Walnut meat is such a funny term, until you realize that it actually can be a fantastic, filling and delicious substitute for some of our favorite meat products! This particular walnut meat recipe is designed to mimic both a chorizo and an Italian sausage, with notes of flavor from each style of meat. The walnut transforms into something deeply flavorful and almost tender, and the best part is – no food processor required!
You can also make this exact same recipe with crumbled tofu, tempeh or bean curd, so it really is a vegan and vegetarian dream. Walnuts might not be the most obvious choice for a plant-based meat substitute, but this easy, quick and sustainable walnut meat is one of my favorite go-tos for meal prep or if I’m looking to mix up a few of my fat and protein choices in my meals.
Table of contents
What is walnut meat?
Walnut meat is something that I first learned of when watching Tabitha Brown cook. She would make meat substitutes all the time with walnuts, which is something I had never seen before.
Walnut meat is where you essentially soften the walnuts in hot water before chopping them and adding them to a pan with different flavorings and seasonings to mimic certain proteins. Some walnut meat is made with beans as well, and then pulsed in a food processor. For this particular recipe I chose to only use walnuts, and to soften the walnuts gradually in the pan, giving them a rich, meat-like texture, even if they are just nuts.
Ingredients for this walnut meat recipe
So, yes, walnuts are the main ingredient here – but you need a few extra things to really add that flavor! Here is everything this walnut sausage recipe calls for:
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- 8-10 sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cups water
How to prepare the walnut meat
Start by covering the raw walnuts with boiling water and let them sit for 15 minutes to soften. Drain and chop them into pieces no bigger than a lentil. Finely chop the sage and toss together with the walnuts.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste and liquid smoke.
Place a high-sided sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil, the fennel seeds and the caraway seeds. Toast for 2-3 minutes or until the seeds are fragrant.
Add in the walnuts and toast for 3-4 minutes before pouring in the sauce. This will help you get some of that roasted, nutty flavor!
Stir to combine the sauce with the walnuts, then add a 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to a simmer, stirring rarely as the water cooks off. Repeat this 4 times, adding in water and letting it cook off. This is softening the walnuts to a meat-like texture and should take about 18-20 minutes. Try the walnuts every now and then to see how far you are from your desired texture.
Once finished, let any remaining water cook off and turn off the heat. Move the walnut meat to a bowl and serve with ricotta and fried sage on toast, or however you prefer!
Looking for other vegetarian proteins?
Here are a few favorites from the blog!
And that’s it for this walnut meat recipe!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you.
Walnut Meat
Equipment
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 high sided sauté pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- 8-10 sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Cover the raw walnuts with boiling water and let them sit for 15 minutes to soften. Drain and chop them into pieces no bigger than a lentil. Finely chop the sage and toss together with the walnuts.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste and liquid smoke.
- Place a high-sided sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil, the fennel seeds and the caraway seeds. Toast for 2-3 minutes or until the seeds are fragrant.
- Add in the walnuts and toast for 3-4 minutes before pouring in the sauce.
- Stir to combine the sauce with the walnuts, then add a 1/2 cup of water. Bring this to a simmer, stirring rarely as the water cooks off. Repeat this 4 times, adding in water and letting it cook off. This is softening the walnuts to a meat-like texture and should take about 18-20 minutes. Try the walnuts every now and then to see how far you are from your desired texture.
- Once finished, let any remaining water cook off and turn off the heat. Move the walnut meat to a bowl and serve with ricotta and fried sage on toast, or however you prefer!
