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close up of vegan walnut mince tacos
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Vegan Walnut Mince Tacos

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 2 people

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 Frying pan
  • 1 blender
  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Mixing spoon
  • 1 Chopping board
  • 1 Food processor optional

Ingredients

Nutmeat

  • 2 cup unsalted walnuts (soaked in lukewarm water for 20 minutes)
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 4 garlic cloves (finely minced)
  • 200 g mushrooms (washed)
  • 2 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
  • 1-2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1-2 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional but recommended)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)

Salsa

  • 1 diced red onion
  • 2 x diced tomatoes
  • 1 chopped bunch parsley
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt/pepper to taste

Avocado Tahini Dressing

  • 1 large avocado (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • Juice from 1/2 a lemon (1 tablespoon)
  • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups water*
  • 1 teaspoon cilantro/parsley
  • Salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic (optional)

Tacos

  • 1 Packet Corn tortillas OR use baby cos lettuce leaves for alterative healthy option

Optional

  • 1 cup thinly chopped red cabbage
  • parsley/coriander to garnish

Instructions 

  • Soak walnuts in lukewarm water for 20 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside.
  • Make Tahini/Avo dressing – place all ingredients in a blender and blend. Put in a bowl and leave in the fridge while cooking the rest.
  • In a medium nonstick pan over medium heat, add the onions and garlic along with 2-3 tablespoons of water. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add 2-3 more tablespoons of water as needed to prevent burning. You can also use oil instead if you would like.
  • Add the walnuts to a food processor (if you don't have a food processer that's fine, you can do this manually by chopping the walnuts instead) and pulse until they have broken down into a “meat crumble”-like texture - place in a separate bowl.
  • Add mushrooms to food processor (or chop instead) and lightly pulse until broken down to meat like texture (Important - don’t blend and puree, this will make your mix too watery and it won't cook !) Place in bowl with walnuts.
  • Heat up a pan on medium heat with a dash of oil. Add in your walnut/mushroom mix as well as your sunflower seeds and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add your flavourings to the pan (cumin, chili powder, tomato paste, soy sauce/tamari, oregano and liquid smoke). Mix everything together until well combined. Cook the mixture for 8 minutes, or until it begins to brown and the mushrooms soften. If you would like it more moist, add a few additional tablespoons of water as desired. I like to cook mine so it has a ‘charred’ taste.
  • Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper as desired.
  • Assemble your tacos as desired and enjoy!

Notes

If you're wanting to make this recipe on a budget, swap the 1 cup of sunflower seeds to 2 cups and reduce the amount of walnuts down to 1 cup. The mince will come out a little different but will still be just as delicious and just a little better on your wallet! 
Course: Dinner
Keyword: Dinner