Recipe: Vegan Tacos

In case you haven't been reading very long or incase you didn't notice, one of my all time favorite meals are tacos (or really-- pizza, but tacos are a close second). Tacos are a magical food item-- there are so many different varieties and ways to prepare them. And as an added bonus: it's kinda difficult to make an awful taco. Once at a restaurant I had a taco with green beans in it... &well, that was pretty bad, but even still, it wasn't the worst thing in the world. A lot of people assume vegans can't eat tacos, because tacos = ground beef, but that's just plain silly. I've actually only ever used the faux ground beef once in a taco.

Here are some vegan options that I personally love to put in my tacos:


Salsa: basic salsa, roasted tomatillo salsa, roasted hot pepper and tomato salsa
Meat Replacements: grilled mushrooms, blackbeans, a mix of: sauteed mushrooms/garlic/onion/peppers/&blackbeans, crumbled tempeh, and the newest one I attempted last night: fried tofu. (This was a hit).
Other toppings: avocado slices, guacamole, raw onion, sauteed onion and peppers, jicama slaw
So what's missing? Well, besides the obvious missing meat.... you're also leaving out the cheese or sour cream. If you are using fresh ingredients and properly seasoning everything, you wont need the dairy. Trust me, it will be beyond delicious. And hey, cutting out the dairy saves you that extra fat and cholesterol (if that matters to you).

Basic Salsa:

Start off with: a few tomatoes. Choose whatever type you'd like (aren't they all delicious anyway?)... I prefer to use plum, cherry, or grape tomatoes. Also: onions. fresh cilantro. &lime (I used more than what's pictured). If you like raw garlic: throw it in there (nom). If you want it spicier: add jalapeno. 

Chop everything.

Mix. Squeeze in lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa:

Peppers, onion, cilantro, tomatillos. This works stovetop or on a grill. Chop onion and cilantro. Roast peppers and tomatillos until charred a bit. You can chop them in half before doing this or leave them whole. I honestly don't know which way works better, they both end up delicious. Once peppers cool: chop and set aside. Puree tomatillos (or chop and mash them up pretty well). Mix peppers, onion, and cilantro with tomatillos. Salt and pepper to taste. Cool and refrigerate until serving time. 

Roasted Hot Pepper and Tomato Salsa: 

Similar to the previous two recipes. Roast peppers, cool, chop. Mix with chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime. Salt and pepper to taste.

Black Beans: 

I like canned. Time permitting I saute diced garlic and onion in a bit of oil before adding in the canned beans. I drain a bit of the liquid first--- &I don't rinse the beans. Add cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and sometimes chili seasoning. Let them simmer over a low heat until a nice consistency. That's it. 

Grilled Mushrooms:

So easy. Clean mushrooms. Either leave whole or chop and half. Toss in bowl with a tiny bit of oil, a lot of salt, chili seasoning, and sweet smoked paprika. Skewer and grill. Once cool enough to handle: chop. That's it!

Veggie Mix With Black Beans:

Chop even amounts of mushrooms, onion, and green or red peppers. Chop as much garlic as you'd like. I like to chop as much garlic as I can peel before wanting to give up and throw the whole thing. I have a garlic addiction and lack patience so this can be up to 6 cloves at a time. Saute all ingredients in a pan with a fair amount of oil. Season well with: chili spice and flake, cumin, oregano, hot paprika, sweet smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Once everything has cooked down a fair amount, add drained and rinsed black beans until well heated. That's it.

Crumbled Tempeh:

I attempted to make Veganomicon's baja-style grilled tempeh tacos. Either, it didn't come out how it was supposed to, or I just didn't like it. I ended up crumbling the tempeh after my attempt, sauteing it more, with a ton of smoked paprika. This helped. My best advice for a tempeh filling would be to boil the tempeh for 10 minutes or so to remove the bitterness. Crumble and saute it in oil with onion and garlic. Add seasonings of your choice. My go to seasonings: smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. What work's even better (if you have the time) is: after boiling, letting it marinade for a few hours before crumbling and sauteing. The marinade used in Veganomicon: 3/4 cups beer (pilsner or ale), 2 cloves crushed garlic (I would use 4 or 5, but that's me), 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, chili powder, and cumin. 

Fried Tofu:

Like garlic? Try this one. Press the tofu for 20 minutes or so. (Drain tofu, wrap in dishtowel, place on plate, put large book or pot on top). While pressing prepare a marinade: oil, veggie stock, chili powder, crushed or small diced garlic (OR BOTH), chili, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, maybe some hot sauce if you'd like. Cube tofu and marinade for as long as you can (the longer the better, but if your hunger kicks in an hour later, then go get em kid!). Pour a generous amount of oil in a pan (I used vegetable oil mixed with coconut oil. Coconut oil is good for you and supposedly great for milk production). Saute diced garlic with chili and smoked paprika. I ended up adding diced peppers too, once I realized I had them). Add in tofu and some of the marinade. Simmer/saute for a long time. This is the tricky part: you want to make sure the tofu browns and doesn't stick to the pan. Be gentile and patient. Once tofu has shrunk a significant amount and is nicely browned it's done. Either drain oil on paper towel or if you're like me and don't own paper towels: indulge in the garlicky grease. 

Guacamole: 

I either keep this very very simple or add a lot of extras depending on how much I already have going on. I love Florida avocados. In season-- they are to die for. Hass avocado's are also incredibly delicious. Just keep in mind: whatever you do, DO NOT BUY 'SLIMCADOS'. They are gross and stupid. You don't need an avocado to have 'half the fat'. Yes, they are high in fat, but it is good fat! Enjoy it! My super easy way to smash the avocado into gauc: slice in half. take out pit (do not slice hand, I've had stitches from this before). With peel still on: make slices to create cubes. Squeeze. Scoop out with spoon. Place in bowl and mash. Always add lime right away, the acidity will help break down the avocado and help keep it from browning.  Add in any or all of the following: onion, cilantro, garlic, tomato, spices.

Jicama Slaw: 

Peel jicama. Slice very very thinly. Toss in bowl with apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and refrigerate for a couple hours. 

There you have it folks: TACOS. I hope I've inspired you (even just a little bit!) to venture out into the delicious world of vegan tacos. I do it a few times a week. They are a healthy and great way to add protein and veggies to your meals. Happy taco-ing <3

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PS. Thank you so much for all the incredibly nice comments! I'm glad you enjoy my home :) Thanks for all the wonderful emails too. You guys rule.