Raw Taco Salad, Spiced Walnut Meat and Guacamole

A taco night, in a fresh and crunchy version: generous shredded lettuce, a well-seasoned walnut meat, a creamy guacamole, a bright pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime to finish. The whole thing tastes rich while staying entirely plant-based and raw. The walnut meat is the star: walnut halves soaked for four to six hours, then pulsed in a food processor with dehydrated onion, chili powder, cumin, oregano and a pinch of cayenne, until they break down into a crumbly, grainy texture. Soaking is what makes the difference, both for digestibility and for how the walnuts fall apart: once soaked, they crumble instead of clumping together. The guacamole and pico de gallo are each made separately, very simply, and only meet at assembly, which keeps each one's flavor clean and distinct. None of this needs any special equipment beyond a food processor and a good knife, and each component can be made a little ahead of time, except the avocado, which is best mashed at the last moment.

Ingredients

For the base

• 1 large head of lettuce, shredded
• 1 lime

For the walnut meat

• 2 cups walnut halves, soaked 4 to 6 hours
• 1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A pinch of cayenne pepper

For the guacamole

• 2 small, ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 3 tablespoons diced red onion
• Juice of half a lime
• Salt

For the pico de gallo

• 2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• Salt

Method

1. Shred the lettuce and spread it out as a bed on serving plates or bowls.
2. For the walnut meat, pulse the soaked walnuts in a food processor with the dehydrated onion, chili, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne, until you get a crumbly, grainy texture.
3. For the guacamole, mash the avocados with the diced tomato, red onion, lime juice and salt.
4. For the pico de gallo, mix the diced tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, citrus juice, jalapeño and salt.
5. Assemble the salad by topping the lettuce with walnut meat, guacamole and pico de gallo, then finish with a fresh squeeze of lime.

Tip

Don't run the food processor continuously: a few short pulses are enough, otherwise the walnuts release their oil and the mixture turns into a paste instead of staying crumbly. The walnut meat and pico de gallo can be made several hours ahead without any issue; the guacamole, though, is best mashed at the last moment.

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