoned cast iron skillet is ideal), or a nonstick griddle, to medium heat (no hotter).
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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

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Related posts:

1-Ingredient Split Pea Tortillas {Grain-Free, Vegan} 1-Ingredient Black Bean Tortillas {Grain-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan} Red Lentil Tortilla Chips {Grain-Free, Vegan} Red Lentil Sandwich Bread {Grain-Free, Vegan, Amazing}
Previous Post: « Lime & Coconut Muffins {Vegan, Grain-Free}
Next Post: Red Lentil Tortilla Chips {Grain-Free, Vegan} »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Claudia

    November 23, 2019 at 8:50 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      November 23, 2019 at 2:21 pm

      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 ๐Ÿ™‚

      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.

      Reply
  2. Rebecca

    November 07, 2019 at 3:03 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Camilla

      November 07, 2019 at 8:02 pm

      Hi Rebecca,
      Yes, the salt can be left out, itโ€™s for flavor only ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Vicki

    September 17, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    These are amazing. They taste like tortillas. I tasted the batter, and I thought, I donโ€™t think Iโ€™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 couldnโ€™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.

    Reply
  4. Juanima

    September 08, 2019 at 2:16 pm

    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

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Iumi Crow

    August 15, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    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.

    Reply
  6. Mattie

    August 06, 2019 at 11:25 am

    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!

    Reply
  7. Carmel Kennedy

    August 04, 2019 at 6:05 pm

    Tried them added chili and just delicious. Thank you so much

    Reply
    • Camilla

      August 04, 2019 at 8:42 pm

      Iโ€™m so glad you like them, Carmel!!! โค๏ธ

      Reply
  8. Leslie

    July 31, 2019 at 7:37 am

    Feeling ambitious…Do you think these would hold up to baking for an enchilada casserole?

    Reply
  9. Elaine

    July 28, 2019 at 11:48 pm

    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!

    Reply
  10. Heather

    July 15, 2019 at 11:19 am

    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! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Camilla

      July 15, 2019 at 11:32 am

      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/

      Reply
  11. Lynda Bernhardt

    June 26, 2019 at 6:59 am

    Can any lentils be used to make your lentil tacos? I have brown lentils..
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Camilla

      June 26, 2019 at 1:27 pm

      Hi Lyndaโ€” Yes! I have now tested with multiple varieties of lentils (colors as well as both whole and split) They all work!

      Reply
  12. Christopher Pearce

    June 09, 2019 at 1:38 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      June 11, 2019 at 10:59 am

      Excellent! Glad you persisted, Christopher. And thanks so much for taking the time to let me know that these worked for you ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  13. Marsha Scheitlin

    June 03, 2018 at 11:00 am

    Iโ€™m sure that canned chickpeas wouldnโ€™t work, correct? These sound wonderful!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      June 03, 2018 at 12:18 pm

      Hi Marsha! No, it will not work with canned chickpeas. Hope you give these a try!

      Reply
  14. Gwen

    June 03, 2018 at 8:23 am

    I had quite a bit of water left so my batter is very runny – does that mean maybe my lentils are too old?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      June 03, 2018 at 12:34 pm

      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!

      Reply
  15. Kerri

    May 31, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    Any chance baking these on parchment paper instead of pan frying them could work?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      June 03, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      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!

      Reply
  16. Amy

    May 28, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    Made these tonight… wow really good! I got about a dozen 6-7โ€ sized tortillas from the 1C lentils 2C water ratios. Tacos for lunch tomorrow!
    Thanks for the great idea

    Reply
    • Camilla

      June 03, 2018 at 12:39 pm

      Yay! So thrilled they worked for you, Amy!!!

      Reply
  17. Annabanana

    May 20, 2018 at 10:40 am

    Hi there. Just wondering is it possible to make the batter and then use it later (i.e. within 24 hours)?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      June 03, 2018 at 3:40 pm

      Yes, that should be fine–perhaps just give a whisk before using in case it has separated at all.

      Reply
  18. Kathy

    May 18, 2018 at 8:57 am

    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!!!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 18, 2018 at 4:40 pm

      Sure, that would work!

      Reply
  19. Nancy

    May 14, 2018 at 5:31 pm

    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. ๐Ÿ™ I wanted it to work so badly. Obviously it does for others. Zero idea what I am doing wrong.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 18, 2018 at 4:46 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Katherine

        July 22, 2019 at 6:52 pm

        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?

        Reply
        • Juanima Hiatt

          September 08, 2019 at 1:57 pm

          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).

          Reply
  20. Gail

    May 11, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 18, 2018 at 4:41 pm

      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?

      Reply
  21. Pat Tyrrell

    May 09, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    Can they be frozen to use later? Do they retain their pliability after freezing?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 10, 2018 at 4:07 pm

      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. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  22. Diana

    May 08, 2018 at 5:13 pm

    Can they be sprouted first??

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 09, 2018 at 8:35 am

      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!)

      Reply
      • Cecilia

        May 15, 2018 at 9:21 am

        I have no luck sprouting red split lentils.

        Reply
        • Camilla

          May 18, 2018 at 4:39 pm

          Thanks for the update, Cecilia!

          Reply
  23. Anna

    May 08, 2018 at 9:28 am

    Wonderful recipe! Looks absolutely amazing… Can’t wait to try ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 08, 2018 at 11:53 am

      I hope you enjoy these, Anna! Let me know what you think, when you do ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  24. Flora Ashley

    May 08, 2018 at 7:05 am

    Do you know if these can be baked for a crispy chip?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 08, 2018 at 8:39 am

      Hi Flora! You are a mind reader–that is the topic of today’s post! Coming soon…they are so good! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  25. Keren

    May 08, 2018 at 6:28 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 08, 2018 at 8:34 am

      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 ๐Ÿ™‚ 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!

      Reply
  26. Kandy

    May 07, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    Omg such an awesome idea!! Gotta stock up some red lentils!! Do you think green lentils will work too?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      May 07, 2018 at 3:40 pm

      Thanks Kandy, I hope you give them a try! ๐Ÿ™‚ 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).

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 1-Ingredient Black Bean Tortillas {Grain-Free, Vegan, Oil-Free} | power hungry says:
    06/11/2019 at 10:48 am

    […] about the book in the past weeks, because I’ve been having a similar obsession. Following my 1-ingredient lentil tortilla recipe, and subsequent split pea tortillas, I’ve been contemplating other varieties of legumes, with […]

    Reply

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Iโ€™m Camilla, food writer, author, runner, and spin instructor. PowerHungryยฎ is where I share my easy, minimalist, plant-based recipes, designed for living a healthy, delicious, empowered life.

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