Disclaimer: I received free samples of California Walnuts mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by California Walnuts and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Because grocery shopping is challenging right now, my recipe for Mediterranean Walnut Picadillo makes use of pantry items and basic ingredients commonly stocked in most kitchens. 

Plus, this easy savory walnut recipe is plant-based and suitable for a variety of diet types including vegan and gluten-free along with Paleo and Whole30 if you drop the rice it’s served on. Read on to learn how to make a walnut meat alternative and create this tasty dish!

Walnuts play an important role in my healthy lifestyle. A one-ounce serving (about a quarter-cup or handful) is a powerhouse of important nutrients for optimum health and provide 4g protein, 2g fiber, are a good source of magnesium and an excellent source of the plant-based omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)– in fact, walnuts provide more ALA than any other tree nut!

And, as a “fit foodie,” I appreciate the versatility of California Walnuts – I stash them in my gym bag or purse for an on-the-go snack and they add amazing flavor and texture to both sweet and savory recipes. In fact, today’s recipe for Mediterranean Walnut Picadillo shows off how delicious walnuts can be as the “meat” in a plant-based savory recipe.

Traditional picadillo is a traditional Latin American dish, similar to a hash, features ground meat (typically beef or pork, spices) and both piquant and sweet ingredients like olives and raisins. My version offers coarsely ground walnuts as the featured protein. Thanks to the nut itself and the easy preparation, this ground walnut meat dish transforms into a similar mouthfeel and texture to an animal protein but is suitable for vegans or those of us just aiming for more plants and variety in our lives!

Essential to this walnut picadillo recipe is soaking and rinsing the nuts before coarsely chopping in a food processor.  It sounds like a step that could be skipped, but don’t. The 30-minute soak takes away the bitter taste (tannins from the skin) and also leaves the walnut smoother, softer and more buttery . . . and better able to soak up the Mediterranean flavor profile of the walnut picadillo recipe. 

I was inspired to make this nut main course recipe by, literally, what was on hand. I didn’t have the makings for a traditional south-of-the-border picadillo but I did have pantry ingredients to put a Mediterranean spin on it – walnuts, Greek seasoning, kalamata olives, dates! Everything for this plant-based recipe comes shelf-stable from the pantry, which means that this vegan walnut recipe is perfect to make on those days when you THOUGHT you had nothing to make! 

Serve Mediterranean Walnut Picadillo with rice, noodles, in a pita bread . . . or with rice or spiralized vegetables to keep it low-carb and keto-friendly.  A serving of this vegan picadillo has 348 calories, 31g fat (most good fats), 12g net carbs and 7.4g protein.

5 from 12 votes

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Mediterranean Walnut Picadillo

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

A plant-based hash of pantry staples that uses walnuts as the ground "meat" -- vegan, Paleo, Whole30 and low carb.

Course: dinner, entree, lunch

Cuisine: Mediterranean, vietnamese, vegetarian, vegan

Keyword: keto, no meat, paleo, skillet, walnuts

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 346 kcal

Ingredients

• ½ pound raw California walnuts
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose Greek Seasoning like Cavendar’s Greek Seasoning
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1 cup petite-diced tomatoes from can
• ½ cup white cooking wine or water
• 2/3 cup chopped dates or other dried fruit
• 1/3 cup chopped olives of any kind from jar, can or tub
• Optional: fresh mint for garnish I had some in my garden!
• Serving Suggestion: Serve over rice pasta, or riced/spiralized vegetables.

Instructions

1. Add raw walnuts to bowl, cover with cool water and let soak for 30 minutes. Then, drain and rinse and pour out on a clean dish towel to lightly pat dry.

2. Add walnuts to food processor and pulse on/off for approximately 15 seconds, or until coarsely chopped. Do not over process or walnuts will turn into a nut butter.

3. Add coconut oil to large skilled, bring to medium heat. Add walnuts and saute, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until starting to toast.

4. Add garlic, Greek seasoning, paprika, parsley and pepper to skillet and continue to cook another 1 minute to bloom spices.

5. Add canned tomatoes, cooking wine (or water), dates and olives and continue to cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently, for another 4 minutes until heated through and thickened up.

6. Serve as-is, or over rice. Other serving ideas include pasta, alternative pastas, riced vegetables, on pita bread, etc.