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Let’s taco ’bout how amazing these taco salad bowls are. (Sorry, couldn’t help it!) These salad bowls are so pretty and so delicious, no one will notice the “meat” is vegan. Not even your meat-loving boyfriend!

I’ve been seeing more and more variations on taco “meat” substitutes in my instagram feed lately, so I thought I better check it out. And let me just tell you, I am SO glad I did.

This vegan “meat” is made by combining finely diced cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts. I used pre-packaged riced cauliflower to cut down on prep time, and threw the other two ingredients in the food processor. This may seem like an unlikely trio, but once you add the taco seasonings and the peppers in adobo sauce, you’re in for an absolute treat.

You could use this meat alternative in anything from tacos to enchiladas to burritos, but I chose to serve mine up over a bed of lettuce. After settling on a salad, I remembered these adorable taco salad shell molds that my mom gave me recently. I had to try them out! I’m already in love with these little guys. The process was so simple. I just dipped my multigrain tortillas in water with a few drops of olive oil so they’d be malleable, and then placed them carefully in the shells and into the oven. After just a few minutes, I had crispy, crunchy tortilla shells for a fancy at-home taco salad! Just like the restaurant version, but way less guilt.

Of course, this taco salad would also be great with traditional taco fillings, like ground turkey, fajita chicken, or ground beef. Any way you go with this will be delicious. I can’t wait to bust out my taco salad mold more often and try various toppings!

Shout out to my roomie Megan for serving as my sous chef for this recipe. And last but not least, big props to Nora from Nora Cooks for the inspiration for this taco “meat.” You can check out her delicious cauliflower walnut mushroom meat here. I adapted her recipe a bit, but certainly not significantly!

If you make this dreamy recipe, be sure to let us know how it turned out in the comments below! We love seeing your photos. Tag us on instagram @fridgetofork and we’ll share your post!

Cauliflower Walnut “Meat” Taco Salad Bowl (Vegan)

Created by Ellen on April 3, 2018

Prep Time: 15m
Cook Time: 15m
Total Time: 30m

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Cauliflower Walnut "Meat"

2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 large white onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c raw walnuts
7 medium mushrooms (I used white)
3 c riced cauliflower
3 tbsp. minced chipotle peppers in adobo
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt

Salad

4 multigrain tortillas
1 c water
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 heads romaine, chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, halved and sliced
10 radishes, sliced
4 tbsp. fresh cilantro
4 tbsp. sliced green onion

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray tortilla shell molds with non-stick cooking spray.
Add water and 1 tablespoon olive oil to a bowl. Dip the tortillas in the water/ olive oil mix and place into the tortilla shell molds. Place in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until shells are crispy and browned.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the pan and sautéed until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
In a large food processor, pulse the mushrooms and walnuts until finely diced. Do not pulse for too long, or else a paste will form! Add the mushrooms and walnuts to the skillet, along with the riced cauliflower. Next, add in the chipotle peppers in adobo and the spices. Stir to combine, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes, until cauliflower is fully cooked.
To assemble the bowls: Layer the romaine, then several scoops of the taco meat, and top with desired veggies and the sliced avocado.

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Cauliflower Walnut “Meat” Taco Salad Bowl (Vegan)