The sun is out and like every time the weather gets warmer I am dreaming of tacos in the sun. They are such a fabulous summery dish. This time let me introduce you to my mid-week oven vegan tacos that are very hands off and totally doable on a ‘school night’, I think.
I tend to make them at least once every couple of weeks and they are always met by excited an ‘yay’ from my husband. The beauty of these tacos is that they come together with minimal work from you – the filling gets made in the oven.
To get cracking on these, I mince some mushrooms and tofu in a food processor, finely dice an onion – you could also use a food processor but I am after a fine dice – an then bake them in the oven, together with some tomatoes, spicy chipotle paste, spices and seasonings until everything reduces and gets nicely charred.
While that’s happening I chop up some radishes and marinate them in lime juice to make a quick salsa, open a tub of shop-bought guacamole and warm up a few corn tortillas on my gas stove. That’s a wrap! Everything is done and ready to enjoy. It’s a big hit in my house and I hope it will be in yours too.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
TOFU: Extra firm tofu is the protein source in these oven vegan tacos. I used an already pressed type of tofu, which here in the UK is sold by a brand called Tofoo. It’s brilliant as it comes already pressed so it’s very firm and no extra work is required. I used the smoked variety in 225 g (8oz) pack. If using regular tofu, you will need about 400 g (14 oz) and the cooking time will likely be longer as it contains a lot of extra liquid.
SOY SAUCE: I used all purpose soy sauce to season the tofu and give the sauce depth of flavour. If you are gluten-free, use tamari instead.
DRY SPICES: I amplified the flavour by adding some sweet smoky paprika and cumin to the mix. Mexican oregano (or regular) would be nice, as well as a pinch of cinnamon and a tiny pinch of cloves.
TOMATO PASSATA: I use either a 400 g (14 oz) can of canned plum tomatoes squashed with a potato masher or a 400 g (14 oz) bottle of smooth tomato passata. Either works well.
ONION & GARLIC: A red onion and a couple of fat cloves of garlic are the two aromatics that this sauce is relies on and I don’t think they need any explanation.
CHIPOTLE PASTE: Chipotle paste – made of jalapeno chillies that have been smoked and dried – adds both spiciness and flavour to this dish. Be aware that there are many different brands of chipotle paste and they tend to differ as far as the level of heat is concerned. I recommend starting off with a couple of teaspoons and adding more if you want more oomph – it’s always easier to add than to take away.
LIME: A dash of lime in the sauce adds a welcome burst of acidity and I also use some to quickly pickle my radish slices.
SUGAR: A small amount of maple syrup is needed to balance the sauce out and I use a little bit more to take the mellow the flavours of my quick pickled radishes.
CORN TORTILLAS: I used small corn tortillas to make these, which I singed over my gas burner until the outside was lightly charred and smoky. You can use flour tortillas if you like too, but use corn ones if making these for a gluten-free crowd.
CORIANDER/CILANTRO: Fresh coriander (cilantro in the US) belongs in tacos so it’s a no brainer. I added a large handful to the tacos and a some more to the pickled radishes.
GUACAMOLE: You can of course, make your own guacamole by smashing a ripe avocado with some lime juice and salt and pepper, plus perhaps a touch of spring onion and coriander, but I use shop bought one for speed and convenience – fresh avocadoes can be temperamental.
RADISHES: Thinly sliced radishes, pickled in lime juice add freshness and a crunchy element to these vegan tacos. If you prefer you could make a quick salsa (known as pico de gallo) with sweet cherry toms instead.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) MINCE THE MUSHROOMS
Slice mushrooms roughly and place in a food processor. Pulse them until fairly well minced using the pulse function, but be careful not to overprocess. Empty the food processor and mince the tofu.
2) BAKE ONION AND MUSHROOMS
Combine finely diced onion and minced mushrooms with 2 tbsp of olive oil in a baking dish. Season with a generous pinch of salt, stir well and bake in a 210° C / 410° F oven for about 30 minutes.
3) ADD THE REST AND BAKE SOME MORE
Once the mushrooms have cooked down, add the rest of the ingredients: minced tofu, tomatoes, chipotle paste, grated garlic, spices, soy sauce, lime juice and sugar. Return to the oven and bake until all excess moisture has evaporated and the mixture resembles quite dry mince. You can bake it for less if you prefer it saucier. I baked mince for further 45 minutes (1 hr 15 min in total) and the texture is exactly how I like it – not too sloppy but not dry either, but if you used unpressed tofu may need to bake it for longer to achieve the same result.
4) MAKE THE SALSA
While the mince is in the oven make a quick, radish salsa. Cut radishes into thin matchsticks, marinate in lime juice (lime zest is also a nice addition), combine with finely sliced spring onion (or two if you like more of a kick), chopped coriander and season to taste.
4) ASSEMBLE
Singe each corn tortilla directly on the gas burner or on a pre-heated cast iron pan. Don’t go overboard though as it will make tortillas tough. Fill each tortilla with vegan mince, top with guacamole, radish salsa and a generous sprinkling of coriander.
VEGAN “MINCE”
- 2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 300 g / 10.5 oz mushrooms* (I used chestnut / cremini mushroom)
- 225 g / 8 oz smoked Tofoo tofu OR 400 g / 14 oz smoked tofu*
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- spices: 1½ tsp cumin, 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 2-3 tsp chipotle paste, adjust to taste*
- 400 g / 14 oz tomato passata or canned plum tomatoes
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp all purpose soy sauce or tamari
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp lime juice
- 5 ml / 1 tsp sugar or maple syrup
REMAINING INGREDIENTS
- 200 g / 7 oz radishes
- small bunch of coriander / cilantro
- 1-2 spring onions / scallions
- salt and pepper
- 1-2 limes
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 10 corn tortillas
VEGAN “MINCE”
- Set the oven to 210° C / 410° F (or 190° C / 375° F with a fan) and grab a lasagne sized baking dish.
- Slice cleaned mushrooms thickly and place them in a food processor. Pulse 10 times or so until minced small but not overly so.
- Toss processed mushrooms (set the food processor aside) with finely sliced onion and 2 tbsp of olive oil in the baking dish. Season with a couple of pinches of salt and bake for 30 minutes.
- Place tofu in the food processor and mince using the pulse function.
- Add minced tofu, passata (if using canned tomatoes squash them with potato masher first!), grated garlic cloves, spices, chipotle paste, soy sauce, lime juice and sugar to the dish. Mix well and return to the oven. Bake until the filling has the texture of mince – for me it was 45 minutes but it depends what tofu use used – tofu that typically requires pressing will need longer in the oven. Give everything a stir every 15 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.
REMAINING INGREDIENTS
- While the filling is baking, combine 3 tbsp of lime juice and 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl.
- Cut radishes into matchsticks and add them to the diluted lime juice and massage with your hands. Allow them to stand for 10-15 minutes, then season with salt, pepper and maple syrup to taste. Chop a handful of coriander and slice a spring onion finely and add it in too.
ASSEMBLY
- If you have a gas hob, place each tortilla directly on the hob for a few seconds on each side to warm up and char lightly – while it’s tempting to give them a deep char, they become tough if you do so be mindful of that. Alternatively, heat them up in a well seasoned cast iron skillet.
- Fill each tortilla with a generous amount of vegan “mince”, top with pickled radishes, a generous dollop of guacamole and chopped coriander.
*TOFU: I used an already pressed tofu (UK brand Tofoo) for this recipe – I used 225 g / 8 oz block. If you don’t have that kind of tofu at your disposal, use a 400 g / 14 oz block of regular extra firm or firm tofu. You don’t need to press but the baking time may need to be extended.
*CHIPOTLE PASTE: I find that the level of heat varies between brands so thread carefully. Start off with a a couple of teaspoons and add more if needed. I used Luchito brand, which I find quite spicy.