ramyaramesh3007This homemade vegan chorizo can be made in 15 minutes and is smokey, firm with a subtle hint of sweetness. It tastes just like the real thing!
Chorizo is commonly found is Europe (I’ve seen them being sold in several street shops) – it’s a fermented, cured, smoked sausage that has a deep red shade. I have briefly tried it when I visited Prague, Czech Republic but wasn’t a big fan of its appearance and texture. My friend loved it though!
Then, I tried it again in Vienna and I was like wait…that doesn’t taste that bad. So I got creative at home and made it using firm, crumbled up tofu. The secret to getting in firm is to pan fry it until it gets charred and even more firm to amplify the smokey flavour.
I even had a few people ask if this was store bought vegan chorizo – it’s such a foolproof recipe that actually looks and tastes good! Here are the results:
I served it by stuffing some pita pockets with pumpkin hummus, lettuce, mushrooms and vegan chorizo. Then I topped it off with a pumpkin hummus sauce that I made by diluting it with some water.
These are the quintessential seasonings you need:
- smoked paprika – for smokiness
- chili powder – for spice
- light soy sauce – for saltiness
- dark soy sauce – for a deeper colour
- maple syrup – subtle hint of sweetness
- cumin powder – gives it that oomph
- apple cider vinegar – for acidity
- ketchup – also for flavour
- olive oil – for frying
You can simply make this gluten free but substitute the dark and light soy sauce for gluten free versions like tamari and coconut aminos. You may need to add more smoked paprika for a brighter colour.
Vegan Chorizo Pita Pockets
Ingredients
- 200 g firm tofu
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp ketchup
- olive oil
Pita Pockets
- pita pockets
- lettuce
- sauteed mushrooms
- pumpkin hummus
Instructions
- Freeze some tofu, thaw it and drain it with paper towels. Then crumble it up to resemble crumbled sausage.
- Add some olive oil to a pan. Add your crumbled tofu and all the seasonings. Pan fry until somewhat charred and crispy (but not burnt).
- You can use this in pita pockets, wraps or even buddha bowls. You can also use it as a topping for salads and soups!