Vegan Soy Chorizo

I like to keep a stash of ingredients for these easy-cook nights in my pantry, and my favorite places to buy them is Trader Joes. I always have jars of curry sauce, bottles of teriyaki marinade, and packages of brown rice pasta on hand.

 Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo

One of my favorite convenience foods from Trader Joe’s is their soy chorizo. I love to make tacos, burrito bowls, and nachos with it, and I’ve been known to throw some into a Tex-Mex tofu scramble too.

While the soy chorizo is convenient, it’s not necessarily the healthiest option, so I decided to recreate it at home. I’ve found that making my own chorizo with tofu doesn’t take much effort, and I love being able to control the ingredients.

Homemade Tofu Soy Chorizo

Trader Joe’s soy chorizo is made with textured vegetable protein. I used to cook with tvp often when I first went vegan, but I haven’t bought it in years. These days, when I want to make something with a meaty, crumbly texture, I use frozen tofu.

Freezing Tofu

Freezing tofu changes its texture, and it makes it easier for the tofu to soak up marinades and sauces. Freeze the tofu while it’s still in the package. Once frozen, allow it to thaw, and then press it the way you normally would to remove any excess water. I have a tofu press, but you can also use a cast-iron skillet or a heavy book.

How to make Homemade Vegan Soy Chorizo 

This recipe is really easy to make. It’s just a matter of sautéing crumbled tofu in a pan along with spices and seasonings, and you can adjust them to suite your tastes. The method is similar to the sofritas recipe I shared a few months ago.

• First you add the garlic and oil to a large pan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
• While  the garlic is cooking, you whisk together the tamari, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar.
• Next you crumble the tofu into the pan and pour the tamari mixture over it. You should stir until the tofu is completely coated.
• Then you add the spices and stir everything to combine it all
• You continue to cook the tofu it is heated throughout and begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes.

Soy chorizo can be used in so many recipes. It can be used in chili, quesadillas, burritos, or just about anything that can use a spicy kick. Be sure to check back next week, when I share my favorite chorizo taco recipe.

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Vegan Soy Chorizo

This spicy vegan soy Chorizo only takes a few minutes to make, and it can be used in tacos, salads, burritos, chili, quesadillas, or whatever strikes your fancy!

This recipe makes about 2 cups of chorizo. I serving is 1/2 cup.

Course Condiment

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword soy chorizo, vegan chorizo

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Yields 4 servings

Calories 117 kcal

Author Dianne

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon neutral-flavored vegetable oil
• ¼ cup tamari
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 14-ounce package extra firm tofu frozen, thawed, pressed, and drained
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon mustard powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Add the garlic and oil to a large pan over medium heat. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
2. While the garlic is cooking, whisk together the tamari, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar.
3. Crumble the tofu into the pan. Pour the tamari mixture into the pan and stir until the tofu is completely coated. Add the spices and stir to combine.
4. Cook until the tofu is heated throughout and begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Serve in tacos, salads, burritos, wraps, quesadillas, or any dish that could use a spicy kick!

 If you enjoyed this vegan Soy Chorizo, you might also like

• Vegan Sofrita’s Burrito Bowl
• Double-Shelled Black-Bean Tacos
• Tex-Mex Scrambled Tofu
• Three Bean Chili