Taco Salad with Walnut & Cauliflower "Meat" Crumbles

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This taco salad tastes just like a restaurant style take out treat, but it's made with minimally processed plant based ingredients so you can feel even better about making it an everyday kind of meal that will keep you feeling happy and healthy.  

I first tried a vegan taco salad made with raw walnut meat at a local raw vegan cafe near by and it completely blew my mind. The flavored walnut crumbles reminded me of the fast food tacos from my childhood, with all the right spices and the perfect crumbly texture.

While it was super delicious, it was also covered in oil and contained way more walnuts in a single serving than I would normally consume, and my skin was not happy about it. Since that version was a little too nut heavy for me, I set out to create my own more vegetable-based recipe using riced cauliflower and a moderate amount of walnuts and it turned out to be just as good!

I didn't feel like using my food processor this time, so I chose to use thawed frozen riced cauliflower and I quickly chopped the walnuts by hand. Then I mixed them together in a bowl with some spices and tamari. 

If you are working with whole fresh cauliflower then all you'll need to do it chop it into florets then add it into the food processor and pulse a few times until crumbly, then place in a bowl. Next add the walnuts to the food processor and pulse a few times before adding them to the same bowl, then stir in the tamari and spices.

Spread this mixture out in a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes then give it a stir and bake for another 10 minutes until lightly golden brown. 

To make this taco salad, I started with a bed of chopped spring mix, but any kind of lettuce or tender greens will work. Then on top of that I added guacamole, my roasted corn salsa, shredded purple cabbage, the walnut cauliflower crumbles, a drizzle of cashew sour cream and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. It's the perfect zesty summer salad!

This taco meat replacement is also amazing in actual tacos. in grain bowls with rice or quinoa, added to tomato sauces to make a meaty bolognese sauce, in wraps, or pile it in a big lettuce or cabbage leaf instead of a taco shell- the possibilities are endless!

What are some of your favorite summer salad recipes? If you try out this recipe I'd love to hear what you think of it! 

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Walnut & Cauliflower Taco Filling

Balsamic Borscht- Beet & Cabbage Soup

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This vibrant red beet soup is packed full of nutritious whole plant foods and cooked with flavorful mustard and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The beets are peeled and become very sweet when cooked, so there's no earthy taste here! Just sweet, tangy, wholesome goodness. 

This soup contains a variety of some of the healthiest whole plant foods possible, including beets, potatoes, carrots, purple cabbage, leeks, garlic, and fresh herbs. Despite this soup being such a healthy meal, you wouldn't guess that from the way it tastes. It's lightly sweet from the beets and gets a delicious tangy flavor from the balsamic vinegar which is added in at the very end. 

This recipe is fairly easy, but be warned- there's a lot to chop!

Sometimes it helps to put on a podcast to listen to in the background, but lately I try to use the time spent chopping as an opportunity to tune in and be more present with what I'm doing. It's a great time to slow down and feel grounded while preparing myself a truly nourishing meal. 

Once everything is chopped and the cooking has commenced, I like to whip up a quick cashew sour cream. My favorite vegan sour cream recipe is this recipe by Hot For Food. While this soup is fantastic with or without sour cream, it's so easy to make that I usually find it worth the small amount of effort. 

If you've been following my blog since the beginning, you may remember that one of my very first recipes was a for a borscht soup! Since then, my recipe has changed a bit with the addition of the balsamic vinegar and getting really specific on the exact measurements after making this countless more times since then. 

Over the years this has become one of my all-time favorite recipes and one that I've been really excited to update and share with you so that you can try it out for yourself. As good as it tastes, the way it makes you feel is the best part! I hope you enjoy the recipe, and if you do feel free to let me know what you think of it by leaving a comment down below.  

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Balsamic Borscht Soup

Chickpea "Tuna" Wrap with Oil-Free Pepita Pesto [Vegan]

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These chickpea "tuna" salad wraps with pesto sauce are the perfect meal-prep lunch recipe to keep you feeling healthy and satisfied during the work week. The best part: NO cooking is required to make either the pesto sauce or the chickpea salad! All you need is a blender for the pesto sauce and a mixing bowl and masher for the chickpeas. 

To be completely honest, I don't quite remember what tuna tastes like. I haven't had a tuna sandwich since I was a little kid, so I couldn't tell you if this actually tastes like tuna fish or just a delicious chickpea salad.

I would've just called it a chickpea salad wrap, but with the addition of some finely chopped seaweed in the mix, I feel pretty confident that these smashed chickpeas have a touch of oceanic flavor and a texture that gives off some tuna vibes. 🐟

While it might not be just like tuna, there are many reasons to try chickpeas instead and avoid eating tuna and other sea life-

1. Mercury and other toxic heavy metals bioaccumulate up the food chain, so large fish that eat smaller fish, like tuna, often contain extremely high levels of these heavy metals as well as industrial pollutants. Even small amounts of mercury can negatively impact our digestive and nervous systems. This risk greatly outweighs any benefits we would receive from the omega 3 fatty acids in fish, so it's much safer to get your EPA/DHA lower down on the food chain, in the form of a micro algae supplement.

2. Overfishing is destroying the oceans and the way in which tuna are captured is actually really disturbing. They are caught by net which means they have a slow and painful death and are often crushed by the weight of other tuna and sea life as they are dragged to the surface.

3. The CDC says that 75% of all food poisoning comes from seafood. I have experienced this for myself when I once ordered vegan avocado sushi rolls from a sushi restaurant that serves fish and got the worst food poisoning of my life due to cross contamination from the fish they were preparing on the same surface.

4. Tuna fishing kills more than just tuna. Dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and other sea life are also often killed when they're accidentally caught in fishing nets.

5. Farmed fish are not any better off. They often live in cramped conditions to increase profits, which puts them at a high risk for disease and parasitic infections. To keep the fish alive, fish farmers often give the fish powerful medications and antibiotics which we then ingest. These aquafarms are not even a more environmentally friendly choice. A 2-acre salmon farm produces as much waste as a town of 10,000 people.

6. Fish DO feel pain and in many ways, such as their memory and cognitive abilities, they are just as smart as certain vertebrates and even primates. They are playful, social, and some fish even use tools. Why choose to eat them when there are other options?

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This pesto sauce made with pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) is my new go-to pesto recipe to spread on everything. It only requires a handful of ingredients and as always I made it completely oil-free. Most of the recipes I have found use up to half a cup of oil, which is really damaging for the health of our arteries.

Even so-called "healthy" oils like extra virgin olive oil cause more damage than if we just didn't eat the oil at all. The natural oils found in the pepitas, which still retain their fiber and micronutrients, are a much healthier way to enjoy a delicious fresh pesto, full of necessary unrefined whole plant fats. 

This pesto is easy to make quickly in the blender. I find that it blends very easily in my high-speed blender, no scraping down the sides required, but a food processor should do a great job of it as well.

It's so tasty I could eat it by the spoonful!

The chickpea "tuna" salad is also super simple to make. Just throw all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl, then give it a good mash and stir until it's still a little chunky, but evenly mixed. 

Make the wrap by starting with a layer of pesto sauce, then add a handful of fresh greens, cabbage, and carrots (I forgot to add in the carrots this time), and a nice thick line of the chickpea salad. Fold in the sides of the wrap then roll it up. For extra wrap-security, roll it up again in some parchment paper and tie it with a string.

It's a great recipe to take on the go as a packed lunch for work or school. The leftover chickpea salad and pesto sauce can be stored separately in sealed containers in the fridge for 4-5 days. The leftover pesto sauce is acutally fantastic on pasta as well!

This chickpea tuna is also great on sandwiches!

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Chickpea Tuna Pesto Wrap

Crispy Chickpea Salad with Creamy Caesar Dressing [Vegan, Oil-Free]

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This colorful salad with roasted chickpeas and creamy caesar dressing is the perfect way to start off the new year feeling nourished and glowing from the inside out. 

The chickpeas are seasoned with a cheesy onion flavor that makes them taste like croutons. The spice paste, which makes the flavors fully coat the chickpeas, is made with the liquid from the can of chickpeas rather than oil. This makes for a much healthier option which still packs a ton of flavor. I've adapted this brilliant chickpea roasting method from this recipe by A Virtual Vegan. These chickpea croutons are perfect in a salad but they also make a great snack to enjoy on their own!

The dressing is super simple and requires no blending! It takes only 5 minutes to prepare and tastes so creamy and delicious. It's similar to a creamy caesar dressing; tangy, thick, and salty, but made almost entirely with unrefined whole food ingredients. 

Store bought dressings are made to sit on a shelf for months so they are often filled with questionable preservatives and processed oils. To pour one of these dressings over an otherwise nutrient-packed healthy bowl of fresh vegetables would undo a lot of the health benefits of eating a salad in the first place. Now that I've learned how to make my own dressings, I can't imagine ever going back to store-bought, especially when they are this easy to make!

Feel free to choose any of your favorite crunchy veggies for this salad. My go-to salad ingredients lately tend to be romaine lettuce, purple cabbage, carrots, radish, and green onions or scallions. I love adding avocado to this salad bowl, but if you don't have any it's perfectly delicious without it too. 

This is a great recipe to meal prep for a week of healthy salads. Double the batch of crispy chickpeas and allow them to sit inside the oven while it cools to make them stay extra crispy for longer. Then store them in a glass jar and add them to salads and whole grain bowls all week. Make sure to make an extra large batch of the creamy dressing too! 

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Crispy Chickpea Caesar Salad

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Miso Ramen Veggie-Packed Soup with Tofu and Bok Choy [Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan]

This isn't your typical restaurant-style, enjoy-before-your-actual-meal miso soup. This miso ramen recipe is a fully satisfying veggie-packed main course. 

I love miso soup, but I often find myself a little underwhelmed and not quite as satiated as I'd like. Many of the miso soup recipes I've tried in the past have lots of noodles and even tofu but are lacking in the colorful crunchy veggies that make me so happy and satisfied. So I loaded this recipe up with some of my favorite fibrous whole plant foods which made for a miso soup that can actually hold up as it's own full meal. 

Depending on what you currently have going on in your fridge, you can add in whichever veggies you're currently working with. Some of my favorites which I used in this soup included, mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, and purple cabbage. Other veggies that could work well in this might be bell pepper, broccoli, chard, or spinach. 

No matter what veggies you choose what really makes a good miso soup is the broth of course! White miso is a fermented salty paste made from soybeans and gives it that classic miso soup flavor. In addition to that I like to add a little hot sauce and tamari for an extra kick of flavor. 

Something that really ups the wow-factor when serving this is searing the bok choy until it's golden brown. You don't need any oil to make this happen, just slice the bok choy in half the long way and then place it sliced side down in a hot pan, using a wooden spoon to press it down until it get's some color to it. While this isn't necessary, it makes for a beautiful final presentation, but if you're just looking to eat it as fast as possible you can skip this step and rip the bok choy into individual leaves then add it at the end in the last 2 minutes of cooking. 

I hope you enjoy this veggie-loaded miso soup! If you try it out and post a photo, tag me on instagram @herenownutrition or leave a comment down below. 

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Miso Ramen Veggie-packed Soup With Tofu And Bok Choy

Tandoori Portobello Mushroom Tacos With Lime & Dill Yogurt Sauce [Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free]

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These portobello mushroom tacos are so good! I love indian spices and lately tandoori has been my favorite spice blend. The tandoori marinade works perfectly on portobello mushrooms in this recipe and the spiciness is well balanced with the cooling lime and dill vegan yogurt sauce.

These tacos are spicy, crunchy, tangy, and fresh. The mushrooms taste surprisingly meaty and when roasted they turn dark and almost start to resemble the look of meat. Mushrooms make a much healthier (and kinder) alternative to meat, but still deliver such a nice texture and really soak up the flavors of the marinade. Fresh ginger pairs so well with the tandoori spices and makes the mushrooms taste amazing.

For this recipe, I like to roast the portobellos whole and then slice them after roasting so that they don't dry out and stay as juicy as possible. If you prefer your mushrooms crispy, slice them before putting them in the oven for a crispier effect. 

The cabbage slaw adds a nice crunch on top and is so deliciously tangy from the lime and dill sauce made with vegan yogurt. My favorite vegan yogurt is the cashew yogurt by Forager, it's so creamy and smooth making it the perfect base for this dressing. 

Make the tandoori marinade, coat both mushrooms, then bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. While mushrooms are baking, chop all of the veggies for the cabbage slaw.

Make the yogurt sauce by combining all of the ingredients, then add the sauce to chopped veggies. Stir to coat then refrigerate until ready to use. 

Heat up tortillas in a pan and then fill with the tandoori roasted mushrooms and cabbage slaw. Top with chopped cilantro, an additional drizzle of tangy yogurt sauce, and avocado if using.

This recipe makes about 6 tacos, or enough for 2 hungry people. Recipe below. Enjoy!

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Tandoori Portobello Mushroom Tacos With Lime & Dill Yogurt Sauce

Maple Ginger Roasted Kuri Squash Salad Bowl

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If you've never tried squash in a salad before, you're in for a treat! Winter squash are in season right now so I've been adding them into everything I can think of. Having roasted squash in a salad might sound a little strange, but the maple ginger glaze gives the squash a wonderful flavor that's perfectly suited for a salad topping. 

Something about the leaves being bright golden-yellow right now makes me want to try all of the beautiful squash varieties that keep popping up at our grocery store even more. 

Behold, the kuri squash. It's a lot like a pumpkin but without the ridges and shaped more like a little tear drop. Like some pumpkin varieties, you can actually eat the skin, which makes preparing this squash a whole lot easier. 

I've never particularly enjoyed the dangerous task of slicing into a whole rock hard squash, so I like to give it a good wash then roast it whole for 20 minutes at 400 degrees fahrenheit before even attempting to get a knife in there. This softens the squash enough that it makes it super easy and much more safe to slice. 

Once you have your squash sliced in half, scoop out the seeds then cut into little half moons. 

In a large bowl, make the maple ginger glaze by grating about a tablespoon and half of fresh ginger and mixing it with a bit of maple syrup and some herbs. We won't be using the whole squash for this recipe, so pick out 6-7 pieces to use in the salad and put the rest away for another recipe. 

Dip the squash one piece at a time into the maple ginger glaze until well coated, then place on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking tray. 

Roast your sliced and marinated squash slices at 400 degrees until they start to turn golden brown around the edges and fully soften, about 20-25 minutes. 

These squash slices are tasty enough to eat on their own, but I love having them in a salad with a creamy dressing. 

In every salad I make I always try to include plenty of whole food starches. Salads with only watery low-carb vegetables are not satisfying at all and you'll be hungry again an hour later. The key to a good salad is always having at least one starchy vegetable, such as squash or potatoes, and always include a bean or legume of some type, such as chickpeas. Whole grains are also a great option to add in if you have time to cook them or have some leftovers, but for this salad I found that the squash and the chickpeas added just the right amount of starchy filling ingredients, so I left the grains out of this one. 

I made a very simple dressing from raw cashew butter, lemon juice, and more maple syrup. I ripped up the roasted ginger glazed squash into bite size pieces and tossed it with some fresh romaine lettuce, purple cabbage, carrots, green onions, and chickpeas. The result was this super creamy and delicious lunch bowl. 

I hope you find a beautiful kuri squash and try out this autumn recipe! Other squashes like pumpkin or kabocha may also work, but I haven't tested them out yet and cooking times may vary. Full recipe below!

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Maple Ginger Roasted Kuri Squash Salad

Rainbow Hummus Wrap [Vegan, Oil-Free]

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This rainbow hummus wrap is super healthy and so easy to make! I've been working on including more raw veggies in my meals lately and this has been one of my favorite ways to get them in.

You could definitely make this with a store bought hummus to save time, but they tend to contain a lot of oil so I like to make my own. I personally try to avoid oil in my own at home cooking. Plus, it's just not necessary in hummus. This homemade hummus is creamy and delicious enough on it's own. 

I had the idea to try and make a lightly spicy almost cheese-like pimento hummus. I usually make hummus with roasted red pepper, but this didn't seem too far off, and it turned out to be a wonderful (and slightly faster) alternative to roasting red peppers.

Pimentos are those little red things they stuff into green olives. As a kid I used to love green olives, but I hated pimentos so I would always pick them out, but as an adult I can fully appreciate the tangy taste they add to spreads and sauces. You can find pimentos at almost any grocery store in little glass jars near where the jarred olives and peppers are. 

I hope you enjoy the recipe! If you do, leave a comment down below and let me know how it turned out. 

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Rainbow Hummus Wrap

Sweet Potato & Cabbage Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

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Cabbage and sweet potatoes have been the focus of nearly all of my recent recipes, but this salad has taken my enthusiasm for both of them to the next level. Crunchy raw cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper tossed with a creamy miso tahini dressing is the perfect combination. Add in some roasted sweet potatoes and you have a filling meal that almost couldn't get any healthier. 

I've never been that into salads- mainly because of lettuce. It's watery, low in nutrients, and in order to fill up on it I feel like I'd have to eat tons. So I tend to stick to vegetable soups, but raw vegetables have amazing nutritional benefits that I'd be missing out on if I didn't include them in my meal rotations.

Purple cabbage is one of the most nutritionally dense foods you can eat, as are sweet potatoes, so these two foods in the same meal make for an amazingly healthy combination. They are high in antioxidants, fiber, calcium, and many other important vitamins and minerals. 

This miso dressing is completely oil-free, but still so creamy and savory, and it totally changes the cabbage flavor for the better. The raw veggies lose that bitter taste and simply lend their fantastic crunchy texture to the savory flavors of the sauce. 

This recipe is perfect for lunch or as a side salad to be served with dinner. It will serve 2 people for lunch or 4 people as a side dish, and the best part- it's ready in under 30 minutes! 

Recipe below!

Sweet Potato & Cabbage Salad With Miso Tahini Dressing

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Hot & Sour Cabbage Soup

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This hot & sour cabbage soup is one of my favorite new soup recipes. I've never been super enthusiastic about cabbage before, but since throwing this recipe together, I feel completely different about it now. Somehow the combination of sour with spicy fits so well with the purple cabbage and brings out it's best qualities.

Purple cabbage is the healthiest kind of cabbage because it has the most antioxidants. Green cabbage will also work in this recipe, but not carry quite the same nutritional load. Plus the purple color it gives the soup is so pretty!

Recently I've started adding a bit of sauerkraut to this soup along with some of the juices, and that adds to the delicious sour flavor, but if you don't have access to good fresh sauerkraut that comes in a jar in the refrigerated section, feel free to omit it and replace with an extra tablespoon of lime juice. The tofu is also optional. The cabbage and mushrooms are hearty enough that it's not entirely necessary, but it does make the soup more filling. 

This soup recipe was inspired by the Dr. McDougall's hot & sour ramen noodle instant soup. When we were travelling in our trailer across the country, we loved the convenience of having instant soups at rest stops and campsites along the way, but they're not an ideal health food at all. I wanted to make my own version that was full of healthy veggies instead and the result was this delicious cabbage soup.

If you try this recipe, leave a comment down below! 

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Hot & Sour Cabbage Soup