These Mushroom-Walnut Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa are made with a homemade plant-based taco meat that is so similar to the real deal in terms of texture, smell, taste and even how it looks. The vegan taco meat is stuffed in gluten-free tortillas and then topped with a refreshing and slightly sweet mango avocado salsa! These tacos are perfect for a quick weeknight meal and great to feed a crowd too!
It's taco night! And no one is ever sad about tacos. My kids just love wrapping things in a warm tortilla. And I love the simplicity of these Mushroom-Walnut Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa. It is a meal that can feed the whole crew and is not at all labor-intensive during busy weeknights.
How this amazing vegan mushroom-walnut taco meat came to be...
I landed on a homemade vegan taco meet that I couldn't be more proud of honestly! I was feeling daring in the kitchen one night and also bored of always putting crispy chickpeas or refried black beans in my taco (really good but just wanted something more like real ground taco meat). So, I happened to have a ton of mushrooms on hand and pulsed them up a couple times in the food processor.
I started sautéing them with my favorite taco seasonings (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper) and then decided it needed something a bit more substantial and something that would add some plant-based protein to the mix. I reached for a jar of raw walnuts in the pantry and pulsed them up a couple times and added to the skillet.
The rest is history.
No one can believe how real this looks and feels. The texture, the color and especially the taste.
My Taco Bell loving husband (literally tailgated for Taco Bell to open in college) said these were the best tacos he has ever had. He loved them paired with the sweet and juicy mango salsa I whipped up. Together they are a simple match made in heaven. And unbelievably my kids went for it too! I do typically go pretty heavy on the spices when it comes to taco night so if you plan to serve these to kids or anyone that might not love spicy food then I would cut the chili powder in half. My mom was super skeptical (as she often is of my vegan creations) but she took one look and then taste and was begging me for the recipe. She said she was blown away at how much it tasted like real ground taco meat.
Why I'm loving this vegan taco meat
I love this mix of ingredients for a taco because it offers a vegetable (mushrooms), healthy fats (avocado), fruit (mango) and plant-based protein (walnuts). Altogether this is one nutritious dish that you can feel really good about serving and eating. And it just so happens to taste addictively amazing together. And my cheese-loving husband didn't even reach for the shredded cheese. You won't even want or miss it with all the texture and flavor going in with this combo. I promise! I always feel like when a dish doesn't "need" cheese it really is a winner - especially Mexican food.
Let's discuss the mango avocado salsa...
For years I have been making this homemade mango avocado salsa and I have no idea what took me so long to add it to the blog. The combination of the sweet and juicy mango with the creamy avocado is incredible.
Add in herby cilantro, pungent red onions, fresh zingy lime juice, spicy jalapeno and salt and you have yourself a super impressive homemade salsa that will turn heads.
You can dip your chips in it as a pre-meal snack and then use it to top these savory spicy tacos. When I make this salsa for the kids I simply leave out the jalapeno and they absolutely love it.
And finally the tortillas...
Tortillas are a critical component for taco night, of course. For this recipe I partnered with BFree, an innovative company that makes gluten-free and allergy friendly products. They carefully source their ingredients and make tortilla wraps that are vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), refined sugar-free, gluten-free and high in fiber. BFree wraps are super easy to find and available at Walmart.
In this recipe I'm featuring their Kids Sweet Wraps which my kids love. They are made with freshly ground sweet potato flour, which is high in antioxidants, and banana flour, which helps support your kids’ digestive health. I love their small size for my kids and they love how super soft and tasty the wraps are. The wraps can also be used for school lunches or a quick after-school sweet or savory snack.
Looking for more delicious vegan and gluten-free Mexican recipes?
Here are some of my favorite Mexican recipes (ALL dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free and peanut-free):
One-Pan Mexican Quinoa and Black Beans
Creamy Black Bean and Roasted Sweet Potato Tostadas
Mango-Avocado Quinoa Salad with Toasted Pepitas
Creamy Dairy-Free Cilantro Jalapeno Lime Sauce (this sauce would pair beautifully with tacos)
Creamy Spiralized Red Cabbage and Green Apple Slaw with Cilantro and Lime
Watermelon Mint Lime Slushies (Margaritas or Virgin)
Now, let’s get to making these incredibly flavorful Mushroom-Walnut Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa! They are vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, peanut-free, refined sugar-free and gluten-free which makes them wonderful for serving to anyone with food allergies or food sensitivities.
When you make this recipe, snap a pic and use the hashtag #eatingbyelaine on INSTAGRAM to be featured in my stories.
Vegan Tacos: Mushroom-Walnut Taco Meat + Mango Avocado Salsa
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6
Description
These Mushroom-Walnut Tacos with Mango Avocado Salsa are made with a homemade plant-based taco meat that is so similar to the real deal in terms of texture, smell, taste and even how it looks. The vegan taco meat is stuffed in gluten-free tortillas and then topped with a refreshing and slightly sweet mango avocado salsa! These tacos are perfect for a quick weeknight meal and great to feed a crowd too!
Ingredients
For the vegan taco meat*
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds mushrooms, stems removed, quartered
- 2 cups raw unsalted walnuts
- 4 teaspoons ground chili powder
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
For the mango avocado salsa**
- 1 large mango, diced (1.5 cups diced)
- 1 large avocado, pitted and skin removed, diced
- ½ large red onion, finely diced (1 cup diced)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, large stems removed and leaves chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and stem removed, finely diced (optional for heat)
- 1 large juicy lime, juiced
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
For the tortilla wrap
- 1 package of BFree Kids Sweet Wraps (6 mini tortillas)
Instructions
- To make the vegan taco meat: Heat oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet. In a food processor pulse the mushrooms in two batches until finely chopped. No large mushrooms chunks should remain. Place the chopped mushrooms in the heated skillet. Pulse the walnuts in the food processor until finely chopped. No large chunks should remain. Add the chopped walnuts to the skillet. Add all the seasonings (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper) and stir well. Stir regularly and cook for 20 minutes. Keep hot and set aside for taco assembly.
- For the mango avocado salsa: In a medium sized mixing bowl stir to combine the mango, avocado, red onions cilantro, jalapeno (if using), lime juice and salt. Set aside for taco assembly.
- To assemble the tacos: Place each wrap on a plate and add 2 large spoonfuls of the hot vegan taco meat. Add two large spoonfuls of the cold mango avocado salsa on top of the vegan taco meat. Wrap it up and enjoy immediately. Store any leftovers separately. The mango avocado salsa is best when fresh.
Notes
*The seasonings in the taco meat are pretty heavy. I like it super spicy. If you are serving it to people who do not like super spicy food then start with less (try half), taste and add more at the end.
*Chill mango avocado salsa ingredients in advance so it is cold when serving.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Vegan Tacos Mushroom-Walnut Taco Meat
This post is sponsored by BFree Foods. All opinions are my own.
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