Vegan Taco Salad with Beef-Style Walnut “Meat“

written by Isa

Today we have another light and healthy salad for you. It's pillowed on top of crispy tortilla chips and covered with vegan sour cream (which you can prepare yourself or buy) and guacamole. Okay, we admit that this is rather a comfort food salad which is a great choice for any BBQ buffet, but also a very tasty companion for a binge marathon on the sofa. And then it's at least healthier than eating chips only – ha, it all depends on the perspective.

Taco salads are from Tex-Mex cuisine which is influenced by both US and Mexican cuisine. The cuisine in Texas, on the other hand, also has Spanish influences and all of them combined developed into this very special cuisine that is known for its spicy food. One of the most famous dishes from Tex-Mex cuisine is chili con carne, but they also have delicious enchiladas, burritos, and fried tostadas.

Here's a variation of the taco salad, which is traditionally served in a large corn tortilla. We used crispy tortilla chips instead and topped them with a pile of fresh veggies and salad, vegan sour cream, guacamole, and spicy walnut 'beef'. Yes, you read correct, here's a a vegan alternative for "minced meat" that's made from nuts, without any dried soy. The walnuts are first soaked which softens them, but they will still retain some bite. Afterwards they are fried until crispy.

We are very happy that EDEKA supports us with this recipe. You can find a huge selection of vegan options at EDEKA and you will find all ingredients for this recipe at one of their many supermarkets. For our taco salad we not only bought avocados, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, spring onions, and chilies there, but also the EDEKA Sunny Tomato Dip and EDEKA Organic Walnuts for our vegan walnut "beef".

Vegan Taco Salad with Beef-Style Walnut “Meat“

R549 Vegan Taco Salad with Beef-Style Walnut “Meat“

Vegan Taco Salad with Beef-Style Walnut “Meat“

4 servings

30 minutes (+30 Minuten waiting time)

Ingredients

For the walnut “meat":

200 g (7 oz) EDEKA organic walnuts
1 garlic clove
1 onion
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mustard
3 tbsp EDEKA sunny tomato mild salsa
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp liquid smoke
3 tbsp vegetable oil
salt
pepper

For the salad:

200 g (7 oz) tortilla chips (natural salted)
2 romaine hearts
200 g (7 oz) canned corn
1 red onion
4 plum tomatoes
1 scallion
1 red chili

For the guacamole:

2 avocados
1 red onion
0.5 lime
salt
pepper

For serving:

150 g (0.5 cup) vegan sour cream
245 ml (1 cup) EDEKA sunny tomato mild salsa
lime for serving
vegan cheese for serving

Instructions

For the walnut "meat" add walnuts to a bowl, pour over water and let the nuts soak for approx. 30 minutes. In the meantime
While the walnuts are still soaking peel garlic and onion and set aside. Then prepare the remaining ingredients for the salad. Drain canned corn, peel and cut red onion into fine rings, wash and chop romaine lettuce and tomatoes. Wash and finely slice scallions and chili.
For the guacamole halve and pit avocados. Add the fruit flesh to a bowl and mash with a fork. Peel and finely dice red onion, then add to the mashed avocados. Season with lime juice, salt, and pepper.
Back to the walnut "meat": add soaked walnuts, garlic, onion, soy sauce, mustard, salsa, nutritional yeast, and liquid smoke to a blender. Season with salt and pepper and blend until the mixture looks similar to beef.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the walnut mixture for approx. 4-5 minutes until it's nicely browned.
Add tortilla chips to a large bowl (or a large serving platter). Top with romaine lettuce, corn, red onion, tomatoes, walnut "meat", guacamole, and vegan sour cream. Then add scallions and serve the taco salad with lime wedges and salsa. If desired, you can also add chili and vegan cheese.