Lentil & Kale Burritos with Roasted Red Pepper-Ranch Sauce

Do you have the burrito blues because you use the same ingredients over and over? Try something a little different like this recipe for Lentil & Kale Burritos with Roasted Red Pepper-Ranch Sauce. It’ll brighten your day!

I’ve been wanting to make a fab and filling burrito, but wasn’t feeling up for using black beans in the mix like I usually do. I also needed to remind myself not to overdo it with the ingredients (I have a tendency to, shall we say, “overfill” my burritos).

Solution: use lentils instead of black beans (I used red lentils for a bit of color), kale instead of lettuce, and go a little crazy with extra ingredients to make a flavorful sauce.

Mission accomplished: my burrito blues were banished thanks to these Lentil & Kale Burritos with Roasted Red Pepper-Ranch Sauce. Very simple and very tasty.

So let’s talk about the sauce: I added it IN the burrito, and drizzled it OVER the burrito, too. It’s basically a ranch dressing recipe with roasted red peppers and garlic – a few of my favorite things. It’s tangy and colorful, and since it’s also rich and creamy, you can eliminate the cheese you might normally add to a burrito.

I wrapped my Lentil & Kale Burritos with Roasted Red Pepper-Ranch Sauce in foil and popped them in the oven for about 20 minutes to add a touch of crisp to them. (If you’re looking for a full-proof way to wrap burritos, I highly recommend this tutorial from TheKitchn.)

Serve these up with some chips and sliced avocado on the side and you’ve got yourself a filling and unique burrito!

Recipe for Lentil & Kale Burritos with Roasted Red Pepper-Ranch Sauce
Makes 4 large burritos

INGREDIENTS

For the roasted red pepper-ranch sauce

• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 whole roasted red pepper packed in oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

For the burritos

• 1/2 cup dry red lentils (to yield about 1 cup cooked)
• 1 cup of cooked brown rice
• 4 cups kale, leaves removed from tough stems, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4, 12-inch flour tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

For the roasted red pepper-ranch sauce

1. Add the buttermilk, sour cream and mayonnaise to a bowl and whisk to combine.
2. Add the roasted red pepper, garlic, and buttermilk mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the burritos

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Sort and rinse your dried lentils (remove any debris from them). Add 1 cup of water to a pan along with the lentils and bring it to a boil with the lid on. Lower the heat slightly and continue to cook for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Before the lentils are finished cooking, while there is still some water left to be absorbed, add the kale to the pan and stir to mix.
4. When the water has been absorbed, remove the pan from the heat. Add the salt and pepper and stir to mix.
5. Lay one tortilla in front of you on a flat work surface. Spoon out about 1/2 cup of rice, horizontally, onto the tortilla. It should be off-center and toward the bottom. Leave about 2-inches from the left, right, and bottom edges of the tortilla.
6. Add about 1/2 cup of the lentil and kale mixture over the rice.
7. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce over the top of the ingredients.
8. Roll your burrito and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil.
9. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
10. Place the wrapped burritos on a baking sheet. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning the burritos over about halfway through cooking.
11. Remove from the oven and allow the burritos to cool slightly before unwrapping them.
12. Serve warm with extra sauce.

Makes 4 large burritos