Can you guess the secret ingredient in these taco salad bowls? It’s not soyrizo, and it’s not vegan ground meat. It’s pecans! Yep, pecans make a super-tasty nut meat for tacos, and I season mine with chipotle peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. And then, it’s all about the toppings. I load up these Mexican-inspired bowls with avocado, black beans, and fresh corn—and lots of fresh cilantro. One bite of this homemade pecan meat, and you, too, will become a believer. You gotta try it!
Makes 2 bowls
What you need:
2 jarred chipotle peppers in adobo sauce- 1 Medjool date
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1 cup chopped Romaine lettuce
- ½ cup black beans
- 1 avocado, cubed
- ½ cup diced red or yellow bell pepper
- ½ cup fresh corn
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 lime wedges
What you do:
- Into a high-speed blender, add chipotle peppers, date, water, garlic, salt, paprika, chili powder, and cumin. Process until a paste forms. Add pecans, and pulse a few times until mixture resembles taco meat.
- Into two bowls, build taco salads. Add Romaine lettuce, a scoop of pecan meat, and top with black beans, avocado, bell pepper, corn, and cilantro. Finish with a squeeze of lime.
Healthy hints:
>> For an even heartier meal, add a scoop of brown rice when building the salads.
>> Serve with homemade chips! I like to cut corn tortillas into even triangles and bake.
>> For more pecan recipes, try my Mexican Collard Wraps with Creamy Chipotle Sauce (the Creamy Chipotle Sauce would be a great addition to these bowls), Vegan Thanksgiving Bowl (with pecan-crusted kabocha squash), and this to-die-for Ooey Gooey Pecan Pie.