This vegan taco meat is a blend of walnuts and cremini mushrooms that have a hearty, “meaty” texture. The blend of smoky spices and tomato paste brings a rich and savory flavor.
It’s simple to make, naturally vegan, and perfect for taco night, or added to Mexican dishes like Enchiladas, Nachos, or Burritos
How To Make Vegan Taco Meat:
The spices I used are for tacos , but the basic recipe can be made without spices and then used in other recipes that require ground beef.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups (300 gr.) whole walnuts, soaked at least 1 hour.
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
2 cloves garlic
10 cremini or white button mushrooms
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon mild chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
Instructions:
- Roughly chop the onions, carrots and mushrooms into about 1″ (2.5 cm) pieces and place in your food processor. Add the whole peeled garlic cloves.
- Heat the olive oil in a large stainless steel sautée pan over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, first brown the tomato paste in 2 tsp. of olive oil. Cook the tomato paste over low heat in a sautée pan stirring frequently so that it doesn’t burn. Continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the color becomes dark red.
This will add a richer flavor to the taco meat mixture. - Add the vegetable kmixture to the pan with the caramelized tomato paste and sauté everything together for about 10 minutes until it begin to brown .
- Process the walnuts in the food processor until very finely chopped, but do not let it turn into a paste. It should resemble the texture of ground beef.
- Add the processed walnuts and spices to the pan with the vegetables and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
- When the mixture begins to get dry, add 1/4 cup of water at a time during cooking. The addition of water during while cooking will also help to incorporate the spices into the mixture.
- Remove pan from heat and place into a serving bowl.
About This Recipe
- This walnut and mushroom mixture is high in plant-based protein and healthy fats.
- Walnuts are one of the few plant foods that contain a good amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which are necessary for heart and brain health. They are rich in protein and fiber, which help you feel full and satisfied longer.
- Just 1/2 cup of walnuts have 15 grams of protein!
- They blend into a crumbly texture in a food processor and are a great substitute for ground meat.
- Edible mushrooms are a wonderful meat substitute. They’re highly nutritious and are a valuable source of fiber, protein, minerals and B vitamins. Some 2,000 varieties are also known to have medicinal properties.
- Tomato paste and spices add flavor without much sodium, so this dish is naturally lower in sodium than most packaged taco spice mixtures.
How To Serve
1. Tacos
Warm up corn or flour tortillas in a skillet and fill with the walnut taco meat plus your favorite toppings like lettuce, tomato, Pico de Gallo and Guacamole
2. Taco salad bowl
Serve over a bed of greens with black beans, corn, and avocado or Guacamole. A squeeze of lime and a little olive oil or a lime and cilantro dressing would be delicious on this salad! 3. Loaded Nachos
Layer the meat over tortilla chips with vegan cheese and jalapeños in an oven proof pan. Broil 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and the jalapeños begin to brown a little. Top with vegan sour cream, salsa, and Guacamole.4. Burrito bowls
Place some of the taco meat into a bowl with rice, beans, and tortilla chips or tortillas on the side. Add your favorite toppings for a filling, protein rich lunch or dinner.
5. Lettuce wraps
Use large Butter lettuce leaves instead of tortillas for for a lighter, low-carb version of tacos.
How To Store
- Use an airtight glass or plastic container.
Store in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. Glass containers are best, since walnuts can absorb plastic odors. A plastic container or zip-top bag is fine if the taco filling will be used within 1 or 2 days. - Freeze if the mixture will need to be stored longer than the recommended time.
- Portion into freezer bags or small plastic containers and freeze for up to 2–3 months. I don’t recommend glass in the freezer since it could crack.
Smokey Walnut Taco Meat
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
- 1 stainless steel sautee pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Olive oil
- 2 cups 300 gr. Walnuts
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 10 Cremini or White Button mushrooms
- 2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoon mild chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- For a softer ground beef texture, soak the walnuts in a bowl covered by fresh, cold water for at least 1 hour or overnight. This step is optional, so the walnuts can still be blended without soaking.
- Heat the olive oil in a large stainless steel sautée pan over medium heat.
- Caramelize the tomato paste by sautéing it the olive oil over low heat for 5 minutes to enhance the flavor.
- Roughly chop the onions, carrots, and mushrooms into about 1" pieces and place in food processor. Process on low speed until finely chopped, being careful not to over-process.
- Add the vegetables to the pan with the caramelized tomato paste and sauté everything together for about 10 more minutes until the veggies start to brown.
- While the mixture is cooking, process the walnuts in the food processor until very finely chopped, but do not let it turn into a paste. It should resemble the texture of ground beef
- Add the finely chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the ground walnuts and the spices to the sautée pan with the mushroom mixture and stir well. Continue to stir over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to the pan. The addition of water during cooking will help to incorporate the spices into the mixture and will keep the it from becoming too dry.
- Continue to stir for another 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and place into a serving bowl.
