Walnut Meat (Healthy + Easy)

Walnut Meat is a fantastic, healthy alternative to its ground predecessor! Made with walnuts, mushrooms and spices, it’s quick, easy and amazingly delicious!

This raw nut meat is crumbly with a nice texture, and is full of flavor! Plus, it’s easily customizable for Mexican, Italian, or Indian cuisines by changing up the spices.

What does walnut meat taste like? The walnuts have musty, bittersweet flavors with a thick, oily texture. And the mushrooms are earthy with a softer, meaty texture. Together they blend up into wonderful vegan ground meat replacement.

If you don’t care for mushrooms, I assure you that you cannot tell they are there, in taste or texture. But if you don’t want to try my way, you can always replace them with more walnuts or cooked lentils.

One of the reasons I love the addition of mushrooms in the walnut meat is to help make a good serving size without too much fat. Although the walnuts are full of good fats, too much is too much. It just made perfect sense that mushrooms should be a key ingredient in raw nutmeat.

Both the mushrooms and walnuts used in this recipe are full of goodness. Together this recipe is full of omega’s, protein, healthy fats, and trace minerals!

So without further ado, let’s un-cook something wonderful!

What Ingredients Are In Walnut Meat??

This savory mixture includes walnuts, mushrooms, tamari, and spices of choice.

These are just a few ideas for how to change it up:

• Mexican: Make walnut taco meat using spices like cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, cayenne, coriander, paprika, cilantro and/or lime.
• Italian flavor: Use oregano, basil, marjoram, sun dried tomatoes, sage, thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning, or Herbs de Provence.

• American: Garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt and pepper.

• Indian: Garlic, onion or ginger powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, and/or cayenne.

You can see there are many ways to change up the spices to suit the cuisine type you are cooking, you’ll just need to play with the spices to find your perfect fit.

How To Make Walnut Meat

(Note – The full printable recipe is at the bottom of this post)

• Simply add the walnuts, mushrooms, tamari and spices to the bowl of a food processor.
• Give a pulses until just combined and crumbly, as shown above.

And that’s it, now you’re ready to use it any way you like!

Top Tips

• Don’t over-process. Over-processing will turn the mixture into a pate texture.
• Warm it up. You can easily warm up the nut mixture over low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
• Can I omit the mushrooms? Yes, if you don’t care to use mushrooms, simply replace them with additional walnuts or cooked lentils.
• How do you store leftovers? Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 – 4 days. It’s not recommended to freeze.
• If you have nut sensitivities, you may want to soak the cashews in cool water for 8 hours before using them to remove the phytates and tannins.

How To Use Walnut Meat

More Easy Topping Recipes!

Let me know if you try this raw nut meat recipe or have a question! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

Print

WALNUT MEAT (4 WAYS)

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

Walnut Meat (aka raw nut meat) is a fantastic, healthy alternative vegan faux ground meat made with walnuts, mushrooms and spices. It’s quick, easy and amazingly delicious!

• Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
• Prep Time:

  5 min

• Total Time:

  5 min

• Yield:

  Serves 3

• Category:

  How-to

• Method:

  food processor

• Diet:

  Vegan

Ingredients

Units

Scale

Walnut Meat Base:

• 1

  cup

  walnuts

• 1

  cup

  mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tablespoon

  tamri (nama shoyu, soy sauce, or coconut aminos)
• salt + pepper, to taste

Mexican:

• 1 tablespoon

  cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon

  garlic powder

• 1/4 teaspoon

  chipotle powder (or cayenne)

Italian:

• 2 teaspoons

  Italian seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon

  garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon

  onion powder (or garlic powder)

Indian:

• 2 teaspoons

  coriander

• 1/2 teaspoon

  paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon

  cumin (or garam masala)

• 1/4 teaspoon

  cayenne

• 1/2 teaspoon

  garlic powder (or onion powder)

American:

• 3/4

  –

  1

  teaspoon EACH garlic and onion powder

• salt + pepper, to taste

Cook Mode

Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Pulse to combine: Simply add the walnuts, mushrooms, tamari and spices to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until just combined and crumbly. Careful not to over process or it will turn smooth like pate.

Taste for seasoning, adding more of any spice you like.

Warm it up: Optionally, heat on the stove over low heat, stirring frequently until warmed through. Alternatively, heat in the microwave using 15 second intervals, stirring between each, until warm. Just don’t overcook.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Serves 3

Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 – 4 days.

Notes

Full list of flavor variations to play with:

• Mexican: Make taco meat with spices like cumin, chili powder, chipotle powder, cayenne, coriander, paprika, cilantro and/or lime.
• Italian flavor: Use oregano, basil, marjoram, sun dried tomatoes, sage, thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning, or Herbs de Provence.

• American: Garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt and pepper.

• Indian: Garlic, onion or ginger powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, and/or cayenne.

If you have nut sensitivities, you may want to soak the cashews in cool water for 8 hours before using to remove the phytates and tannins.

Nutritional values are estimates only. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

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