I recently was asked to bring a veggie taco filling for a kids party. I usually use beans, but refried beans were also on the menu so was looking for an alternative when cauliflower came to mind. It transforms itself so well in so many recipes! Have a mushroom hater? Don’t worry, they are so well chopped and seasoned that no one will ever know. I served a room full of kids and no one questioned that it wasn’t the taco filling they always ate.
This vegan taco “meat” is made from nutritious vegetables and nuts, yet looks and tastes just like the ground beef version! This plant-based alternative to taco meat is perfect for your next fiesta.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into large florets
- 8 ounces mushrooms, white or crimini
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained if in oil)
- 1 cup raw walnuts or pecans
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I like to use avocado oil as it has a high smoke point)
Taco Seasoning mix
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder (because it’s super high in antioxidants and has anticancer properties – I add it to almost everything I make!)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon gairlic powder
- dash of cayenne, to your taste
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch, optional
- 1 cup water, or more as needed
- In a food processor, pulse the nuts and sun dried tomatoes until a fine meal forms. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Using the same food processor bowl (no need to wash), chop the cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, onions and garlic. Pulse small amounts until finely chopped but not pureed.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil then cook the chopped vegetables over high heat until the moisture has evaporated and the vegetables are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the sun-dried tomato mixture into the skillet, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the seasoning mix and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the water and cook for about 5 minutes or until the most of the water has evaporated. If it is too dry, add more water.
- Use in place of ground taco meat with the ratio of 2 cups of vegetable meat substitute for 1 pound of ground meat.
Notes
This recipe makes a large volume, the equivalent of 3 pounds of ground beef after cooking.
