Walnut Tacos with Simple Cabbage Slaw
Oh Tacos… one of my all time favorite foods. I mean you can make a taco out of anything. Pile your favorite flavors on a tortilla and boom, taco! While the options are endless, today we are talking vegan walnut tacos. I know, I know it sounds a little strange but I promise it’s not complicated and the flavor is too good.
Quick story… my first experience with walnut tacos was on a trip to San Diego. Raf and I were in Pacific Beach walking around looking for a place to grab dinner and lucky for us, we came across a place serving up a taco bar for taco Tuesday! We were a little confused by their veggie option being walnuts but decided to go for it anyways and I am SO glad we did! We actually went back for lunch two days later because we couldn't stop thinking about the walnut tacos.
When we returned home from that trip I began testing some variations in the kitchen to see what I could come up with and well, walnuts became one of my new fave things.
The crumbles and paste before combining.
Taco ‘meat’ after it has been cooked.
So, walnut taco ‘meat’ comes together pretty quickly and easily in your food processor. Toast the walnuts first, just in a dry pan over medium-high heat, stir them around pretty frequently so they don't burn. Once they are toasty and fragrant and you can start to see the color changing, add them to the food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Pulse together until a nice crumble forms then remove a little more than half of the mixture. Turn the food processor back on with the remaining portion and combine until it starts to become a paste. Mix the paste with the crumbles, this is a good opportunity to taste the combo and see if you need any extra seasoning. Then heat a pan over medium heat, add your mixture and cook, breaking apart as it cooks so the end result is a crumble with some crispy edges.
Once your walnut taco ‘meat’ is cooked you are ready to assemble! Pick your favorite tortillas (I personally love Trader Joe’s corn and flour tortillas!) fill with your walnut crumbles and top with simple cabbage slaw, avocado and cotija cheese… or whatever your favorite topping are.
Walnut Tacos with Simple Cabbage Slaw
Ingredients:
- 2 cups walnuts
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 of a medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (I usually end up adding a little more but I like salt)
- pinch of cayenne (optional)
- You can substitute the spices for a few tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning.
- Extra Taco Toppings: avocado, cotija cheese, cashew cilantro crema
- 1/3 head of purple cabbage, shredded
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons agave
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- GET TOASTY: Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium-high heat. Stir them frequently to prevent burning. Once they start to brown and smell toasty, they are done (about 5 minutes).
- MIX IT: Add the toasted walnuts, while still hot, to the food processor. Add tomato paste, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and spices. Pulse the mixture until it becomes a crumble (everything is broken down into small pieces) and remove a little more than half the mixture. Continue processing the remaining mixture until it becomes more of a paste.
- COMBINE: Add the paste mixture to the crumbles and combine, this is where I do a taste test to ensure the seasoning is where I want it.
- COOK: Heat a pan over medium heat, add mixture to the pan. Cook, breaking mixture apart as it cooks to create a crumble with some crispy edges.
- WHISK IT: Add the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, oregano, agave and salt in a large bowl and whisk them together.
- COMBINE: Add the cabbage and onion and mix well so its all coated in the dressing. Let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.
- Pile walnut crumbles on your favorite tortilla. Top with cabbage slaw, avocado, cashew cilantro crema and cotija cheese. (omit the cheese to easily make the vegan)