Name: Walnut Meat Tacos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 cups raw organic walnuts; 1 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes in a bag (not packed in oil); 2 Tablespoons tomato paste; 1 Tablespoon chopped chipotle chili peppers with sauce; 1 package vegan taco seasoning; Corn or flour tortillas; 1 recipe Mexican coleslaw

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I love tacos, but I crave creative tacos. Who wants the same tacos over and over again? Not this girl. So, I like to come up with creative taco recipes with interesting toppings. This Taco Tuesday, for instance, I made an oldie but a goodie, walnut meat tacos. Yes! Believe it or not, walnuts make fabulous vegan taco meat with just a few ingredients. And, walnut meat tacos can be eaten raw or cooked!

Despite the nut debate, I eat nuts in small amounts to promote a healthy lifestyle. Although many people argue about the benefits of eating nuts versus the fat content, I personally enjoy nuts from time to time. For example, if you follow my blog, many of my dressings and recipes include small portions of nuts.

For those of you who have nut allergies, I make various other taco recipes without any nuts, so you may want to check out the Mexican coleslaw recipe to use as a topping for different tacos.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF WALNUTS?

According to Healthline, to say that walnuts are nutritious food and are a bit of an understatement.

Walnuts provide healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals — and that’s just the beginning of how they may support your health.

Here are 13 science-based health benefits of walnuts:

Rich in antioxidants
Plant source of omega-3s
May decrease inflammation
Promotes a healthy gut
Reduces the risk of some cancers
Supports weight control
Lowers risk of type 2 Diabetes
May lower blood pressure
Supports healthy aging
Good brain function
Positive male reproductive health benefits
Improves blood fats
Easy to include in meals and recipes

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS IN WALNUT MEAT TACOS?

First, walnut meat tacos are easy to make and only require a few basic ingredients.

Organic raw walnuts
Sun-dried tomatoes (dehydrated NOT IN OIL)
Tomato paste
Diced chipotle chili peppers
Vegan Taco Seasoning

And for this walnut meat taco recipe, I chose to top off my tacos with my Mexican coleslaw recipe instead of traditional toppings.

HOW TO MAKE WALNUT MEAT TACOS RAW OR COOKED

One kitchen appliance that makes walnut taco meat a little easier to prep is a food processor. Of course, you don't need a food processor; it's just a time saver. An alternative is to hand chop the walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes instead.

Since I use oil-free, dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, they first need to be rehydrated. To bring them to life quickly and soften them up, I boil 2 cups of water and soak the sun-dried tomatoes for 10 minutes until they are soft. Then, drain the water and place them in the food processor base with the large blade, and process on high until they are chopped into little pieces.

If you do not have a food processor, follow the same steps, and dice the sun-dried tomatoes by hand, as well as the walnuts.

Next, add the raw walnuts and the remaining ingredients. At this point, you must PULSE the ingredients rather than the process on high. As a result, the walnut meat should look a similar consistency to taco meat. You don't, however, want it to be too mushy by over-processing.

Once processed, transfer the walnut meat to a bowl, and at this point, it can be served as raw walnut meat tacos, or you can heat it in a pan for crunchier hot taco meat.

HOW TO COOK THE WALNUT MEAT TACOS

Because I prefer my food hot, I chose to cook the walnut meat tacos. I use a large non-stick skillet to heat the walnut meat and cook over medium-low temperature until the taco meat is heated through (about 10 minutes).

Next, heat your chosen taco shells, or you can use the walnut taco meat for a variety of other purposes:

For an added WOW level, add my Mexican coleslaw recipe, which can go on the top, on the side, or in a bowl as a salad.

OTHER POSSIBLE TOPPING FOR WALNUT MEAT TACOS

IF YOU ARE A TACO TUESDAY FAN, CHECK OUT THESE VEGAN TACOS

📖 Recipe

Walnut Meat Tacos

Kathy Carmichael

Walnut meat tacos can be served raw or heated for a healthy meaty alternative to lentils or vegetables. With only a few ingredients, transform walnuts into delicious taco meat in a matter of minutes.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Course Entrees

Cuisine Mexican

Servings servings

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups raw organic walnuts
▢ 1 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes in a bag not packed in oil
▢ 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
▢ 1 Tablespoon chopped chipotle chili peppers with sauce
▢ 1 package vegan taco seasoning
▢ Corn or flour tortillas

Mexican Coleslaw

▢ 1 recipe Mexican coleslaw

Instructions

Boil 2 cups of water and soak 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes for 10 minutes until they are soft.
Then, drain the water and place them in the base of the food processor with the large blade and process on high until they are chopped into little pieces.
Next, add the raw walnuts and the remaining ingredients.
At this point, it is extremely important that you PULSE the ingredients rather than process or high.
As a result, the walnut meat should look a similar consistency to taco meat.
You don't, however, want it to be too mushy by over-processing.
Once processed, transfer the walnut meat to a bowl, and at this point, it can be served as raw walnut meat tacos, or, you can heat it in a pan for crunchier hot taco meat
In order to heat the walnut meat, use a large non-stick skillet and cook over medium-low temperature until the taco meat is heated through (about 10 minutes)
Heat the corn or flour tortilla in a skillet, in the microwave or in the oven.
If serving with Mexican coleslaw, serve on the side or on top of each taco.

Notes

OTHER POSSIBLE TOPPINGS:

Vegan sour cream

Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce

Nutrition

Calories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 12gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 28gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 567mgPotassium: 961mgFiber: 8gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 937IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 4mg

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