Smokey Walnut Taco Meat
This meatless taco filling blends walnuts and cremini mushrooms into a hearty, "meaty" texture. The blend of smoky spices and tomato paste brings a rich and savory flavor.
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.
Notes
*Nutrition Values
Calories 558 per 3/4 cup serving (about 185 g )
Protein: 15g
Total Fat: 52g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Total Carbohydrates: 20g
Net Carbs: 12g
Total Sugars: 6g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 847mg
VITAMINS:
Vitamin C: 7mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 1mg
Vitamin B6: 0.613mg
Vitamin B12: 0.02µg
Folate: 94µg
MINERALS:
Calcium: 112mg
Iron: 4mg
Potassium: 746mg
Magnesium: 140mg
Phosphorus: 340mg
Zinc: 2.9mg
Copper: 1.44mg
Manganese: 2.793mg
Selenium: 9.5µg
Choline: 47.49mg
*Nutrition values are an estimate based on an online datebase.