Mama's Hippie Taco Filling

Mama’s Hippie Taco Filling

When you combine quinoa, hemp seeds, and a bunch of veggies into a meatless taco filling — you’ve gotta call it “hippie”.

Are we agreed?  This quinoa & hemp seed taco filling is an almost weekly staple in our home, so it’s about time we share the recipe!

Used for tacos, taco salad, quesadillas, breakfast scramble, nachos – to name a few, this recipe is versatility at its finest. Like many of our recipes, it’s adaptable too.  Use whatever veggies you’ve got! We like to use three different kinds of vegetables each time.  Some yummy combos are:

• turnip + kale + asparagus

• carrot + broccoli + red cabbage

• cauliflower + bell pepper + mixed greens

• tomato + sweet potato + zucchini

• spinach + mushroom + butternut squash

To change it up further, we even like to throw black or pinto beans into the mix or some cooked lentils if we have some hanging around in the fridge.  Just reduce the quinoa to keep the protein mixture at roughly 2 1/2 cups and the veggies around 1 1/2 cups.

This will likely yield leftovers, which are perfect for repurposing in lunch the next day!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tbs. avocado oil

• 1 1/2 cups assorted vegetables of choice (here we used shredded carrot, finely chopped broccoli, and purple cabbage)

• 3 cloves regular or smoked garlic, minced OR several stalks of green garlic, chopped

• 1 tbs. taco seasoning (we make our own in batches using chili powder, cumin, coriander, & dried oregano)

• 1 tsp. Mild or Hot Hatch Chile Garlic Salt

• 2 cups cooked quinoa

• 1/2 cup hemp hearts

• 1 cup salsa

• 1 tbs. apple cider vinegar

• 1-2 tsp. coconut sugar, optional

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add veggies and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, seasoning, and salt; stirring to combine and cook for another minute or two.

3. Stir quinoa and hemp hearts into the pan until fully incorporated, then pour in salsa and stir again. Cook for about 10 minutes until heated through.

4. Remove from heat and add apple cider vinegar and coconut sugar, if using. Stir once more and serve.

USES:

This filling is so adaptable and can be used with delicious results in tacos, quesadillas, burritos, taco salads/burrito bowls, a layered dip for an appetizer, nachos, breakfast scrambles, tostadas, etc.

NOTES:

To cook quinoa, boil 1 1/2 cups of water or broth in a small saucepan and add 1 cup of rinsed quinoa. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and keep covered for about 5 minutes. Consider doing this earlier in the day to make dinner prep super simple. Cooked quinoa stores in the fridge for a week (at least) or a couple months in the freezer. Extra quinoa can be used in our Gluten-Free Chickpea Nuggets, fritters, soup, salad, eggs, and so many other things!