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Flatlay of four vegan tacos with soy curls and mango salsa on wooden table.
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Ultimate Vegan Tacos

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings: 8 big tacos
Calories: 209kcal
Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (480 mL) water
  • 2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon “no chicken” base (see Note 1 for sub)
  • 4 ounces (114g) soy curls (see Note 2)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce), divided
  • 2 tablespoons (16g ) cornstarch (see Note 3 for sub)
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 3 ½ tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil, divided
  • 8 flour tortillas (or corn tortillas) (6 to 7” diameter / 15 to 17 cm)

Taco Seasoning (see Note 4)

  • 1 ½ teaspoons ancho (or regular) chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle chile flakes
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon organic brown sugar

For serving

  • Simple Guacamole (see next recipe card)
  • Mango Avocado Salsa (or salsa of choice such as pico de gallo)
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Heat the water and Better Than Bouillon in a medium saucepan until barely simmering, whisking to dissolve the BTB. Or, heat in the microwave until very warm.
  • If there are a lot of dusty soy curls crumbs, strain those in a fine-mesh sieve, then measure them out.
  • Soak the soy curls: Add the soy curls to the hot broth and push down to submerge. Remove the pan from the burner. Soak for 10 minutes, stirring a few times throughout. Drain the soy curls in a colander and let cool off a bit.
    While they soak, make the Simple Guacamole (and/or salsa of choice).
  • Squeeze out the liquid (once they’re no longer super hot): Take one handful of soy curls and cup them between both hands. Positioned over the sink or a bowl, give one firm and long squeeze until the broth goes from a steady stream to droplets. Set aside on a cutting board and repeat. You should have squeezed out a fair amount of liquid (~heaping ⅓ cup or 90 mL).
  • Slice the thicker soy curl pieces lengthwise so they’re ~ ¼” wide / 6 mm (or just roughly chop them), as this helps the soy curls crisp up more and cook evenly.
    Note: If short on time, skip this step.
  • Batter the soy curls: To the soy curls in the bowl, add ½ tablespoon of tamari, then toss with your hands or a silicone spatula. Add another ½ tablespoon tamari and toss again. Add the last ½ tablespoon of tamari and toss well. Then, add the cornstarch and several cracks of pepper and toss again until well-coated.
  • Pan fry the soy curls: Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil for 2 minutes. Once shimmering, add the soy curls and stir to coat in the oil. Stir every 2 minutes, stirring closer to every 90 seconds toward the end of cooking, until browned and crisp on the outside, for a total of 10 to 12 minutes.
  • While the soy curls are cooking, temper the Taco Seasoning.
    Mix together all the ingredients for the Taco Seasoning in a small bowl. Heat your smallest saucepan over medium heat with 1 ½ tablespoons of oil.
    After a minute or two, or once shimmering, add the Taco Seasoning. Stir almost constantly for 30 seconds, or until very aromatic. Immediately take off the heat and pour into a medium bowl to cool slightly.
  • Once the soy curls are done pan-frying, transfer to the bowl with the tempered Taco Seasoning and toss to coat the soy curls. Taste, adding a pinch of salt as needed.
  • Warm the tortillas: Heat your frying pan over medium heat for a few minutes. Add a couple tortillas and heat until warm and they puff up a bit; repeat. Or, simply warm in the microwave.
  • Assemble: Spread some Simple Guacamole onto each tortilla: top with seasoned soy curls, and salsa of choice (using a slotted spoon if there’s a lot of liquid). Serve with lime wedges to squeeze on top.

Video

Notes

  1. If not using Better than Bouillon, replace it and the water with 2 cups (480 mL) good-quality vegetable broth.
  2. Sold online via the Butler Foods website or Amazon. Or use Butler Foods Where To Buy tab to find outlets near you.
  3. If you want to use arrowroot powder, the pieces will stick together. you’ll need to use a thin spatula to separate the pieces before they’re done cooking.
  4. If using store-bought taco seasoning and it contains salt, use 1 TBSP tamari instead of 1 ½ TBSP.