Walnut Picadillo
Picadillo is a dish that spans Latin American and Filipino food cultures with ingredients that vary from country to region. It’s a simple dish that highlights ground meat with bold flavors from tomato, onion, garlic, olives and capers, and is often paired with starches like potatoes and rice for a filling main dish, or even a taco filling. In this plant-based version, ground walnuts take on a meat-like texture that absorbs all the bold flavors of a picadillo. Using a food processor is the best — and fastest — way to make sure the walnuts are evenly minced.
- Total:
- Serves: 6 persons
Ingredients
- 3cups/9 ounces raw walnuts, minced in food processor until finely chopped
- ½cup tomato sauce
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- 1tablespoon liquid aminos, soy sauce or tamari
- 1tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1tablespoon raw turbinado or brown sugar
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ½to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- ⅓cup neutral cooking oil (such as grapeseed)
- ½medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1medium serrano chile, seeded and minced
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 1pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ⅓-inch dice
- ¼cup light beer (optional), such as a Mexican lager
- 1(14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, strained
- ¼cup chopped pitted green olives
- 1tablespoon capers
- Cooked rice and tortillas, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Add the walnuts to a medium bowl with the tomato sauce, tomato paste, liquid aminos, vinegar, paprika, sugar, cumin and salt. Mix until fully combined; set aside.Step 2
Add the oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the peppers are soft.Step 3
Add the serrano chile and garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes.Step 4
Add the potatoes to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes soften slightly, 5 to 8 minutes.Step 5
Add the walnut mixture and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture lightly browns.Step 6
Add the beer (if using), tomatoes, olives and capers, and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes to let the ingredients meld together, stirring frequently.Step 7
Serve over rice with corn tortillas.