Easy Vegan Cauliflower Walnut Taco Meat

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4.43 from 7 votes

Easy Vegan Cauliflower Walnut Taco Meat

Easy vegan taco "meat" to be enjoyed on nachos, tacos, burritos, bowls, or however you would like.

Course Basics, Big Salad, Breakfast, Dinner, Game Day, Snack

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, Walnuts

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 164kcal

Author Plant Test Kitchen

Ingredients

5 cups cauliflower florets, 14 - 16 oz
1 cup raw, unsalted walnuts, 4- 5 oz
2 individual chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice approximately the juice of one lime
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 pinch cayenne for more heat optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pulse all ingredients in a 10 cup food processor until the mixture is crumbled and evenly ground. Try to avoid over-pulsing into a paste. It will still be good even if you over-pulse it.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, flipping every 10 - 15 minutes to help it brown evenly. If making a smaller batch, it will take less time to cook. Be sure to watch to avoid burning or drying out the taco "meat."
Serve in tacos, nachos, bowls, etc. Store leftovers in the fridge for about a week or freeze for a month.

Notes

Nutrition Information is approximate.

Spice

If you like medium heat, make this according to the measurements below. If you are wary about spicy food, go light with the chili powder, maybe only add one chipotle in adobo, and skip the cayenne. Once you've processed to a crumbled mixture, taste it and add more spice if desired. If you add another chipotle in adobo, try and pulse it quickly so that your crumble doesn’t become a paste. You can mix in more chili powder with a spatula if desired.

Raw, Cooked, or Baked?

The choice is yours. I like them all for different reasons.

Raw

This is really good raw right out of the food processor. It makes a nice cold taco salad or cold burrito bowl.

Cooked

Sometimes I don't want the oven on heating up my wee apartment, but I want browned, warm taco "meat". In a large non-stick pan or skillet, toss the “meat” to brown it. If you want your "meat" to get a little saucy, just add a little water.

This also works great when you've frozen your taco "meat" and you want to make dinner quickly.

Baked

Spread the taco "meat" on a greased, parchment paper-lined, or sil-mat lined baking sheet and bake in the oven. I was pleased by how much this didn't stick to a lightly greased baking sheet if that helps you make a decision.

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Nutrition