Nine months ago I thought that eating raw meant carrots and walnuts for dinner and desserts of dates and bananas. I also thought it was all or nothing. So I chose nothing. Veganism, at the time, was entirely for ethical reasons and I didn’t feel any need to further restrict my diet.
In starting this blog last April I started working with new foods in my kitchen experiments. I eliminated tofu and processed vegan substitutes (mostly) in search of natural, whole food substitutes. And through that I began to discover that raw food was a whole lot more than carrots, walnuts, and bananas. I also learned that eating raw (for me) did not have to be all or nothing. Rather it could fluidly appear in my vegan diet for certain seasons, days, or even meals. Most interestingly of all, my ventures into raw food revealed new and creative ways to prepare and eat that in no way felt restrictive. A similar feeling, I am now reminded, to when I transition to a vegan diet.
This last week was the first time I ate raw for any length of time. Live food felt so good to my body and I didn’t have to feel bad when I ate way too many of these raw Salted Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies:
And many of the recipes I created this week will definitely become regulars in my house.
Especially this one.
Raw Taco Salad
Serves 4
What you need:
1. A large head of lettuce, shredded
2. 1 lime
3. Walnut Taco Meat
2 cups walnuts, soaked 4-6 hours
1 tbsp dehydrated minced onion
2-3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of cayenne
Blend walnuts in a food process until they break down into small crumbs. Do not over mix, they will quickly form a paste. Add remaining ingredients and pulse a few times until well blended. Remove from processor and set aside.
4. Easy Guacamole
2 small, ripe avocados
1/2 cup tomato, diced
3 tbsp red onion, diced
Juice of 1/2 a lime
salt to taste
In a small bowl mash the avocados until fairly smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix together.
5. Pico de Gallo
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/4 cup of cilantro, minced
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
salt to taste
Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.
6. Cashew Sour Cream
1 cup cashews, soaked 4-6 hours
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Blend the soaked cashews with 1/2 cup water in a food processor or powerful blender until very smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until well combined.
To assemble, mound a generous handful of lettuce on each plate. Spoon the Taco Meat, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole onto the bed of lettuce. Drizzle Cashew Sour Cream over the top and finish with the juice of a lime. Serve immediately.
You might also like:
Tacos Sin Carne
Cuban Tempeh
Smoky Red and Black Chili
Raw Tuna Sala
Thanks for stopping by! The Sweet Life is a vegan food blog combining my love for good food, beautiful pictures, and compassionate eating. I am a long time vegan, trained in both photography and French Patisserie, excited to share my passions. Take a look around and enjoy The Sweet Life
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
wow! you are amazing. This raw taco salad looks to die for. YAY for eliminating processed vegan substitutes! I’m on board with that!
I had to giggle as I read this post cuz, you sound just like me!! = ) And on top of that, I made Raw Taco Salad on Monday last week with a similar walnut taco meat, but only 1/2 cup walnuts = ) I tried to make some “nacho” cheese, but I find I really don’t like the taste of Nutritional Yeast Flakes in large amounts. I think I’ll try your “Sour Cream”, but maybe substituting some of the cashews – another taste I have a hard time with when it is the main ingredient. Oh Well! Anyways, just wanted to say I enjoy your blog! Thanks for the yummy food.
Love This recipe!
Oh wow!! I just had a veggie taco salad this week, but it was made with veggie “meat” crumbles. This looks really interesting and delicious. I can’t wait to try it out.
How long will the sour cream last in the fridge?
about a week
where do you buy walnut taco meat?
I don’t think you can buy it but its very easy to make. Instructions are in the recipe.
This is amazing. Who knew raw walnut taco meat could be so delicious?! It might be my new favorite thing. Thanks so much! I’m thinking raw lettuce tacos would also be great with this recipe.
We made this tonight for dinner. Loved it! Thank you. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with next.
This is a lot of chilli! 3 tablespoons? I guess you like it very hot. YOu could use fresh chillies to right? Thanks for all your amazing recipes.
Yes, I imagine you could use fresh chilis. You would just want to adjust the other seasons to them.
This is a great blog post! I just started a week of eating raw yesterday and I had the exact same thoughts as you did, but I’m slowly learning how many other options there are. I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts.
Question: do you have the recipe for the Salted Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies pictured above? I’ve looked all over your blog but can’t find them…
Ah, I confused several people with that. I was just promoting my upcoming ebook which is all raw desserts, and that recipe is one of many. My cookbook is coming out in 1 month, so watch for it…