I decided to revamp my Vegan Mushroom & Walnut Ground Round to give you a TVP taco recipe! My original ground round is deliciously savoury and meaty as is but adding TVP gives the recipe even more protein and "meaty" texture. I also developed a stovetop preparation to make this TVP taco "meat" even quicker!
Ready in 25 minutes or less
Full of flavour
Chewy "meaty" texture
And it's thrifty too!
Ingredients For This TVP Taco Recipe
This TVP taco "meat" recipe is made from less than 10 ingredients. You likely have most of these in your kitchen already except for maybe the TVP.
If you are new to using TVP you can check out this Healthline article "What Is TVP?". It explains that although it is called "textured vegetable protein" it is most commonly made from soy. The dehydrated nuggets are made up of "defatted soy" and are a by product of making soybean oil. It is a popular vegetarian meat-substitute that is high in protein, a good source of fibre, and is a cost effective meat alternative.
In addition to the TVP you will need:
- Red onion
- Mushrooms
- Walnuts
- Tamari or soy sauce
- Vegan worcestershire sauce (or more tamari)
- Ground cumin
- Smoked paprika
For a nut-free taco "meat" you can use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for the same savoury flavour and healthy fats. Alternatively, you can pack in more veggies. I think grated carrot or zucchinni would be nice additions.
Method
My original Mushroom Walnut Ground Round recipe was made in the oven. While revamping it however, I have developed a quicker stovetop method as well. I have included instructions for both methods in the recipe card below.
The first step, regardless of the cooking method, is to rehydrate the TVP. All that is required is to pour boiling water over the TVP and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. To this boiling water I add one tablespoon tamari or soy sauce for a bit more flavour.
While the TVP is rehydrating I finely chop the rest of the ingredients using my food processor. You can chop everything by hand of course but I find that the food processor makes quicker work of the prep.
For the stovetop method, I sauté the red onion and then add the mushrooms and allow those to cook for 5 minutes. Then I add the ground walnuts, rehydrated TVP, and spices. Everything cooks together for about 10 minutes until nicely browned and it's ready to serve!
For the oven baked method, I mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and then spread them on a parchment lined sheet pan. The mixture bakes at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. I stir the mixture at the 20 minute mark to encourage even browning.
Recipe Cost For TVP Taco "Meat"
Even with the addition of the TVP to my original ground round recipe, this TVP taco recipe is still quite thrifty.
This recipe makes 500 grams (so just over 1 pound) of taco "meat" and costs me roughly $4.15 Canadian. If I were to by ground beef from my wholesale store my cost would be around $4.50 for an equivalent amount.
However, if I were to buy the same amount of ground beef from my local grocery store my cost would be around $10. Similarly, plant-based ground round options would mostly cost me a little over $10 per pound.
Let me know in the comments below if you try this TVP taco recipe and how you like it! Remember to leave a 5 star review if you loved this one and use your leftover TVP for my Vegan TVP & Red Lentil Meatballs!
Print
TVP Taco "Meat" with Mushroom & Walnut
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 500 g 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Make this "meaty" TVP taco recipe bursting with savoury flavour, protein, and fibre. Find both stovetop & oven baked instructions here!
Ingredients
To Rehydrate The TVP
- 1 cup TVP* (95 g)
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoon boiling water (or the ratio your package suggests)
- 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
Remaining Ingredients
- ½ medium red onion (about ½ cup)
- 250 g cremini mushrooms (or mushrooms of choice)*
- ½ cup walnuts (50g, see notes for nut-free options)
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce (or an additional tablespoon tamari)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground smoked paprika
- Pinch salt & pepper
*Ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
*This TVP taco "meat" can be made on the stovetop or baked. If baking, preheat your oven to 350 F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Start by rehydrating the TVP in a medium heat proof bowl. Pour boiling water over the TVP and stir in 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce. Let stand for 5 minutes to rehydrate.
For the stovetop method:
- Heat a large frying pan over medium low heat and add a drizzle of olive oil, water or broth. Finely chop the red onion or use a food processor to quickly mince it down. Add the minced red onion to the hot pan, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Meanwhile, chop or process the mushrooms into small pieces and add to the red onion. Lightly season the mushrooms with salt and cook for 5 minutes.
- Finally, chop or grind the walnuts into a crumble and once the mushrooms have let out their liquid add the walnuts to the mushroom and onion mixture.
Add the rehydrated TVP, tamari, vegan worcestershire, cumin, and smoked paprika. Stir together and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. To encourage browning, spread the mixture evenly in the pan and let it cook, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes at a time. Then stir and repeat until the mixture has dried out a little bit and browned.
For the baked method:
- In a large bowl, combine the minced onion, chopped mushrooms, and ground walnuts. (I like to process each of these separately in my food processor to optimize the texture of each. Otherwise, the walnuts can become a paste and the mushrooms can be too chunky).
- Stir the rehydrated TVP and remaining seasonings into the mixture.
- Spread the mixture on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake at 350 F for 30 - 35 minutes stirring after the 20 minute mark.
*Serve as tacos with my vegan queso, salsa fresca, pickled red onion, and chopped greens. Use up any leftovers on my taco mac and cheese or an epic nacho tray!
Notes
Approximate Cost: $4.15 Canadian for 500 grams vs. around $4.50 for the same amount of ground beef from my wholesale store and upwards of $10 for ground beef at my local grocery store. Plant-based ground beef options would cost me upwards of $10 at my local grocery store.
For a nut-free version use ground sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts. Alternatively, add more vegetables into the mixture like some grated carrot or zucchini (the flavour will be slightly less savoury but still delicious).
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked or Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
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