ASIAN INSPIRED TACOS WITH SMOKED TOFU AND MUSHROOM FILLING

I was at the grocery store the other day and came across smoked tofu. The previous week, I had eaten a fantastic salad at a vegan restaurant which used smoked tofu as the protein. As a result, I felt inspired to buy the smoked tofu and to create something unique with it. I have also been on an Asian cuisine kick. Therefore, the combination of influences inspired this dish. Whether you are a vegan or not, this recipe is sure to please. When you combine the tofu with mushrooms, onions, and ground walnuts, the result is a filling that has a similar taste and texture to ground beef. This filling can be utilized in a variety of ways – whether in tacos, in burritos, or to top salads. However, I chose to use this filling in tacos, and BOY, was that a great choice! Here is the recipe I made. I hope you like it as much as I did! If you are looking for more healthy and delicious meals that don’t include meat, I recommend the Delicious Vegetarian Quiche and the Deconstructed Falafel Bowls with Roasted Veggies.

Ingredients: 

Filling:

4 cups Portobello mushrooms, chopped

6 ounces smoked tofu

2 green onions, chopped

2 cups walnuts

Sauce:

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1/2 – 1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Tacos/Toppings:

Guacamole (recipe coming soon)

Quick pickled cucumbers (recipe coming soon)

Shredded cabbage

Shredded carrots

Cilantro, chopped

Sriracha

Directions:

Add the mushrooms, smoked tofu, and green onions to a food processor and pulse until a paste has formed.

Heat one teaspoon high temperature cooking oil (like avocado oil) in a large skillet. Add the mushroom/tofu mixture and cook until heated through (approximately 3-5 minutes), stirring frequently. Set aside.

To the food processor, add the 2 cups of walnuts. Pulse briefly until the walnuts are coarsely chopped. Stir the walnuts into the mushroom/tofu mixture.

To make the sauce: Add all ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and whisk together.

Stir the sauce over the mushroom mixture. Add back to the heat and stir together until everything is well-combined and reheated (approximately 2-3 minutes).

This mixture can be used in place of ground beef in tacos, subs, burritos, or on top of salads. My favorite way to use this particular recipe is in tacos. I have listed some taco toppings that would pair well with the tofu/mushroom mixture, but add whatever you’d like! If you would like to the build the tacos exactly like I did:

To a corn tortilla, add guacamole and add some of the tofu/mushroom mixture. To follow, top with quick pickled cucumbers, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, cilantro, and sriracha. Enjoy!

I certainly hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Even a carnivore is sure to enjoy this vegan taco alternative. For more recipes like this one (plus 100), be sure to pick up a copy of the NEW Traveling Cook Abroad COOKBOOK from Amazon! 25% of all profits go to Autism Speaks, and you’ll also be supporting a small business, of course (yours truly). Bon appetite!