These easy vegan tacos are perfect for your next taco night. I love that they are soy-free, so you don’t have to use tofu or processed meat substitutes. Instead, they’re made from a combination of vegetables and walnuts, seasoned with a classic taco spice mix, to create a healthy taco “meat.”
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This recipe comes from my friend Ali’s new book, Inspiralized & Beyond.
If you’re not familiar with Ali, she’s the force behind Inspiralized.com, a go-to resource for spiralized recipes. (She even designed her own spiralizer– the Inspiralizer— which is what I use in my own home.)
In her latest book, Ali shares even more creative ways to enjoy vegetables, beyond just spiralizing them. For example, in her cover photo, you’ll see that she’s turned zucchini halves into the “bun” for a vegetarian meatball sandwich. She also includes recipes for using vegetables as lasagna sheets, brussels sprouts as mini “slider” buns, and bell peppers stuffed with a savory Philly Cheesesteak filling. If you need some fresh inspiration when it comes to serving vegetables, this book has you covered!
Vegan Taco Meat
These vegan tacos are a great way to sneak more vegetables into your day. The vegan “taco meat” is entirely plant-based, made from mushrooms and cauliflower that have been briefly pulsed in the food processor, then sauteed with crushed walnuts and plenty of taco seasoning.
I served them in traditional taco shells to appease my picky family members, but you can also serve them in jicama “shells,” as Ali suggests in her book, for a lower carb meal with a refreshing crunch.
When you top them with your favorite taco toppings, like shredded lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, and avocado, they’ve got all the classic taco flavor that you love. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
Vegan Tacos
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup crushed walnuts
- 8 ounces button mushrooms , sliced
- 4 cups cauliflower florets , chopped
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno (about half of one)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15 ounce can) black beans , drained and rinsed
- Fresh cilantro leaves , for garnish
- 1 small jicama, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds
- 3 limes , quartered
Optional Toppings:
- sliced black olives
- pico de gallo
- avocado
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until ground but not powdered, about 7 pulses. Transfer to a large bowl. Place the mushrooms in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 15 pulses. Add them to the bowl with the walnuts. Place the cauliflower in the food processor and pulse until crumbled, about 10 pulses; do not overpulse. Add to the bowl with the walnuts and mushrooms.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower mixture, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is no longer crunchy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for 2 minutes, until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Transfer the meat mixture to a serving bowl and top with the cilantro. Serve alongside the jicama shells, lime wedges, and optional toppings of your choosing for tableside assembly.
Video
Nutrition
For each of 6 servings: Calories: 238, Fat: 11g, Carbohydrate: 26g, Fiber: 12g, Protein: 11g
Recipe reprinted with permission from Inspiralized & Beyond by Ali Maffucci
Recipe Notes:
- For food combining purposes, this recipe is properly combined when served in jicama shells, or simply in lettuce wraps. If you would like it to be properly combined with a corn or flour tortilla, omit the walnuts.
- This recipe is also Paleo-friendly when you serve the “meat” in a lettuce wrap or jicama shell.
Giveaway (Now Closed)
Congrats to Heidi S.! The winner has been contacted via email. Thanks for your entries!
Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite creative way to serve vegetables? I think my favorite might be cauliflower rice. Cauliflower “Fried Rice” and my Mexican Cauliflower Casserole are two staples in my home!
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Disclosure: Ali sent me a complimentary copy of her new cookbook, but I am under no obligation to post a positive review.
I have a family of very picky eaters. I can typically sneak veggies into smoothies and certain recipes without the kids noticing.
We are just starting to eat healthier. I’ve noticed a big difference in the way I feel.
Your vegan tacos sound delicious!!
In order to make eating vegetables fun for my kids,I make kale into chips so they are crunchy and yummy. I put spinach into smoothies where it is barely detected. I purée veggies like pumpkin and squash and mix them into my sauces. I cut veggies into fun shapes. I try to make sure my 3 kids are getting a healthy diet, but enjoy eating it. 😊
I shed veggies and put them in nuggets for the kids.
*shred, not shed 😂
My favorite veg is also cauliflower. It’s so versatile. I like going for a roasted cauliflower and sprinkling some nutritional yeast that remind me of sprinkling Parmesan on almost all my vegetables as s kid !
I love your recipes and own all your cookbooks. The spiralized veggie noodles are genius! I make your cauliflower Alfredo sauce with veggie noodles and add asparagus. I also enjoy your cajun zucchini noodle pasta. I love tacos and I will be trying your recipe this week. Thank you for providing such a variety of meal and dessert choices. It makes it easier to follow a healthy eating plan.
Cauliflower pizza crust and the cauliflower leek gratin in your first cookbook are two of my favorites.
Oooh I love this giveaway! I’ve had my eye on the spiralizer for a while! I try to use veggies in almost anything I possibly can. Smoothies, soups, pasta..any way I can sneak a few in! And you always give me creative new ways to add them in..even my husband doesn’t seem to mind!
This looks so yummy!
I’m always looking for new, healthy recipes! Easy is essential!
I use orange cauliflower and use the cauliflower alfredo sauce and my toddlers call it “Mac n’ cheese”. They love it. I have also added spinach to it when blending for a green alfredo, super fun and they get an extra dose of veggies!
I love to grate or puree veggies and put them in brownie batter lol
.your recipe looks amazing! Thanks for the chance to win!!
Joey J
This sounds very odd and I don’t know anyone else who does this, but I love to eat my cauliflower (cooked or raw) dipped in maple syrup!
This looks so good. I’m going to definitely give them a try
My 13 yo daughter loves fruit, but not so much on the veggies. My creativity is finding ways to sneak them into meals she loves to eat. One that she still hasn’t figured out is butternut squash in the chili.
My daughter is not a fan of veggies so I incorporate them into desserts. I add zucchini to brownies and muffins and carrots to cookies.
Excited to try another recipe!
Roasting a big batch of different vegetables every Sunday and adding them to lunches and dinners throughout the week — not super creative, but it ensures that there are always cooked veggies on hand and ready to eat.
Hi Megan!!! I love your cookbook, and I have to confess that my favorite way to serve vegetables is in your desserts (as in, the zucchini in your frozen vegan cheesecake…) 🙂 🙂 🙂 I don’t know if that really counts, though, so I’ll mention that I also LOVE your easy lentil, sweet potato and coconut curry (which also has carrots in it…) one last one is my own recipe, for curried cauliflower… so simple to stir lots of curry in some EVOO, then toss the cauliflower pieces in and stir, then roast them in the oven… I tell my friends it’s “faux” indian food (my favorite) and I love that it’s so easy and so healthy…
Its not creative but my daughter’s (only)favorite way to eat vegetables is if I roast them.
I like to make zucchini noodles with maranara and olives for a cold “spaghetti”
I LOVE all of your recipes……..we have tried a lot of them (both from the website and your two cookbooks that I own). We have NEVER tasted a bad one. We rate recipes in our household, if they don’t receive a very good or excellent then they don’t make the grade!! Yours are always making the grade!!! I can’t wait for your insta- pot cookbook to come out!!!!! Thank you for all of the wonderful recipes!! :] Lyn
Sounds yummy
I love using sweet potato in place of sweetener in my oatmeal. I just add mashed sweet potato and mix it in with spices.
I like to shred or slice radish. You add a little onion and pan fry in a little oil. Or bake whole red radish. Takes sharpness out and tastes better than hashbrowns or roasted potatoes.
We make cauliflower fried rice and use tamari for a completely gluten free meal. We use zucchini noodles in place of pasta. We also make vegetable salads with chilled brown rice or quinoa. We love our veggies!
P.S. I use vegtables all of the time to replace pasta, in salads, stirfrys, smoothies, etc.
These look so good! My husband is a meat eater and he might not even notice if I made these.going to give it a try!
These sound fantastic. Can’t wait to try them!
These look so good! My husband is a meat eater and he might not even notice if I made these.going to give it a try!
Love to make veggie stir fry with lots of different types. Also cook winter squash and put in salads, make souls, and classic with a sauce.
Love some of the recipes here having good results.
I like to use coconut oil to fry vegetables with and adding lemon to cucumbers, simple:)
Our “pesto” is either baby spinach- or kale-based. Also: zoodles and carrot “noodles”…very fun for kids to help make and eat 🙂
I too love cauliflower fried rice. I make it so much, my family asked me to give it a rest.😂
My new favorite is to make “scallops” using hearts of palm, and I make a mean veggie taco using mushrooms seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and smoked paprika. I add roasted onion & poblano. My family loves it in a corn tortilla!
Would love to try the spiralizer to try some new textures!
This is an interesting recipe. I have never had meatless tacos before. I may just make them for myself. My kids wouldn’t touch them.(they are in their 20’s ). Thanks for posting this.
I just made a similar recipe the other day!!! But I NEEEEED a spiralizer big time! Like, it’s not even a WANT, it’s a NEED 😉 I love roasting veggies and adding them to salads. If I make them into a chopped salad, it’s even easy peasy (pun intended) for my toddler to eat 🙂
I confess, I don’t get terribly creative! My children actually prefer their veggies raw or lightly steamed. My default, and personal preference, is to just roast everything! Lately, I’ve been giving my broccoli the “steak” treatment from Smitten Kitchen.
Sometimes if I am really in the mood for nachos I will make “nachos” using small bell peppers as the chips and load up on veggies for the toppings with salsa too!! Yum!!!
I love using zucchini to make fat noodles for lasagna. I also make a vegan ricotta cheese. My husband eats it without even missing the “real” noodles and cheese.
Love this idea of nuts and veggies to use as the ‘taco meat.’ I love to add lots of veggies to both my morning smoothies and roast the rest to purée for soups. Thank you.
I make plant-based dishes daily, but the family favorite is vegan Alfredo pasta. It doesn’t taste vegan so the cheese/meat eaters love it. And, it’s packed with veggies, which of course is my favorite part.
Omg how delicious 😋
Tried the recipe. Amazing! Fooled everyone. Anyway, not sure that it’s really so creative, but my family’s favorite way to eat veggies is roasted with the cashew cheese from your mac and cheese recipe. Yummmmm!
I throw in a bunch of veggies in pasta sauce. I blend some of them up so you can’t even see them. Throw it on some gluten free pasta and the kids love it!
I love roasted veggies and doodles!
I would love a spiralizer so I don’t have to continue to buy my zoodles at Whole Foods prepackaged… but am happy to share ideas for integrating more veggies into your day!
I have never considered vegetables as an ingredient or side or restricted to a dinner or time specific meal.
Having a large salad for breakfast after a long run has always been restorative and energizing.
Having a bowl of zucchini noodles with flax oil, pecans, cinnamon and raisins or scant maple syrup as a breakfast bowl is satisfying for a sweeter comfort breakfast.
Using butter lettuce leaves as cups or bowls for a cinnamon date walnut pate is sustaining- sometimes blending in other nuts or seeds such as pecans, macadamias or almonds or sunflower seeds. You can build them using almond butter or any other one of your choice- try pumpkin seed butter as a base for pesto inspired wraps and top with tomatoes and arugula- the more greens the better!
The same breakfast bowl can be made with cauliflower rice and can fold in Cacao or Acai and hemp protein a bit easier- with any combination of spices or tastes. PB&J inspired cauliflower oatmeal bowls are not to be missed!
Im vegitarian and always looking for creative ways to enjoy a plant based diet with family and friends.
I love spaghetti squash topped with a healthy pizza sauce and some cheese sprinkled over it. I can kind of convince myself I’m eating pizza. 🙂
One of my new favorites is to use a riced cauliflower and sweet potato mix I found in the freezer section in my stuffed bell peppers with my all time favorite marinara sauce from ED.
I would use the spiralizer to make zoodles
I’m just starting to eat vegan so I don’t have any ideas yet but we have been enjoying your delicious recipes with the use of spices to enhance the dishes. I’m looking forward to experimenting on my own once I have had more time to discover new foods.