Contents » Recipe : Tips : Variations : FAQs : Budget : Inspiration : Resources
I’ve eaten this raw taco salad almost every day for the last two weeks.
And that’s a big deal for me, because normally if eat the same thing more than four days in a row I never want to eat it again. Ever.
But not this delicious concoction.
I could eat it over and over and over and over and over and over again.
In fact, I have.
It’s slightly different every time, but it’s always delicious, and very satisfying. Even on cold autumn days.
Which is surprising, because it’s full of “salad-y” ingredients, and HEAPS of greens.
But so long as I stick to the recipe, I never feel like I’m eating a salad. Cool. (Or in fact, warm, not cool.)
Once you’ve made the walnut taco meat and the cashew sour cream, it’s so easy to throw together on the spot.
First, you get yourself a big bowl of greens.
I’m really enjoying my raw taco salad with salad rocket (aka roquette or arugula), but Paul really enjoys his with baby spinach, so it’s really a very flexible recipe.
Then you chuck on a generous handful of raw walnut taco meat.
Throw on some chopped avocado and tomato.
Drizzle your creation with cashew sour cream, and garnish with spring onion, or whatever else you feel inspired to add.
And voila!
What a masterpiece.
I just grab myself a big forkful of greens, and snag some tasty toppings as I go.
One of the other things love about this recipe, is that you end up with a big pile of chunky, creamy toppings…
…to which you just add more greens!
You could eat them on their own, but I really think they taste better with an extra handful (or two) of greens.
I can’t believe how much rocket I’m eating, and on really cold days too.
And I always feel full and satisfied afterwards, like I’ve eaten the heartiest winter meal.
Awesome stuff.
Raw Taco Salad recipe
Make sure to read the tips below the recipe to get the most out of this amazing Raw Taco Salad recipe.

Raw Taco Salad
Ingredients
Walnut Taco Meat (4 serves)
- 1 cup walnuts (150g)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato halves , well-packed, soaked 2-8h and drained (50g dry)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- pinch chilli powder (or more if you like it hot)
- pinch cayenne pepper
Cashew Sour Cream (12 serves)
Salad (1 serve)
- 3 cups rocket / arugula (60g)
- 1/4 cup Walnut Taco Meat (see above)
- 1/2 med avocado , diced
- 1 med tomato , diced
- 1 tbsp Cashew Sour Cream (see above)
- 1 tbsp spring onion , sliced
Method
- Cover the sun-dried tomatoes in water and leave to soak for 2 to 8 hours. Drain.
- Process all of the walnut taco meat ingredients in a food processor until well combined, but still chunky.
- Blend all of the cashew sour cream ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble salad ingredients in a large bowl (one per person), serve and eat.
Preparation
- Before: 2-8 hours (optional, to pre-soak sun-dried tomatoes and cashews)
- During: 30 mins
- After: -
- Need: Blender, food processor
Nutrition Information
Tips
- You don’t need to pre-soak your walnuts for this recipe. And in fact if you do, they might break up too much and create the wrong texture. If you’re concerned about the enzyme inhibitors in raw walnuts, used activated walnuts instead (soaked and re-dried nuts).
- If you want to make your own activated walnuts, soak them for 8-12 hours, and then dehydrate them for 12-24 hours. This helps to release the nutrients in the nuts.
- If your sun-dried tomatoes are in oil, you probably won’t need to soak them, as they’ll already be soft enough to process properly.
- If your sun-dried tomatoes are dry (my favourite way to buy them because of the lower oil content), you really need to soak them a minimum of 2 hours to get them soft enough to break up properly. But you can also soak them for longer and it certainly won’t hurt. For instance, you could start them soaking before you leave for work, and then you’re ready to make your taco meat as soon as you get home. And if you’re concerned about leaving your tomatoes soaking on the bench for that long, you can always soak them in the fridge instead. They will still get just as soft.
- The combination of walnuts and sun-dried tomatoes really, truly creates a texture like minced (ground) meat. You won’t believe it until you try it, but then you will be amazed!
- I haven’t tried using fresh minced garlic in this recipe, but if you don’t have any garlic powder handy, I’m sure it would work pretty well. Just make sure it’s finely minced and use even less than the powder, because the flavour will be a lot stronger. I’d suggest starting with 1/16 to 1/8 tsp.
- I love using Himalayan pink salt in my recipes, not because I can taste the difference but because it always feels so special. Of course, it’s also less processed than table salt and contains trace amounts of a bunch of minerals, so it’s extra good for you too.
- I found 1/4 tsp of salt in the walnut taco meat too much for my taste buds, so I added less. Start with 1/8 tsp if you don’t like things too salty, and then adjust it to suit your taste buds.
- I seriously reduced the chili powder and cayenne from the original recipe because we don’t like things too hot in this house. Feel free to add more, especially chili, until it satisfies your taste buds.
- The taco meat should keep in the fridge for about a week (although ours never lasts that long).
- If you don’t pre-soak your cashews, the sour cream will thicken up quite a bit after a few hours in the fridge, so take this into account when adjusting the amount of water. Pre-soaking isn’t necessary, but it can help to make a smoother sour cream, especially if you don’t have a high-speed blender.
- I like to use fresh lemon juice in my recipes, and I am lucky enough that my next-door-neighbour has a huge tree that’s always bursting with lemons. If you don’t have access to fresh lemon juice, then bottled lemon juice will also work fine.
- If you don’t want to use lemon juice, you could use apple cider vinegar instead. I would start with about the half the amount of lemon juice (that is, around 25g or 5 tsp) so that the sour cream doesn’t turn out too tangy and then adjust it to taste.
- The ice in the sour cream recipe helps to keep the sour cream cold while you blend it thoroughly. Without the ice, your sour cream may overheat before it is blended sufficiently, especially in a high-speed blender.
- The cashew sour cream should keep in the fridge for up to a week.
- Warning: This salad is really addictive, so if you find yourself eating it day-in and day-out for the foreseeable future, don’t blame me!
Variations
- You can make this raw taco salad with any leafy green vegetable that you want to try, including lettuce, endive, spinach or kale. You could also try dandelion greens, watercress, silverbeet/chard, mustard greens or even microgreens. So long as it’s green and leafy, it’s good! I love rocket, Paul loves spinach, and romaine/cos lettuce works well too. Try your favourite green and let me know how it goes.
- You could also top your salad with chopped red onion, sliced mushrooms, diced red capsicum, marinated veggies, fresh salsa, pico de gallo, chopped coriander/cilantro, flax crackers, corn chips. The possibilities really are endless, but it doesn’t need to be complicated or fiddly. Just throw together your favourites and you’re set.
- If you’re into smoky tastes, you could add a little smoked paprika, smoky chipotle mix or pepper sauce to the walnut meat to add a bit of extra flavour. You can amp up the flavour of the taco meat by adding in onion powder, dried oregano, lime juice or your favourite taco seasoning blend.
- You can use this taco meat in lots of different ways too, not just in this salad. Use it in soft or crunchy tacos, rolled in lettuce leaves, seaweed wraps or in your favourite plant-based Mexican dish. One of my readers even had it with some fresh mango!
- If you don’t have any walnuts on hand, you can definitely substitute pecans for the taco meat. The flavours of walnuts and pecans are very similar.
- If you process the walnut taco meat for longer, you can turn it into a smooth spread/dip that’s great on bread or with chopped veggie sticks.
- You can add your favourite herbs and spices to the cashew sour cream to make it more like a ranch dressing.
- You can use almost any nut as the base for the cashew sour cream, including macadamias, brazil nuts, almonds or even sunflower seeds. Each will have a slightly different flavour, so keep trying until you find one that you love.
- If you want to add even more protein and fibre to this recipe, you could add in some cooked beans, like black beans, pinto beans or even chick peas / garbanzo beans. Of course, the raw taco salad wouldn’t be entirely raw any more, but I’m sure it would still be amazing.
Budget
Here’s roughly how much this raw taco salad cost me to make:
Ingredient | Amount | Price | Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Taco Meat (4 serves) | |||
Walnuts | 150g | $40 / kg | $6.00 |
Sun-dried tomatoes | 50g | $30 / kg | $1.50 |
Cumin powder | 1g (1/2 tsp) | $70 / kg | $0.07 |
Garlic powder | 1g (1/2 tsp) | $124 / kg | $0.12 |
Chili powder | 0.1g (pinch) | $80 / kg | $0.01 |
Cayenne | 0.1g (pinch) | 0.4c / L | $0.00 |
SUBTOTAL | 202g | $38.17 / kg | $7.71 |
Cashew Sour Cream (12 serves) | |||
Cashews | 140g | $35 / kg | $4.90 |
Lemon juice | 55g (1 small) | $10 / kg | $1.00 |
Salt | 0.5g (1/4 tsp) | $10 / kg | $0.01 |
Water | 85g | 0.4c / L | $0.00 |
Ice | 95g | 0.4c / L | $0.00 |
SUBTOTAL | 376g | $15.72 / kg | $5.91 |
Salad (1 serve) | |||
Rocket | 60g (3 cups) | $20 / kg | $1.20 |
Taco Meat* | 50g | $38.71 / kg | $1.94 |
Avocado | 100g (1/2 med) | $5 each | $2.50 |
Tomato | 130g (1 med) | $15 / kg | $1.95 |
Cashew Sour Cream* | 30g | $15.72 / kg | $0.47 |
Spring onion | 5g | $3 / bunch (300g) | $0.05 |
TOTAL (1 serve) | 375g | $21.62 / kg | $8.11 |
- All prices are in Australian dollars
- Your costs may vary quite a bit depending on whether you buy in small or large quantities, as conventional or organic, and the time of year.
Note: I’ve calculated the costs for the entire batch of taco meat and cashew sour cream, and for one serve of the salad, so keep that in mind when you’re looking at the figures.
Reducing the cost of this recipe
- There’s not really one particular ingredient that adds the most to the overall cost of one serve of this raw taco salad, but if you do want to reduce the costs, look for less expensive avocados and tomatoes, which you should be able to do when they’re in season near you. I wouldn’t recommend leaving them out, because they both add something important to the whole recipe.
- You could also see if you can find cheaper walnuts and cashews, because that will bring down the cost of the taco meat and the sour cream respectively.
FAQs
Can I make the taco meat in a blender instead of a food processor?
You can use a blender to make the taco meat if you don’t have access to a food processor, but the texture will be a little different.
It tends to come out a little smoother and “pastier” when you use your blender, so just try to pulse it at low speed if your blender can cope with that, until it’s just chopped and combined and no more.
If your meat ends up being a bit too smooth, try crumbling the resulting “meat” by hand onto your salad, to see if you can get it a bit closer to the processor version.
You could also try soaking your sun-dried tomatoes a little less, to see if that keep the texture a bit chunkier.
But the taco meat definitely comes out more like “meat” in a processor, so if you can get your hands on one, then I definitely recommend doing it that way.
Can I use vinegar instead of lemon juice?
Yes, you definitely can.
To make sure that the sour cream doesn’t turn out too “sour”, start with half as much vinegar as lemon juice (about 25ml) and see if that creates the right flavour balance.
If not, just tweak the amount it until it suits your taste buds.
You could probably use any kind of vinegar, but for maximum health benefits, I’d recommend apple cider vinegar. And if you use raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother), you’re also adding valuable probiotics.
Other vinegars would also be fine, but you’ll need to adjust the amount to suit the strength and flavour profile of your specific type of vinegar.
My inspiration
I was looking for raw dishes with added spice, to help get my digestion moving, and I happened across this Layered Raw Taco Salad from Oh She Glows.
And then I discovered this walnut taco meat recipe with added sun-dried tomatoes at The Naked Avocado and once I toned down the spices, I was all set.
The softened soaked sun-dried tomatoes do add something very special to this recipe, giving the mix a sticky consistency, which makes it even more like minced beef. But “meat” aside, it also tastes fantastic.
I only used a pinch of chili, because we’re not big fans of even slightly hot & spicy dishes, and it still tasted awesome.
I tried both the raw macadamia sour cream and the raw cashew sour cream recipes, and although both were delicious, I decided that I prefer the cashew version in the interests of keeping my fat intake on the (slightly) lower side.
I also made “avocado frog dip” with my 9yo, which is basically a kind of guacamole – avocado, tomato, macadamia or cashew sour cream & lemon juice.
I did also make the quick guacamole once, but it’s actually just SO much faster (and still just as tasty in my opinion) to chop up a whole avocado.
And I substituted a chopped fresh tomato for the salsa. This dish would be even more delicious with fresh cherry tomatoes in summer.
And the assembly? Fresh roquette (arugula), walnut taco meat, avocado dip (or guacamole or chopped avocado), chopped tomatoes, macadamia or cashews sour cream, and chopped spring (green) onions.
I almost couldn’t eat it all, it was so filling.
Good stuff :)
Resources
Here’s a great list of the top leafy green vegetables if you’re looking for more inspiration for a salad base:
- The 13 Healthiest Leafy Green Vegetables @ Healthline
Here’s a list of the best toppings to put on your taco salad, just in case you needed even more ideas:
- The Best Taco Toppings @ Ranker.com
And some simple and tasty recipes for fresh salsa / pico de gallo:
- Simplest Raw Food Salsa Recipe @ The Spruce
- Pico De Gallo @ Healthy Blender Recipes
Have an awesome day!
88 comments
Lori
This is my favorite recipe. I used smoked sun dried tomatoes and its soooo good!!
Nikki Stokes, Eating Vibrantly
Hi Lori,
I’m so glad you love it. The smoked sun-dried tomatoes sound amazing!
Aly
This recipe is so amazing! I’ve been making it monthly for years now!
Nikki Stokes, Eating Vibrantly
Thanks, Aly. Glad you love it!
Rosalyn
You are my hero!!! As a raw vegan I am always looking for “not salad” because I eat enormous amounts of salad every day. I probably eat one to two heads of romaine a day, plus baby greens, a tomato or two, bajillions of carrots, etc. This is a MEAL and I do not feel like I am eating another “salad”. I defrosted some corn niblets and sprinkled them on as well. I find myself making this recipe at least once per week and now I am doubling it so I can just sprinkle and devour!Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe!!!
Nikki Stokes, Eating Vibrantly
Hi Rosalyn,
Thanks for letting me know how much you’re enjoying this one. The heartiness is what I love about it too!
I’m so glad that you discovered it and that it’s become a staple in your raw vegan repertoire.
Jo Ann Tezduyar
Lovely, easy, and Delicious! Thank You!
Jo Ann Tezduyar
Excellent recipe! Exceptionally delicious!!
Will be checking out other recipes of yours in near future.
Nikki Stokes
Thanks, Jo Ann. Glad you like it!
MarE
This taco meatless and cashew creams are a staple in my frig for a quick meal. Thank you!
Lori
Hi. I didn’t read through all the reviews but it is obvious by the number of them that this is a popular recipe!! This is the only recipe I use and I love it! I use smoked sun dried tomatoes and boy does if kick it up a notch. Last night I used some taco mixture to make stuffed mushrooms. I marinated medium size portobello caps in tamari and olive oil with some chopped fresh garlic. Then I stuffed them with the taco “meat” and dehydrated for four hours. I put them on top of a bed of greens with some grape tomatoes and avocado and drizzled whole thing with the cashew sour cream. Soooo good!!! Tonight I am going to use the last little bit to stuff a zucchini!!!
Nikki
Hi Lori,
Yes, this is definitely one of my most popular ones!
I love how adventurous you’re being with the recipe. Your variations sound AMAZING!
Thank you so much for sharing them with me ♥
Roberta
Hi Nikki – just wondering if you have any Nikki Tips for dehydrating your own tomatoes instead of store-bought ones?
Nikki
I have a tendency to grow WAY too many tomatoes each summer because it’s so much fun, so we’ve had a lot of practice drying them.
We usually grow cherry tomatoes, that are somewhere around the size of a golf ball, and all we do is chop them in half and put them cut-side-up on a dehydrator tray. (We do wash them first, but that’s it.)
And then we just dry them until they’re as dry as we want them to be, which is usually pretty dry, but not so dry that they’re super tough.
Pooja
Would it be possible to use store bought organic taco seasoning?
Nikki
Hi Pooja,
Absolutely! You can use any taco seasoning that you like.
I use these spices because I like the balance and I find regular taco seasoning a bit too hot for my taste buds, but definitely go for it!
Kayleene Driggs
haven’t tried it yet but it sounds delicious
Nikki
Hi Kayleene,
Thank you. I’m glad you think so, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed!
Allie
Made this for lunch today and it was AMAZING. So easy and quick to make, and the flavor combination was perfect. Thank you for this!
Nikki
Hi Allie,
So glad you found it easy and delicious! You’re very welcome ♥
Taffi
This was fantastic! I’ve made it several times and may add a little more this or that, but it is a very forgiving recipe. Didn’t think the sour cream topping would be that great, but that was awesome too! I have this with my dehydrator made corn chips.
A W E S O M E ! ! !
Nikki
Hi Taffi,
I’m so glad you loved it. It really is very tasty :D
Gabriel
Wow!!!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s fantastic!!!!
Nikki
Hi Gabriel,
You’re very welcome. I’m thrilled you enjoyed it :)
Rina
Thank you for this recipe. I always feel unsatisfied eating salad for dinner but this was amazing! I will be eating this a lot!
Nikki
Hi Rina,
I’m glad you enjoyed it. There’s nothing like a hearty salad sometimes!
Debee
A friend served the “Walnut Taco meat” this weekend, but had processed it long enough to create a spread, served on Kalamata Olive bread with fresh Mozzarella cheese and fresh Basil. Excellent sandwich. She used the Sun dried tomatoes in oil. Am going to try it as a pasta sauce
Nikki
Hi Debee,
That sounds delicious. I’m so excited to see how creative you’re getting with my recipes. Enjoy!
mike
I didnt have all the ingredients so I got creative, and I’m not raw, so I threw a bunch of things together and it tasted great, I also made it lower in fat. What I did was like 1/2 cup of brazil nuts because i had those, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds with salt and spice, i used like 4-8 carrots i cut up and put that in too for more nutrients and less fat. I added a like 4 tbsp of white rice cooked and 2 tbsp of black beans cooked and seasoned, about hald a tbsp of hummus, some chia seeds, all making it a complete protein, about 3/4 to 1 whole red bell pepper, of course salt and cayenne pepper, tomato paste, cumin and garlic, I think that’s it. mixed it with rice and greens and stuff like that…also I made raw-ish brownies for dessert, 15 medjool dates, tbsp of cocoa, tbsp of carob, 4 tbsp of coconut flour, blended in food processor with strawberry jelly and godiva chocolate sauce…
Nikki
Hi Mike,
Sounds like you had a great time in the kitchen getting very creative.
Raw hemp seeds are also a complete protein, as well as having the perfect balance of omega 3 and 6 fats, so they’d be a great addition too.
Liezele
Glad I clicked on your link when I Googled Walnut Taco Meat. I never heard of making sour cream out of nuts and this sounds so wonderful! I will have to go pick some up when I get to the store again. I was prepping meals for the week and I just LOVE Mexican food. I thought I had walnuts because I knew I was going to make this recipe one day and I was completely wrong! Instead, I had pecans. Love pecans which is probably why I bought it my mistake instead of walnuts LOL. BUT It turned out so wonderful anyways! I took the suggestion of one of the commenters and added paprika and lime to mine to make it a little more authentic. I sure wished that everyone else in my household would eat clean with me HOWEVER, I do not mind NOT sharing this LOL
Anyways, thanks for sharing your recipe. Especially now that I can make my own sour cream with nuts instead of dairy!
I will check out your other recipes as I am trying to go as raw as much as possible. I seldom eat meat these days and recipes like this will be great!!
Liezele
You must be on the other side of the world or something. It shows I posted on July 20th at 6:28am LOL It is only the 19th and 3:30in the afternoon! :)))
Nikki
Hi Liezele,
I’m so glad the recipe worked out well for you. Pecans are a great substitute for walnuts, and the cashew sour cream is definitely an awesome dairy-free option.
I am in fact on the other side of the world, in Melbourne Australia, and right now it is just after 6:30AM on July 20th. Wouldn’t it be nice if my site could show you the times in your local time instead of mine?
Have a great day :)
Alana
Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe. I made this for my family last night night – and after they cleaned their bowls told them about the magic of using nuts as a meat / dairy substitute. I love using cashews as a cream base in my raw cooking but the walnut taco meat was a great idea and so yummy. Will use walnut base again!!
Nikki
Hi Alana,
You’re very welcome. I’m super pleased it was a hit with your family!
Kristel
Just wanted to let you know this is my family’s absolute favourite salad recipe! It has been my go to recipe for over a year! It’s very kid and potluck friendly too! :)
Nikki
Hi Kristel,
Thanks so much for letting me know. I love that it’s become such a staple in your house, and that your kids (and potluck friends) get to enjoy it too. It warms my heart :D
michelle
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s delicious! I used a pepper sauce that I had already made for the seasoning, just adding it to the sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts. So good!
Nikki
Hi Michelle,
I’m so glad you love it! And the pepper sauce trick sounds very handy and delicious.
Beth
New to raw, been raw for a little more than a week. Made this dish today and all I can say is WOW!!!! I am amazed at how much the walnut taco meat tastes and looks like ground beef taco meat! I left out the chili, and only added a small bit of the cayenne, and added a splash of ACV to the cashew sour cream because it wasn’t sour enough for my liking as is in the recipe, and I was blown away!!!! This will definitely be one of my main dishes on my raw menu!
Nikki
Hi Beth,
I am SO pleased that you loved it. And I love that it’s such a flexible recipe too – you can easily adapt it to suit your tastes – but no matter how you make it, it rocks! Welcome to the world of raw ♥
Anne Dolan
I think beans, black, garbanzo, cannellini, pinto, red beans…black eyed peas… that would be a great addition.
Nikki
Hi Anne,
Yes, beans would be a great way to add more nutrient-dense food to this recipe. Beans do generally need to be cooked to be digestible, so you might leave them out if you wanted to keep the salad completely raw.
Annie
This was awesome! I used almonds (what I had on hand), added some marinaded veggies and topped with cilantro. I’ll be eating this salad often!
Nikki
Hi Annie,
I love your improvisation with almonds – that’s a great idea – and I’m so pleased it turned out well. Sounds delicious!
Fiona Robinson
OMG….This is the most amazing dish I”VE EVER MADE! Really. Thank you for sharing. I put the “meat” in a seaweed wrap with salsa and avacado and LOVED it!
Nikki
Hi Fiona,
You’re very welcome. I’m so pleased you enjoyed it! It really is amazingly delicious, isn’t it?
Yana
Oh my god, it was delicious!!! An easy and highly recommendable recipe. A huge bowl of this salad disappeared in no time between us 3 today at lunch. Thanks a lot, Nikki!
Nikki
Hi Yana,
So pleased that you enjoyed it. It is very easy to eat, isn’t it?
Rhonda
Hi Nikki!
I apologize for the late and long review. I want to thank you and Sandi for your input regarding the food processor. I did purchase one and cannot imagine how I lived without it. I have gradually changed by diet from vegetarian, to vegan to 100% raw. As an American black woman, growing up with parents from the South, dinner could have been anything. My mother however, was definitely a jet setter–changing our diets when we were young to mostly vegetarian–until my dad just had to have his chicken. However, as an adult, the conversion has been easy. Not to mention, that your blog as well as others, has given me more than enough information to keep my recipes fun, modifiable, delicious and interesting. So thank you. Regarding the raw taco salad, it is absolutely delicious and part of the reason why converting to a raw diet was easy. My boyfriend, who is Korean American and once heavily tied to his traditional foods, has even started eating more raw foods. He too, loves this taco salad and I make it often for him to take to work. And my jet setting mom visits your site often for recipes to make for her and my dad. Thanks Nikki!
Nikki
Hi Rhonda,
Thank you for wonderfully long review. I love hearing all about your success stories and I’m thrilled to be an ongoing part of it!
Melanie
Is there a reason that you didn’t include apple cider vinegar in the cashew sour cream recipe? Every other version that I have seen includes it.
Nikki
Hi Melanie,
No particular reason, no. I was using Angela Liddon’s Layered Raw Taco Salad as inspiration, and she uses lemon juice in her cashew sour cream.
I haven’t tried my raw sour cream recipe with apple cider vinegar, but I imagine it would add a similar tang, with a slightly different depth of flavour. It might just be a case of trying both and deciding which you like best. I like the slight sweetness of lemon juice, and it can be a bit more forgiving if you overdo it than apple cider vinegar. Hope this helps.
Paula
There is one word for this recipe – YUM! Or maybe that should be delicious. Or divine. Or scrumptious. You get the picture!
So simple and easy to make, yet so incredibly tasty. I’ll certainly be adding this to my meal plan on a very regular basis! Thank you :)
Nikki
Hi Paula,
You are very welcome. Good food tastes even better shared ♥
Paula
This looks and sounds amazing. I have an allergy to tomatoes and am wondering if you think it would taste ok without the sun-dried tomatoes? I read the comments…but thought I would ask anyway. It’s a new allergy, so I am having a time of adjusting, since I used to LOVE tomatoes. Thoughts on leaving it out?
Nikki
Hi Paula,
I’m not really sure, to be honest. They add to both the flavour and the consistency. Could you find another sundried veggie to use that might at least help with the texture maybe, like eggplant or squash? (I’m guessing wildy here!) As for the flavour, you could probably add extra spice or maybe even a bit of a salty sauce (soy sauce or similar) to give it some extra oomph. I think you’d just have to give it a go and see if you can make work. I don’t think I was much help, sorry :)
Linda
Delicious!! We enjoyed the leftover Walnut Taco Meat with a lovely ripe mango the next day, scrumptious. Thanks for the inspiration.
Nikki
Hi Linda,
You’re most welcome. I’m so pleased that you’re enjoying it. Mango is one of my favourite fruits so I LOVE the idea of combining it with some taco meat. Delicious indeed!
Raynece
Love this much!! Thank you!! Love using the faux meat for raw tacos And my steak and potatoe eating husband actually request this for dinner!! Thanks again
Nikki
Hi Raynece,
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. Isn’t it fantastic when food tastes SO good that it’s irrelevant what’s in it? And the fact that it just happens to be good for you as well is a bonus :)
Elisa
I added a little paprika and some lime juice to the walnut mixture – it came out really great – the lime added alot to the flavor
I put the “walnut meat” on a romaine leaf with chopped tomatoes avocado cilantro and jalapeños for my raw tacos fun but messy way to eat it :)
Nikki
Hi Elisa,
I love the idea of the lime juice – might have to try that one. Sounds deliciously messy ;)
Fred
The only thing wrong with food processors is the plastic bowl. After using a while you’ll notice the crazing of the plastic which, to me, means some of the plastic goes in the food! Ugh. Some processors from Europe have glass bowls but I haven’t been able to procure one. Meanwhile I stick with my (glass jar) blender. Just pulse at low speed and enjoy this DELICIOUS recipe. Fred
Nikki
Hi Fred,
That’s a good point, although I think it might also depend a bit on the quality of the processor. I’ve been using my Magimix processor a few times a week, to make all kinds of raw food dishes since I got it almost three years ago, and the bowl doesn’t look damaged at all. And neither is the plastic on my Vitamix jug which I’ve been using a couple of times a day for the last 2.5 years.
But I do like the idea of the glass bowl. It would be very sturdy and easy to clean I imagine. Hopefully you’ll get your hands on one soon.
Alita
WOW…. this salad so delicious that I been making it to take to the parties, Everyone just loved it from the moment they see the presentation on the plate until the last spoonful. Tried serving the salad on cos lettuce leaves for a cocktail party and that was a hit. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Nikki
Hi Alita,
You’re most welcome. I’m so pleased it’s been a big hit. I love the cos lettuce leaf idea.
Kate
holy guacamole! it’s soooooo good! i made these on the fly – used sunflower seeds instead of cashew for the sour cream, put them in romaine leaves instead of making a salad – but whatever whatever because my eyes are rolling in my head right now :) you are so very right: the sun-dried tomatoes give it a kick that is so satisfying. (but i also spiced them up – lots of cayenne and chili cuz i love spicy) thank you so much! all hail the google search that reveals your great site . . .
Nikki
Hi Kate,
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it. I love how flexible the recipe is too.
Lindsay
This looks delicious. I am leaning towards a vegetarian palette but am so overwhelmed by kids. Baby steps, starting with this recipe!
Nikki
Baby steps are definitely the way to go, and that’s exactly how I’ve done it too – one day at a time and one recipe at a time – and it’s taken me three years to get from a “healthy” mostly vegetarian diet to what I eat today. So give yourself as much as time as you need, cut yourself lots of slack and everything little thing you can do will add up.
Hazel
I can’t get enough of this! I love taco salad type recipes, but this is by far the best I have tried. Absolutely love it! I added a smokey chipotle seasoning mix this last time and it rocked. Super delish! Thaaaaaaaaaaank you for this awesome recipe!!
Nikki
Hi Hazel,
You’re welcome!!!!!! I LOVE the sound of the smoky chipotle seasoning. :D
Christina
Wow, wow, wow!
I made this for lunch today and added fresh pico de gallo (tomato, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime, green pepper, garlic) instead of just tomato and it was one of the best raw meals I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for this new staple to my diet.
Note: For anybody else out there like me with a cashew allergy, I substituted the same amount of macadamia nuts and it worked just fine.
Nikki
Hi Christina,
The pico de gallo sounds amazing. I think the recipe that inspired me used salsa, but I was looking for quick and easy, so I just used tomato. Thanks for the macadamia substitution tip. So glad you’re loving it!
Cathy
Made this for dinner tonight! Super, Super Yummy and Easy!! I soaked the walnuts and sun dried tomatoes while I was at work and whipped it up in minutes. I added the smoked paprika, some onion powder, and oregano. I also made a tofu based “sour cream,” easy to make, too. This “taco meat” can be used so many ways: salad, tacos, quesadillas, burritos….Thank You so much for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Nikki
Hi Cathy,
You’re welcome! Sounds like a delicious dinner all ’round. I’ve used the taco meat in lots of different ways too. So yum!
Caroline C
I just made this and it is seriously delicious!!! Thank you so much for the recipe! One tip I have is that I used sun dried tomatoes from a jar that were in olive oil and I think I would have been better off with dried tomatoes soaked in water (as stated in the recipe) so keep that in mind when making this (which I highly recommend that you do)!!!
Nikki
Hi Caroline,
Thanks for the feedback. I haven’t tried it with sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, so it’s great to hear about how it went for you. It sounds like it didn’t detract from the experience too much, thankfully.
Rhonda
Hi! Your salad looks amazingly tantalizing. As a person who eats salads for dinner everyday (I like to eat extremely light in the evenings), I am often excited to try new recipes. I was wondering if I could use my blender to blend the walnut “meat” since I do not have a food processor. Also, will the results be the same or should I go ahead and get a processor? Thanks!
Nikki
Hi Rhonda,
It’s certainly worth a try in the blender. I would say that the texture might come out a little smoother, but the flavour should be the same. If you crumble the resulting “meat” by hand onto your salad, it might be close enough to the processor version. You could also try soaking your sun-dried tomatoes a little less, to see if that keep the texture a bit chunkier. Certainly not worth buying a processor just for one recipe!
Sandi
Forgot to add, this recipe is awesome!!! My husband who is a major meat eater loved it!
Nikki
Hi Sandi,
Thanks for the feedback – apparently it works best in the processor. I’m so glad we’ve managed to win over your meat-eating husband.
Sandi
I tried it both ways, blender and food processor, definitely worth getting a food processor
Hoshi
Uh oh! This salad is seriously addicting! I’m on my second day of eating it. My aunt, mom, and I are doing a raw diet but my brothers are regular ol’ meat-eaters so we have to still make them “normal” food. It was taco night last night and I told my mom I had to make this! It was absolutely amazing! I wasn’t even tempted by the real taco meat my brothers were eating because this taste just as good, if not better! The sour cream was a really nice addition along with the guacamole and tomatoes we added. This is a must try! Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Nikki
Hi Hoshi,
I’m so glad it was a success, and isn’t wonderful to be able to eat something that tastes even better than the original!
Vanessa
I made this pretty much how you have presented it. I added some herbs and spices to the cashew sour cream to make it more like a ranch dressing. I was very surprised at how the mock meat tastes like the real thing. I added a little smoked paprika to that which I think makes it taste even MORE realistic. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Nikki
Hi Vanessa,
The meat does taste surprisingly realistic, and I love the idea of the smoked paprika for an even more authentic taste. I’m glad you enjoyed it.