Healthy Walnut Recipes

Fake out your meat-loving family and friends with this fast plant-based taco dinner recipe. Ground toasted nuts and chopped sautéed celeriac yield a texture similar to ground beef, then classic taco seasoning does the rest. If you want a little heat, sprinkle these healthy vegetarian tacos with some minced jalapeño.

Roasted plums and creamy custard combine in this stunning plum tart recipe. A walnut crust adds nutty flavor to complete this seasonal dessert.

Homemade raspberry dressing? You bet. Prep it a day ahead and this easy salmon salad will come together in no time.

Circassian cooking is from the North Caucasus, which was at different times part of the Ottoman and Persian empires. This chicken stew recipe is made with a creamy walnut sauce and was originally served as a main dish, but became a mezze somewhere along the way. Serve at room temp along with some bread for dipping.

Tender-crisp green beans tossed with creamy blue cheese and topped with toasted walnuts pair well with grilled steak or chicken.

Basil is the backbone of this vibrant no-cook basil-walnut pesto sauce. Toss in some leftover roast chicken or pork with these zucchini noodles for a heartier meal.

Diced sweet potato, bell peppers and apples make a vegan stuffing inspired by the flavors of sausage. To add that savory flavor, we use poultry seasoning (don't worry, there's no actual poultry in it!). Piled into portobello mushroom caps, it creates a beautiful and filling plant-based main dish--perfect for the holidays.

Sticking to its food-waste mission, L.A. Kitchen created this dessert to work with almost any fruit you have on hand. We've done it here with pears and apples, but you can use berries or even tropical fruits instead. The addition of dried fruit adds a concentrated hit of flavor you won't get from fresh alone.

A savory blend of walnuts and mushrooms stands in for meat in these tasty vegan Tex-Mex tacos. Creamy avocado sauce and crunchy cabbage provide just the right combination of flavors and textures. These tacos get a nice kick from chili powder, but feel free to reduce the amount if you prefer a less spicy taco. Add a side of beans to round out the meal. The filling and avocado cream would also be great in a rice bowl, on nachos or in a burrito.

Zucchini bread gets an added burst of flavor with shredded orange peel, toasted walnuts, and chocolate chips. The recipe makes 2 loaves, so it makes a sweet little gift.

A handful of walnuts and a potassium-rich banana go a long way as a snack. It's the perfect mix of carbohydrates and heart-healthy fats to keep you energized.

This salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. In 2004, Deborah Madison waxed poetic about winter ingredients, particularly nuts. “In the chill air of winter, nuts move up to center stage as do their warming, substantial, golden oils--so good with winter salad greens and vegetables, such as shaved fennel, all of which are likely to end up in a salad together,” she says. Madison suggested using a mix of lettuces that balance each other here--a mild, tender variety, such as Boston, with a more intense and sturdy green, such as escarole, for instance.

These hearty veggie burgers have a touch of grated red beet as a nod to beef. Pile on your favorite toppings or skip the bun and serve with a big salad.

Wheat berries have amazing texture—they practically pop in your mouth like caviar—and each 1/2-cup serving of cooked wheat berries has more than 4 grams of fiber. Since they take up to an hour to get tender, make them in a large batch and freeze whatever you don't use right away in individual servings. (You can do the same thing with any whole grain!) That way, you can easily stir them into soup, season them with citrus and herbs for a pilaf or make them the base of a satisfying grain salad.

You may not typically serve your cucumbers bruised, but intentionally smashing them releases their flavorful juices. Taking the time to soak the walnuts for this dish gives them a special soft texture and plumpness. Serve this vegetable dish with pita as part of a mezze platter or as a side salad.

The rich, nutty flavor of brown butter complements the delicate, briny crab in this recipe from The Dabney.

This broiled broccolini recipe is the answer when you're looking for a quick vegetable side dish. Broccolini is a bit sweeter and more tender than broccoli, and tastes delicious when broiled quickly and topped with chopped walnuts.

This vegan coffee cake with cinnamon streusel is subtly sweet, with a nutty streusel spiked with just enough spice and walnuts. Whip up this dairy- and egg-free cake for your next brunch to satisfy vegans and non-vegans alike!

This creamy vegan mushroom soup is thickened with walnuts, which give the soup a creamy texture--no cream required! Add sautéed mushrooms and walnuts on top for garnish and a little crunch, and a scattering of fresh chives for even more flavor.

This syrup-soaked walnut cake—a traditional Greek dessert that's often served for holidays—gets its structure from breadcrumbs instead of flour. It's delicious unadorned, but feel free to top it with unsweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or warm chocolate sauce for an extra layer of decadence.

These cute mini pizzas are topped with asparagus, walnuts, mint, orange and smoked mozzarella cheese for what may sound like a crazy combination of pizza toppings, but try it for yourself. The mix puts a downright delicious spin on pizza night.

Baklava is a delicious, flaky dessert that is well worth the time to make. This recipe makes a big batch, but the two-bite pieces freeze like a dream.

This carrot cake recipe features cream cheese frosting with a twist. The addition of miso balances the sweetness of the frosting while adding a punch of umami flavor.

This protein-packed healthy breakfast recipe gets a touch of sweetness from apple and crunch from walnuts. Feel free to pick your favorite fruit (try berries or pears) and nuts (maybe almonds or pistachios) to personalize your healthy oatmeal.