Healthy and Delicious Walnut Tacos with Vegan Slaw

|Updated Jul 6, 2021

Poppies and Prosecco

Finding inspiration to cook some nights is no easy feat. Thankfully, this recipe makes it easy to treat the crew to Taco Tuesday, with all the fixings—plant-based sour cream and all.

Created by Erin, founder of the blog Poppies & Prosecco, this recipe is easy, healthy, and delicious, and everyone will love the simple cabbage slaw.

This dish is packed with nutrition and kind to your best intentions to eat healthily. “Walnuts are an amazing meat substitute with even better health benefits, being high in antioxidants and rich in omega-3s,” notes Erin. (If you’re looking for more proof, check out how chefs are using heart-healthy walnuts as a vegan meat replacement.

“By combining walnuts with tomato paste and spices you can create a simple and flavorful taco 'meat,’” she adds, noting that she likes to serve the dish with avocado, simple cabbage slaw and cashew-cilantro crema but you should feel free to experiment with your favorite toppings. Or, feel free to put your daughter’s BF back on dinner duties and have him handle the accouterments once again.

Why it's healthy: Cabbage is very low in calories but high in antioxidants and vitamin C. The antioxidants in cabbage can reduce inflammation and the high content of vitamin C boosts the immune system and reduce free radicals. Cabbage also contains fiber which is beneficial for your digestion and specifically red cabbage contains anthocyanins which can help keep your heart healthy.

Healthy ingredients: Vitamin K, vitamin B6, folate, polyphenols, sulfur compounds, anthocyanins, potassium

Walnut Tacos with Simple Cabbage Slaw

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Serves: about 4

Ingredients:

For the tacos:

2 cups walnuts
4 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ of a medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne (optional)
4 tortillas

For the cabbage slaw:

⅓ head of purple cabbage, shredded
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons agave
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

For the walnut taco 'meat:’

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium-high heat. Stir them frequently to prevent burning. Once they start to brown and smell toasty, they are done (about five minutes).
Add the toasted walnuts, while still hot, to the food processor. Add tomato paste, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and spices. Pulse the mixture until it becomes a crumble (everything is broken down into small pieces) and remove a little more than half the mixture. Continue processing the remaining mixture until it becomes more of a paste.
Add the paste mixture to the crumbles and combine. Do a taste test to ensure seasoning is as desired.
Heat a pan over medium heat, add mixture to the pan. Cook, breaking mixture apart as it cooks to create a crumble with some crispy edges.

For the cabbage slaw:

Add the vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, oregano, agave, and salt in a large bowl and whisk them together.
Add the cabbage and onion and mix well so it's all coated in the dressing. Let sit for about 15 minutes before serving.

To build your tacos:

Pile walnut crumbles on your favorite tortilla. Top with cabbage slaw, avocado, and vegan cashew cilantro crema and plant-based cheese, if desired.

Nutrition Info: Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Calories 511 Total Fat 38.2 g Sat. Fat 2.3 g Sodium 1239 mg Total Carbs 34.3 g Fiber 9.8 g Sugars 10.4 g Protein 18.7 g

31 Delicious, Plant-Based Recipes to Make on Repeat

Want fresh ideas for meals that are healthy, plant-based, and delicious? This free newsletter is for you. Sign up to get a recipe of the day delivered to your inbox every morning.

Lemon Artichoke Pasta Recipe

Lemon, Basil, and Artichoke Pasta to Enjoy For Spring

This signature spring pasta dish is loaded with citrus, sweetness, and nuttiness for a refreshing umami taste. The key is to use the freshest produce and quality olive oil. It has 6 grams of fiber and 13 grams of protein.

Vegan Coconut Cauliflower Curry Full of Anti-Inflammatory Superfoods

This bowl of chopped seasonal vegetables mixed with vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, and turmeric powder is a tasty way to load up on nutrients and vitamins with powerful superfoods that have anti-inflammatory properties.

Spring Salad Recipe

Make This Nutrient-Packed Rice Bowl with Jicama and Brown Beans

If one of your goals is to eat more plant-based for your health, then delicious, nutrient-dense recipes like this one will help you inch closer to that goal. You'll see the difference by feeling energized and skip the post-meal nap.

How to Make Zooey Deschanel’s Vegan Caesar Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

This Caesar salad with vegan dressing is the invention of actress Zooey Deschanel, who eats a mostly plant-based diet and grows her own greens at home. She shares her secret for making the classic dressing as creamy and tangy as the real thing.

Vegan Bruschetta Pasta Salad

What better way to get into the mood for spring than with a light and fresh Bruschetta Pasta Salad? This recipe is loaded with fresh ingredients like tomatoes, red onions, and basil that go perfectly together.

Sweet and Sour Shaved Cauliflower and Fennel Salad

This sweet and sour shaved cauliflower and fennel salad has the perfect combination of acid, sweetness, and savory flavors with fresh lemon, fruits, salty pistachios. The dressing has maple syrup to counter the bitter fennel. It's a spring delight.

How to make a vegan chickpea salad bowl

Make This Chickpea and Avocado Grain Bowl With Creamy Tahini Dressing

If eating a salad feels like a chore, then hold the fork: We completely upgraded your ordinary lettuce and vegetables into a warm bowl with textured vegetables, beans, and grain of your choosing, such as quinoa, farro, or brown rice.

GF and Vegan Recipe: Buckwheat Pancakes with Caramelized Maple Peaches

Adding to your menu this weekend: Buckwheat pancakes with caramelized maple peaches or fresh fruit of your choice, the complete perfect breakfast for a Sunday morning.

Healthy Recipe: Potato and Chickpea Salad Topped With Crunchy Hazelnuts

Hey potato lovers, you'll really love this one! This potato and chickpea salad recipe has the perfect amount of citrus, fresh herbs, crunchy and sweet hazelnuts, and a light touch of olive oil to become your go-to side dish from now on

Asian-Inspired Crispy 5-Spice Tofu Lettuce Wraps With Cabbage Slaw

In this Asian-inspired recipe, you will be using traditional ingredients that are commonly used in Asian cuisine but with no meat or dairy. This Crispy 5 Spice Tofu Lettuce Wraps With a Noodle Cabbage Slaw recipe is restaurant-quality and your guests will have no idea that this dish is plant-based

Zooey Deschanel Shares Her Secret Pesto Recipe She Adds to Pasta, Salad, & More

Today's Recipe of the Day is Zooey's famous dairy-free pesto that she puts on almost everything: Pasta, salad, soup, and more, adding a boost of flavor to simple dishes. This delicious sauce calls for using fresh herbs since it makes a big difference in texture and taste.

Black Pepper Tofu With Rice and Broccolini

This Black Pepper Tofu can be whipped up in 30 minutes, making it the perfect last-minute meal, packed with protein. Cook it in large batches, and keep in the fridge for an easy weekday lunch.

Healthy Vegan Breakfast: Pickled Cabbage Quinoa Bowls with Pea Pesto Recipe

If you're looking for a new and healthy breakfast idea, try a savory bowl. This recipe is low in calories and high in fiber, to keep you full for hours. Grain bowls are one of the easiest ways to get a healthy serving of plant-based protein.

Recipe of the Day: Blackberry Basil Yogurt Toast

This twist on the usual avocado toast for breakfast is one of the easiest ways to add a nourishing spread with protein and nutrients. The combination of dairy-free yogurt, blackberries, and basil is full of antioxidants and fiber. Rotate it into your routine as a great nutrient-dense option

Healthy Plant-Based Lunch: Kidney Bean Arugula Salad Recipe

When you're in the mood for a healthy lunch and want to switch up your go-to salad for something more creative and delicious, try this kidney bean arugula salad that features summery citrus dressing. It will be your new favorite.

Summer Rolls w: Sweet & Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe 5

Summer Rolls with Sweet & Spicy Peanut Sauce

Looking for a refreshing, lightweight meal made with nourishing ingredients? Try these Summer Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Peanut Sauce. The beautiful thing about this recipe is that it requires zero cooking!

Make This Loaded Salad with Creamy Hemp-Balsamic Dressing

This loaded salad is the perfect "fill me up" spring meal. Make this refreshing salad of seasonal vegetables, topped with a homemade hemp-balsamic dressing, with dates, Dijon mustard, hemp seeds, vinegar, lemon, and tamari

How to make Thai Curry Noodle Soup

Vegan Thai Curry Noodle Soup

Today's Recipe of the Day is Thai Curry Noodle soup, a comforting yet light bowl to enjoy all year round. Thai dishes like this one are especially healthy, with tofu, high in clean protein, and vegetables rich in nutrients and fiber. This dish is sure to fill you up and leave you satisfied.

Vegan, Keto Rainbow Cauliflower Rice Sushi

A lighter, healthier version of your traditional sushi, this recipe swaps cauliflower for rice, which can spike blood sugar. The cauliflower is a keto-friendly substitute for anything high in carbs and is nutrient-rich!

Roasted Sweet Potato & Spinach Grain Bowl

One of the best things about charming farmer markets with stands full of flowers and fresh produce is you can buy what's in season. This sweet potato and spinach salad is full of plant-based protein and complex carbs that are filling, delicious, and healthy.

Easy Baked Artichokes with Rosemary and Lemon

Artichokes are so easy to make, especially if you're hosting a dinner party because you can prep them in advance. Skip the buttery sauce and make these with healthier lemon and rosemary dressing instead.

Make This Cajun Caesar Salad with Blackened Chickpeas For a Healthy Lunch

We are always told to eat more salads to be healthy, but lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and Italian dressing can get old, fast. If you're tired of eating the same old salad, try this cajun caesar salad with blackened chickpeas, full of fiber, protein, and, most of all, taste!

Make This Delicious Vegetable Pad Thai For a Healthy, Plant-Based Dinner

For the days when you don't feel like spending time cooking, but don't want to go with junk food or pop something into the microwave, make this veggie Pad Thai that is ready in just ten minutes

Roasted Aubergine and Tomato Pasta with Basil Pesto

A delicious homemade pasta is so healthy, packed with vegetables, you can eat the entire bowl without a moment's hesitation. Add crunchy pine nuts and fresh shaved vegan parmesan, (Follow Your Heart and Violife make great ones). Make this for date night, and listen to raves about your cooking.

Enjoy This Delicious Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad Just in Time For Spring

Hot weather ahead! What better excuse for a salad bowl full of plant-based protein and fresh greens loaded with vitamins and minerals. The spinach is rich in iron to help boost your energy.

Vegan Buddha Bowl With Quinoa and Vegetables

Looking for a healthy vegan buddha bowl? This recipe is gluten-free and makes a great lunch or dinner. Toss in any fresh vegetables from the farm stand or market: Purple cabbage, cucumber, avocado, and more.

Vegan Buddha Bowl With Quinoa and Vegetables

These tacos are clean and colorful. Made with chickpeas and quinoa with lots of fresh veg, wrapped in a corn tortilla or hard-shell corn taco.

Make This Sweet and Savory Tempeh Coconut Curry Dish for a Delicious Dinner

When you're in the mood for a warm, comforting plant-based meal, try this incredibly delicious bowl of nutty, crunchy tempeh and fresh vegetables covered in sweet creamy coconut milk and mixed with Indian-style spices

Why We Love It: Moroccan inspired salad is gluten-free, low in calories, and easy to make. It’s packed with fresh and whole foods including several immune-boosting foods like cumin, ginger,…

Moroccan-Inspired Salad with Superfoods and Plant-Based Protein

This Moroccan-inspired salad is gluten-free, easy to make, and healthy! This protein-packed salad recipe uses fresh and flavorful ingredients. Finish it with a deliciously spiced Moroccan dressing.

How to make Mark Bittman’s risotto recipe

Mark Bittman’s Barley Risotto with Beets and Greens

Today's Recipe of the Day is a warm, rich risotto made with red beets and beet greens. Beets help protect your heart, eyes, brain and reduce inflammation in your body, yet they are often overlooked when it comes to cooking because the vegetable is intimidating to many. Enjoy this comfort food meal!

How to make Coconut Ceviche.

Vegan Coconut Ceviche Created by the Chef of Planta

Today's Recipe of the Day is coconut ceviche created by Executive Chef David Lee of the popular plant-based restaurant, Planta, with several locations in Florida and a new one in New York City. Check out this delectable appetizer, and make it for your next dinner party!