Welcome back everyone! Last weekend we hit a Soupologie milestone and reached over 5,000 followers on our Instagram! As a small family business, we can’t thank you all enough for supporting us and helping us to grow. Today is our first recipe since we hit 5,000 followers and I’d like to cook up some celebratory and lightly spiced tacos for Taco Tuesday! In fact, these tacos are so delicious, you might find yourself eating them other days of the week too!
N.B. To celebrate 5,000 followers, we’re running a 20% off Special on all our Souper Boxes. Head over to our webshop to view our range of nutritious, delicious and free-from soups, using discount code: SOUPBOXMAY20
What can I expect from these tacos?
Like many of our recipes, these tacos are extremely versatile and work with whatever you have in your cupboards, pantry, fridge or freezer. I hope you’re ready to indulge on their super crunchy outer layer, accompanied by a soft, cheesy filling! I’ll also be showing you how to fry your own taco shells using shop-bought flour tortillas. Be sure to head over to our Instagram stories to see how I achieve that trademark taco shell. I know how it feels to spend time cooking a lovely meal to then be faced with mountains of dirty pots, pans and spoons (why are there always so many spoons?). So, never fear, as this recipe only needs one large saucepan to do most of the legwork when it comes to cooking the filling and the taco shells. The rest is just assembling a delicious taco and stuffing it in your mouth!
Spicing things up
An aromatic combination of spices that pack a punch are a staple in Mexican cuisine. My spice mix for this recipe, therefore, includes quite a wide variety. I’ve also used sumac in my spice blend. Sumac is a pink, sweet and zesty, almost berry-like spice that is often used in Middle Eastern cooking. I appreciate that due to many differing factors, my spice mix might be different to your chosen spice mix. For example, I am an absolute wuss when it comes to anything spicy, so that’s why I only use a sprinkle of paprika in this recipe – you might like to add chilli powder if that’s your thing. You can even add hot sauce to the vegan mince if you like extra heat. I also realise that I include quite a number of spices in this mix. I’m a bit of a squirrel when it comes to spices as I hoard them like acorns! So, if you don’t have all the spices that’s completely fine.
The main flavour that I think is key to include in this recipe is the curry powder. The curry powder, or ground cumin, plus the lime zest and juice, will create a brilliant aroma and you’ll be just as satisfied.
Variety is the spice of life
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, then why not check out our BBQ Jackfruit Tortillas or our Vegan Paella recipe. As part of our Food Waste Fridays initiative, and to celebrate International Paella day, we’ve also written about spice storage and selection here.
Keep up to date with all of our culinary exploits, nutritional breakdowns, and soup profiles by giving us a follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn and become a Soupologista today!
Now let’s make a start on those tacos!
Vegan Tacos
Equipment
- Small Bowl
- Knife
- Chopping Board
- Large Saucepan
- Tongs
- Kitchen Paper, or similar, to drain the tacos
- Cheese Grater
Ingredients
Taco Filling
- 350 g Vegan Mince defrosted
- 100 g Vegan Cheese grated
- 2 Medium Tomatoes diced (or 200g tinned tomatoes)
- 8 Flour or Corn Tortillas
- 2 Good Handfuls Mixed Leaves
- Zest 1 Lime
- Juice from ½ Lime
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
Spice Mix
- 1 tbsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 tsp Onion Granules
- ¼ tsp Paprika to taste
- ¼ tsp Sumac (optional)
- Salt & Pepper to taste
To serve
- Tahini (optional)
- Juice from ½ Lime (optional)
Instructions
- To begin, let’s create our spice mix. In a small bowl, add the curry powder, ground coriander, garlic powder, onion granules, paprika, sumac (if using), salt & pepper. Combine the spice mix and set aside for later.
- Now, pour about 1cm of vegetable oil into a large saucepan. Ensure that the oil is hot before we start to add in the tortillas. To check that the oil is hot enough, dip the edge of the tortilla into the oil. If it starts to bubble a little, you’re good to go! Please remember to stay vigilant when frying anything in hot oil and never leave a child unattended around the oil.
- Carefully place the tortillainto the saucepan. Use tongs to lightly fry the tortilla for about 10 seconds.Flip over the tortilla and fry the other side for another 10 seconds. Flip backover and repeat the process another 4-5 times until the tortilla turns a verylight golden colour. You might notice some air pockets forming. Gently burstthem using the tongs.
- Once the tortillas are lightly golden and starting to crisp up, use the tongs to fold them in half to create that classic taco shape. Try to carefully baste the inside of the taco with hot oil to ensure they fry all over. Don’t forget you can view this method on our Instagram stories.
- Place the taco shells on kitchen paper, or similar, to absorb any excess oil and crisp up. Repeat this step with the rest of the tortillas.
- Now we’ll make the taco filling.
- Carefully remove ⅔ of the oil from the saucepan and set it back on the hob. Add the vegan mince to the pan and season with 2-3 tablespoons of the spice mix, as well as salt and pepper, to taste. Stir frequently and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the vegan mince has lightly browned.
- Season with the lime zest and add the tomatoes. Stir thoroughly and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, or until the mince and tomatoes have softened.
- Squeeze over the lime juice and cook until the mince has started to break down and become soft.
- Remove the filling from the heat.
- To serve, hold the taco in one hand and layer on the mince. Sprinkle the tacos with some vegan cheese and top with a generous serving of salad. I like to drizzle over some tahini and lime juice for a nutty and zingy kick, but this is optional. Enjoy and thank you again for coming on this journey with us!