Walnut-Mushroom Taco Meat
Made from walnuts, mushrooms, and spices, this vegan taco meat is surprisingly meaty and delicious but 100% wholesome. Quick and easy to make and versatile (use in nachos, tacos, quesadillas, or burrito bowls).
Servings: 2 to 4
Ingredients
- 3/4 (85g) cup walnuts
- 1 cup (75g) roughly chopped mushrooms (we used cremini)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari*
- 1 teaspoon lime juice more for finishing
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular dried oregano)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (use ⅛ for less heat)
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts. Add walnuts to a dry skillet over medium-low heat and toast for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they smell toasty and are darker in spots. Or, spread them out on a sheet pan and toast them in a preheated oven at 350ºF/175ºC for 7 minutes.
- Add the toasted walnuts to a food processor. Perform a few long pulses until the walnuts are very finely chopped, but don’t over-process, or it'll start turning into walnut butter.
- To the food processor, add the chopped mushrooms, heaping ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, several cracks of black pepper, Homemade Taco Seasoning, lime juice, and soy sauce. Blend for a few seconds, followed by several pulses until everything is very finely chopped but not smooth like a dip or patê. Taste, adding more lime juice or soy sauce, as needed.
- Cook the taco meat. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium to medium-high heat with the avocado oil. Once hot, add the walnut-mushroom meat. Cook for 2 minutes, then use a wooden spoon or angled spatula to break up the meat into as small pieces as you can. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned and slightly crispy.
- To reheat, add taco meat to a frying pan over medium heat. Cook until warmed through and slightly crisp.
Notes
*Use tamari to keep gluten-free. If you're allergic to soy, omit the soy sauce; add an extra squeeze of lime juice and more salt to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg