“These are not tacos,” was the first thought that came to mind after reading the title. To be honest, I thought the same thing when I first ordered off of a menu similar. However, this is not meant to judge, and I understand that there are many different ways out there to enjoy food. You don’t have to be vegan to go a day or two without eating meat. Everyday meals don’t have to be from an animal product or saturated fats, you should allow your stomach to rest once in a while.
Yes, being vegan is hard. Not eating any type of meat is very difficult in comparison to vegetarians, who do eat animal-origin products like milk, eggs, honey, etc. It’s not easy, but it’s also not impossible or even an extreme sacrifice. Maybe it’s a good choice for various motives, or just for a better-balanced diet, everyone has their own reasons. So, why not try it?
Besides cheaper options, you will also find alternatives to the typical Mexican tacos. You don’t need to give up your favorite meals, if you are looking to modify your diet. Tacos are already easy to make, now imagine these recipes that were intentionally created to combine colors, textures, and scents. Besides feeding your senses, it will make you look like a total pro in the kitchen.
Jackfruit Tacos
2 cans of green jackfruit (in vinegar, not syrup) fully drenched, and sliced into strips without seeds
1 tablespoon smoked chipotle
1 tablespoon of chilli pepper
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
2 tablespoons of cumin
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of dried cilantro and 3 branches of fresh cilantro, sliced
Orange juice and pulp
1/4 cup of brown organic sugar
1 tbsp of salt
2-3 tablespoons of organic virgin unrefined coconut oil
Mix all ingredients, except the coconut oil, in a large bowl. If you are not able to find the smoked chipotle or paprika, add a pinch of mesquite, you should be able to find it in any grocery store.
Place the coconut oil into a slow cooker, making sure that all the edges are fully covered.
Mix the jackfruit, and start cooking on high heat, stirring every two hours until it’s somewhat toasted and dried (to create a texture; this should be done for 6 to 8 hours.
Serve with some corn tortillas and with any other spice of your choice.
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Stewed mushroom tacos
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 diced large red onion
1 sliced seedless poblano pepper or a green bell pepper
500g of diced cremini mushrooms
1/3 cup of water
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of yeast
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon of onion powder
1/4 tablespoon of Mexican dried and crushed oregano
1/4 tablespoon of paprika
1/4 tablespoon of cumin
1/4 tablespoon of black pepper
1/4 cup of fresh and sliced cilantro
1 jalapeño without any seeds and finely sliced (optional)
1 tablespoon of vegan margarine
Warm tortillas
Salt to taste
3 spoons of purple or white shredded cabbage (or a mix of both)
1 tablespoon of Veganaise or any other vegan mayonnaise
Pepper to taste
Heat the canola oil in a frying pan at medium heat and add the onion and poblano peppers. Cook for 3 minutes.
At high heat, add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Lower the medium-high heat and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are golden and have released all of their liquid.
Mix the water, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of yeast, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, Mexican oregano, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and stir.
Add the cilantro to the mushrooms, the jalapeño, the vegan margarine, and the soy sauce mix. Use low heat and cook until the majority of the liquid has evaporated, season with salt.
In a medium bowl, mix the shredded cabbage, vegan mayonnaise, the rest of the lime juice, and baking powder. Using a spoon or fork, carefully pour all the ingredients, season with salt and pepper.
To serve the tacos, heat the tortillas, and fill each one with 3-4 tablespoons of the mushroom filling. Spice them up with some shredded cabbage and any other ingredient like guacamole, and enjoy.
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Cauliflower chipotle tacos
1 sliced cauliflower
2 tablespoons of oil
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 tablespoon of chipotle powder
1/2 tablespoon of chilli powder
1/2 tablespoon of salt
1/2 tablespoon of garlic powder
For the salad:
4 large carrots
¼ purple cabbage
¼ cup of Veganaise
½ teaspoon of chilli powder
½ teaspoon of salt
11/2 tablespoons of lime juice
Corn tortillas
Cilantro (optional)
Pre-heat the oven at 250ºC.
In a large bowl, mix the oil, lime juice, chipotle, salt, and garlic powder. When it’s fully mixed, add the cauliflower and stir with the mix.
Place the cauliflower pieces on a large tray with a baking sheet. Make sure to set the large pieces on the edges and try not to put any on top of each other.
Bake for 20 minutes and check-in between to see if the middle that’s facing down looks crisp and gold, and turn.
In the meantime, shred the carrots and the cabbage using a food processor. Also, mix all the ingredients for the chipotle mayonnaise, when it’s ready, add it to the shredded vegetables.
Once it’s ready to serve, place the cauliflower on a warm corn tortilla and on top of that, the salad.
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Potato tacos
2-3 cups of mashed potatoes or instant vegan puree.
3 minced garlic
1/2 sliced onion
1 can of green bell peppers (diced)
1 tablespoon of chilli powder and some to sprinkle over the tortillas
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
1 pinch of cayenne powder
1 tablespoon of green salsa (as hot as you please)
6 soft corn tortillas
2 tablespoons of oil and a bit more to use for frying
Lettuce, tomatoes, vegan cheese, or any other ingredient you wish to use
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil on a frying pan at medium-high heat.
Add the garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Let it sauté until the onion is soft, and then add green salsa, and let that sauté for 2 minutes.
Heat the mashed potatoes in the microwave, and then add the mixture of onions. Taste, and add the necessary spices to your liking.
Add 1/2 inch of oil into the same pan that was used to sauté the onions and heat at medium-high temperature. Using some tweezers, carefully add the tortilla into the oil and fold it in half, avoid letting the sides touch one other. When it’s crisp from one side, turn it over and do the same for the other.
Place it over a napkin on a plate and sprinkle the chilli powder. Repeat the same process for the rest of the tortillas.
Fill the fried tortilla with the potato mix and place it over some lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, and more salsa.
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Tempeh tacos with tequila
1 pack of shredded Tempeh soy (try Lightlife)
1 tablespoon of plain oil (safflower or refined coconut)
1/2 white medium-sized onion finely sliced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 diced red b
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of tequila
1 1/2n tablespoon brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons of coffee soy creamer (try Wildwood)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
8-10 mini-tortillas (organic corn)
1/4 shredded white and purple cabbage
1 small diced tomato
1/4 cup of vegan sour cream (optional)
Add 1 inch of water to a pot that can fit 6 quarts, and place it inside a vaporizer basket. Cook at low heat with the lid on. Steam the tempeh soy for 5-7 minutes. Once it’s a bit cool, cut it into pieces and then set it apart. Heat up a pan and add oil, sauté the onion, garlic, and red bell pepper until they are soft, this should take about 4-5 minutes. Add the tempeh, and the 1/3 cup of tequila, brown rice syrup, lime juice, soy coffee creamer, sea salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon. Cook until it’s golden for approximately 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Add the rest of the tequila in the last 2 minutes of the cooking time.
Remove from heat.
For the tacos, place the temple mix on the tortillas. Decorate them with cabbage, tomato, and vegan sour cream.
Gardein fish tacos
1 pack of Gardein fish filet
1 tablespoon of vegan margarine
4 medium-sized soft tortillas
1/4 cup of Veganaise or any other vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup of guacamole or avocado slices
1/4 cup of diced red onions
1/3 cup of sliced cilantro
1 sliced jalapeño (optional)
1/2 slice red or orange bell pepper (optional)
Juice of half a lime
1/2 cup of salsa (optional)
1/2 of vegan sour cream (optional)
Cook the filets according to the instructions in the packaging.
Melt the vegan margarine in a pan and medium heat, place a soft tortilla, and heat until it’s slightly golden. Remove it from the pan, use 1 tablespoon of vegan mayonnaise, and 1 tablespoon of guacamole to spread on the tortilla.
Cut the fish into strips and place 3 of them on the tortilla. Decorate your taco with a bit of red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, bell pepper, and finally some lime juice.
Repeat the same process for the rest of the tortillas.
Serve with some salsa and/or vegan sour cream.
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Squash tacos
1 medium butternut squash
1 cooked potato (diced into large pieces)
1 1/2 tablespoons of your favorite vegan pesto
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of chilli flakes
1 cup of shredded steamed cabbage
6 corn tortillas
2 cups of raw cashew nuts, soaked for 24 hours
1 jalapeño diced into large pieces
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup of lime juice
1/2 cup of water
1/2 tablespoon of guajillo chilli powder
3 garlic cloves
Preheat the oven at 350°C. Slice the squash from the head down, and remove the seeds. Place it on a baking tray and bake for an hour and a half or until it softens up.
With a spoon, remove the cooked pulp, and place it on a large bowl. Add the pesto, cumin, black paper, chilli flakes, and stir.
Mix the potato and give it a slight stir.
To make the cheese, add the cashew nuts, red chilli flakes, pepper, salt, jalapeño, guajillo chilli, onion, lime juice, and water to the yeast into a blender until it’s soft.
Heat the tortillas on a pan with a bit of olive oil.
In another pan, spray some olive oil and heat the filling.
Remove all the ingredients from the stove, place the filling, and the shredded cabbage on the tortillas. Finally, add some nacho cheese to the tacos.
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Pork rind soy tacos
8 soy tarts
3.5 oz of hot peppers or adobo
8 green tomatoes
3 minced garlic cloves
1/8 cups of olive oil
4 Laurus leafs
1/2 diced onions
4 tablespoons of sliced cilantro
4 limes cut in half
Rinse the soy tarts with warm water and drench. After doing so, boil them with enough water to cover them for 15 minutes, along with the laurel leaves and 2 minced garlic cloves. Remove the onion and the leaves, drench the soy until the water is completely removed, and cut them into small pieces.
Heat the soy in a pan at medium heat for 15 minutes until they are crisp and change into a golden color, season them with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Open the peppers and cut them in half to remove the veins.
Grill the green tomatoes, half of an onion, and the garlic, along with 2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Place the ingredients, (without water) in a blender and blend well. In a pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sauté the ingredients. Use vegetable seasoning to taste, add little by little until you reach the taste you want.
Add the golden soy to the sauce and mix well.
Serve with tacos, onions, cilantro, and if you wish, some drops of lime juice.
For either, culinary, political, or environmental causes you can keep trying. You can stop consuming meat, it literally doesn’t kill.
“The assumption that animals have no rights, and the illusion that the way we treat them has no moral importance, is a clear example of the barbarism and cruelty of the West. Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.”
Arthur Schopenhauer
