These vegan black bean tacos are made with vegan walnut taco meat, black beans, and corn tortillas. Topped with shredded cabbage, diced tomatoes, and cashew cream sauce, these tacos are a home run! This meal is oil-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and packed with delicious flavor.
What you need to make these vegan tacos
- Black beans, cooked or canned
- Walnut taco meat
- Ground cumin
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
- Corn tortillas
- Cabbage
- Onion
- Tomatoes
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Cashew cream
- Jalapeno (optional, for heat)
- Optional additions and toppings: vegan cheese sauce, sliced avocado, guacamole, tomato-based salsa, and sweet jackfruit salsa
This taco recipe is made with whole plant food ingredients. Beans are a wonderful source of fiber, protein and antioxidants. You can either used canned black beans or cooked, like these Cuban Black Beans.
Other additions or toppings to put on these tacos include:
- Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Super Easy Salsa (savory)
- Guacamole
- Jackfruit Salsa (sweet)
- Sliced avocado
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How to Prepare
This recipe makes 6 to 8 delicious tacos or 3 to 4 servings. If you have the raw walnut taco meat and cashew cream sauce already on hand, this recipe takes about 15 minutes to prepare.
Make ahead
Prepare the raw walnut taco meat according to recipe instructions. Set it aside.
Prepare the cashew cream sauce according to recipe instructions. Set it aside.
Prepare the black bean taco meat base
Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and dry saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in ground cumin, ground chili powder, and smoked paprika. Cook for another minute.
Add drained and rinsed black beans and a few tablespoons of water. Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Finally, add the raw walnut taco meat. Stir to incorporate so that it warms up. You don't need to cook this; just allow it to warm through. Turn off the heat and assemble the tacos.
Assemble the Tacos
If desired, warm the corn tortillas over the flame on your stove or microwave for a few seconds.
Add black bean walnut taco meat mixture to the base of the corn tortillas. Layer on the chopped tomatoes, shredded cabbage, and chopped cilantro.
Finally, drizzle on the cashew cream sauce and serve with fresh lime wedges.
Other optional toppings include Vegan Cheese Sauce, Super Easy Salsa (savory), Guacamole, Jackfruit Salsa (sweet), or sliced avocado.
The taco meat in this recipe can also be used to make a taco salad, wraps, burritos, or nachos.
Why You'll Love These Black Bean Tacos
- Healthy Tacos: These black bean tacos are packed with nutrients. The walnuts in the taco meat are high in healthy plant fats. The American Heart Association found that those eating walnuts daily may have a lower risk for cardiovascular disease. In addition, the cabbage and cilantro are high in antioxidants. Black beans are not only a good source of plant protein, but they're also high in fiber. Check out this article about the health wonders of beans.
- Quick Meal: This meal can be prepared in about 35 minutes. If you make ahead the raw walnut taco meat and cashew cream, this dish can be whipped up in 15 minutes, making it a great weeknight meal.
- Delicious: This meal is family-friendly. We know that sometimes, not everyone in the house is on the same health journey as you. This meal has crossover appeal because it's made with seasonings and fresh whole foods the whole family will enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have leftovers, it's recommended you don't build the tacos and store them in the refrigerator because the shells will tear apart. Instead, keep each of the following in individual covered or sealed containers in the fridge for up to 4 days: corn tortillas; black bean walnut taco meat mixture; shredded cabbage; pico de gallo; cashew cream sauce; and any other optional additions or toppings you're using.
The vegan taco meat and corn tortillas are freezer-friendly, but the other ingredients are not. So if you're meal prepping for later, make a batch of the black bean walnut meat mixture, then portion it out into individual freezer-safe containers and store it in the freezer for up to 4 months. The corn tortillas can also be portioned out and stored in a freezer bag for later. Thaw both ingredients in the refrigerator before warming up and topping with fresh veggies and sauce.
It all depends on what you put inside the tacos. These tacos are healthy. They're made with whole plant food ingredients. The "meat" base has black beans and walnuts. The veggies include cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice. The topping is a sauce made with cashews—a good source of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat and minerals like magnesium.
We hope you love this vegan black bean taco with walnut meat recipe as much as we do. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielsplaterecipes so we can see your creation!
Vegan Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
- ½ cup 1 batch raw walnut taco meat
- ½ cup 1 batch cashew cream sauce
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ cups of cooked black beans 1-15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 to 8 corn tortillas
- 1 ½ cups diced fresh tomatoes about 2 medium
- 1 cup shredded cabbage purple or green
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 lime
Optional additions/toppings
- 1 jalapeno diced (for heat)
- Vegan Cheese Sauce
- Super Easy Salsa savory
- Guacamole
- Jackfruit Salsa sweet
- Sliced avocado
Instructions
Make ahead
- Prepare the raw walnut taco meat according to recipe instructions. Set it aside.
- Prepare the cashew cream sauce according to recipe instructions. Set it aside.
Prepare the black bean taco meat base
- Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and dry saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in ground cumin, ground chili powder, and smoked paprika. Cook for another minute.
- Add drained and rinsed black beans and a few tablespoons of water. Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the raw walnut taco meat. Stir to incorporate so that it warms up. You don't need to cook this; just allow it to warm through. Turn off the heat and assemble the tacos.
Assemble the Tacos
- If desired, warm the corn tortillas over the flame on your stove or microwave for a few seconds.
- Add black bean walnut taco meat mixture to the base of the corn tortillas. Layer on the chopped tomatoes, shredded cabbage, and chopped cilantro.
- Finally, drizzle on the cashew cream sauce and serve with fresh lime wedges.
- Other optional toppings include Vegan Cheese Sauce, Super Easy Salsa (savory), Guacamole, Jackfruit Salsa (sweet), or sliced avocado.
Notes
- Timing: If you have the raw walnut taco meat and cashew cream sauce already on hand, this recipe takes about 15 minutes to prepare.
- Leftovers: If you have leftovers, it's recommended you don't build the tacos and store them in the refrigerator because the shells will tear apart. Instead, keep each of the following in individual covered or sealed containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
-
Freezing: The vegan taco meat and corn tortillas are freezer-friendly, but the other ingredients are not. So if you're meal prepping for later, make a batch of the black bean walnut meat mixture, then portion it out into individual freezer-safe containers and store it in the freezer for up to 4 months. The corn tortillas can also be portioned out and stored in a freezer bag for later. Thaw both ingredients in the refrigerator before warming up and topping with veggies and sauce.
Theresa
A taco Tuesday favorite very good.