Endive leaves are topped with a spiced walnut “meat”, a black bean and corn salad, sliced avocado, and chimichurri in these mostly raw tacos. These vegan and gluten free tacos are perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to cook!
I think it’s safe to say it’s flippin’ hot out! Since the summer sun provides more than enough heat, I’ve started shying away from my heat-producing kitchen appliances and embracing more raw foods. Making mostly raw cuisine is a creative kitchen challenge I embrace every summer. This past weekend I made a vegan, gluten free, and mostly raw spread for a party. The only thing I cooked was some sorghum for a tabbouleh dish. Everything else required simple chopping or blending. It was liberating not having to worry about a “cooking schedule” or sweating next to a hot oven!
These tacos were one of the dishes I made for the party and if I’m being honest, they were really darn delicious. They were born out of a simple walnut taco “meat” mixture I made a couple of weeks ago when I had a craving for some vegan nachos. I loved it so much I decided to make some raw inspired tacos for the party spread and include the walnut mixture as the “meat”.
The Recipe Components
Don’t be discouraged by the lengthy ingredient list in the recipe! Every component comes together quickly since there’s no cooking and only minimal chopping involved.
- The Spiced Walnut “Meat” — made of walnuts, spices, liquid aminos, apple cider vinegar, and salt, this mixture comes together in a blender or food processor. It has a nutty and meaty flavor that works well in these tacos.
- The Black Bean and Corn Salad — canned black beans are drained and rinsed then tossed with corn, red onion, and lime for another component of these tacos.
- Chimichurri — cilantro and parsley form the base of this salsa that is spiced with serrano peppers. It lends a nice, fresh element to the tacos.
- Endive or Butter Lettuce Leaves — these stand in for the tortillas in our mostly raw tacos.
Mostly Raw Tacos with Chimichurri
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Endive leaves are topped with a spiced walnut “meat”, a black bean and corn salad, sliced avocado, and chimichurri in these mostly raw tacos. These vegan and gluten free tacos are perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to cook!
Ingredients
for the walnut taco meat:
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- scant tbsp coconut aminos or Bragg’s liquid aminos
- splash of apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- sea salt as needed
for the black bean & corn salad:
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 ears of corn, kernels removed
- 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
- zest and juice of 1 lime
- sea salt to taste
for the chimichurri:
- 1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
- 1 small serrano pepper (seeds removed if you don’t want it as spicy)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
for serving:
- endive or butter lettuce leaves
- sliced avocado
- lime wedges
Instructions
To make the walnut taco meat, add everything to a food process and pulse until everything is mixed well and the walnuts have been chopped into small pieces. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
To make the black bean and corn salad, mix everything together in a bowl. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
For the chimichurri, combine everything in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until relatively smooth. If it seems a bit dry or too chunky, add a bit more olive oil and blend once more.
To serve, layer your endive or butter lettuce leaves with the walnut taco meat, the black bean and corn salad, the sliced avocado, and the chimichurri. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Leftover walnut taco meat is great for using in a batch of vegan nachos!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: main
