Even if I’m a day past official Cinco de Mayo, I figured I can’t be the only one out there enjoying this holiday all week long! I adore Mexican inspired food with fresh and simple ingredients and this holiday is no exception. Living a plant-based they’re are a lot of options in Mexican cuisine for entrees including beans, rice, and vegetables that make delicious vegetarian friendly dishes. My mission was to turn tacos, something that’s traditionally not vegan/vegetarian, and make it plant-based by utilizing beans, veggies, roasted sweet potatoes, walnuts, and other delicious components.
This post definitely should be saved in your Recipe Box, it’s two recipes in one post! I’m sharing the Veggie Taco filling and a delicious fluffy and creamy Avocado Cream. All of which can be used together, which is the best in my opinion, but you can also use these individually. I love using the brown rice or corn tortillas with these tacos coupled with the Avocado Cream is an amazing combination of flavors and textures.
Try it plant-based. I double dare you to get crazy this Cinco de Mayo and try eating tacos completely meat free (!), yes I double dare you. Traditionally when most of us think of tacos, we think of them being filled with pork, beef, chicken, or even fish. There’s nothing wrong with having those fillings, but I’m on a mission to get you to enjoy those veggies more often than not and to do so requires some really awesome plant-based ingredients. I do love some fish tacos every now and then, but I really love this Veggie Taco filling loaded with crispy sweet potatoes, starchy beans, sauteed peppers and meaty walnuts. When you look at the filling, it visually resembles traditional taco fillings, which is great for those who are transitioning into eating plant-based or experimenting with it one recipe at a time.
This veggie Taco filling is loaded with healthy fats, protein, and fiber all of which are important to incorporate into a plant-based diet, but especially for an entree. Also, the walnuts, beans, and sweet potatoes contain awesome nutrients such as iron, magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E; couple these nutrients (especially the iron) with the vitamin C rich bell peppers and you have instantly increased your bodies ability to absorb the non-heme iron (a.k.a. plant-based iron) from the taco filling. Win!
How to use |
Veggie Taco Filling // in addition to using this recipe with the Spring Veggie Tacos, you can also use it as a protein rich topping for your Nourish Bowl or One Bowl Skillet Meal. You can also use this to make nachos with just with baked corn tortillas!
Avocado Cream // in addition to using this recipe with the Spring Veggie Tacos, you can also use it as a creamy dollop on baked potatoes, dolloped on soup, stews, on top of salads for a creamy addition, or on any hot plate for a fresh and creamy replacement for sour cream.
- FILLING //
- 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup chickpeas (can use canned, well rinsed)
- 1 large sweet potato, diced into chunks (should yield 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (for cooking)
- TACO SPICES //
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- PEPPERS //
- 1 whole small red onion (yields 1/2 cup), sliced into thin strips
- 1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 large green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- a pinch of sea salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake chopped sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon coconut oil, a dash of cinnamon and cumin for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
- Set aside the baked sweet potatoes for later.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking prepare everything else.
- First, in a food processor or blender pulse the chickpeas and walnuts together to create a coarsely chopped mixture.
- In a medium heated skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil, chopped walnuts, beans, and seasonings. Stir to warm through and combine, adding a little bit of water as needed to bring the mixture together.
- Cook/warm through for about 5 minutes, add baked sweet potatoes last and only to toss around in the spices with everything else.
- Take off the heat and put in a large serving bowl.
- PEPPERS //
- Simply saute the onions, garlic, and tri-colored bell peppers in coconut oil on medium heat until softened.
- ASSEMBLY //
- Use this filling to stuff corn or brown rice tortillas, salsa, cashew cheese, etc.
- This stays well in the refrigerator for up to a week and makes great leftovers.
- Enjoy!
- 2 avocados
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- juice of 1 lime (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ground black pepper to taste
- Blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until thick and creamy.
- Keep chilled until using.
- Enjoy!
I hope you all LOVE this recipe as much as I have been enjoying eating it! It was also so fun to shoot this recipe, I turned up some salsa music, made a raw margarita (sans alcohol… what, it was 12 in the afternoon?), and nibbled along the way- you know to taste test. As always, I love when you all share and support Nutrition Stripped by spreading the word 🙂
Enjoy and stay tuned tomorrow for another awesome Cinco de Mayo inspired recipe(s)!
xx
McKel
