Ingredients:
WALNUT TACO MEAT
3 cups raw walnuts
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (preferably packaged dry, not in oil)*
2 tsp coconut sugar (omit if your avoiding sugar, or sub a little stevia)
1-2 small habanero peppers (deseeded and chopped // more or less to spice preference // or sub 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, plus more to taste, but this will make the recipe no longer raw)
1-2 tsp nutritional yeast ( its optional)
~1/4 cup water as needed (add more if needed)
FOR GARNISH/SERVING ( its optional)
Tortillas
Cilantro
Avocado
Radish
Instructions:
Add sun-dried tomatoes into a small bowl and cover it with warm water. Then set aside and let it soak for at least 5 minutes.
into the bowl of a food processor, add walnuts and pulse into a semi-fine meal (some larger chunks are okay. Take care to avoid turning into butter). Transfer walnuts to a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes (reserving the water in a small bowl to add back to the sauce later on) and add to the bowl of the food processor. Add garlic, sea salt, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, coconut sugar, habaneros, and nutritional yeast ( its optional) and blend until a smooth paste is formed. Add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) of reserved water at a time until a thick but pourable sauce is developed.
Taste and adjust the flavor if needed, adding more salt for saltiness, garlic for more “zing,” peppers for heat, cumin for smokiness, or coconut sugar to balance the heat.
Add mixture to walnuts and stir it to combine. At this point, you can taste and adjust the flavors if needed once more. We added a bit more salt.
Enjoy it inn any setting one would use taco meat: tacos, salad, nachos, burritos, and more. Leftovers can be stored for up to 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator or up to 1 month in the freezer.
