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Below is the perfect recipe for raw vegan tacos (or vegetarian tacos) using pure raw vegan foods like sprouted walnuts, fresh alfalfa, and crispy romaine lettuce.
For the Walnut Taco Meat:
- 2 cups raw walnuts, soaked overnight (minimum 4 hours)
- 2 Rainbow bell peppers (I used orange and yellow)
- 1/4 Medium white onion
- 1 tablespoon Coconut aminos (or vegan Worcestershire sauce)
- 2 packs taco seasoning
For the Cashew Queso:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (soaking is optional but recommended)
- 2 tablespoons Nutritional yeast
- 3/4 cups Water
- Jalapeños (or other hot pepper)
- 1 garlic clove
- 3/4 teaspoons Cumin
- 3/4 teaspoons Chili Powder
For the Vegan Tacos:
- Romaine lettuce head (this is your taco shell, so get the full lettuce head and not chopped romaine)
- Spring mix
- Guacamole
- Salsa (or pico de gallo)
- Alfalfa sprouts
- Hemp seeds
Making the Walnut Taco Meat:
- Start off by taking 2 cups of unroasted, unsalted walnuts and soaking them in water overnight (or for a minimum of 4 hours) to soften the nuts and improve digestibility.
- Strain and rinse the walnuts and add them to a food processor or a high powered blender with a pulse option.
- Cut each of your two rainbow bell peppers in half. Dice the halves into small pieces. Add to food processor with soaked walnuts.
- Pour the whole first pack and a half the second pack of taco seasoning in the food processor with the soaked walnuts and bell peppers.
- Take 1/4 of your white onion and dice it into small pieces. Add to the food processor with the soaked walnuts, bell peppers, and taco seasoning.
- Add 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos to the food processor.
- Pulse until your walnut mixture resembles taco meat. If using a blender, be sure to pulse slowly, or you'll end up with walnut butter instead of walnut meat.
- Set walnut taco meat aside.
Making the Cashew Cheese Sauce :
- Take 1 cup of unroasted, unsalted cashews and soak in water for a minimum of 30 minutes up to overnight (I did overnight). Soaking is optional for the cashew queso, but recommended for a smoother consistency and to improve digestibility.
- Strain and rinse the cashews and add to a high powered blender.
- Add 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, 3/4 teaspoons of cumin, 3/4 teaspoons of chili powder, and 1 clove of garlic to the blender with the cashews.
- Add 2 jalapeño rings to the blender cup. Use more for a spicier queso.
- Pour 3/4 cup of water in the blender and mix all the ingredients together, adding more water as needed to reach the desired consistency for the nutritional yeast cheese sauce.
Constructing Your Meatless Tacos:
- Take your desired amount of romaine lettuce leaves to act as your taco shells.
- Hemp seeds can be poured in the leaves now or at the end as the very last taco topping. I do both.
- Add your spring mix, followed by the walnut meat, guacamole, salsa, and alfalfa sprouts.
- Drizzle your cashew queso over each taco, and add hemp seeds (if you didn't already).
Enjoy! If you tried this recipe, let me know how you like it in the comments below. Click here for more plant based eating tips, recipes, and resources!
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