Vegan Mushroom and Tofu Tacos

Before making these tacos, I had never made homemade tortillas. I always assumed it would be difficult and cumbersome, but oh how wrong I was. Making homemade flour tortillas only takes about 30 minutes and is super easy. 

For my tortillas, I adapted King Arthur Flour's tortilla recipe. The only change I made was cutting the dough into ten tortillas rather than eight. This makes each taco a little smaller and more manageable. 

For the filling, I took inspiration from classic Mexican taco spices like smoked paprika and cumin. But instead of using these spices on meat, as many traditional Mexican taco recipes would do, I opted for the vegan pairing of mushrooms and tofu. To finish the tacos off, I added some leafy greens, salsa and green onions. Simple and delicious.

Let me know what you think of the recipe and don't forget to follow the sustainability tips below!

Time: 1 hour

Makes: 10 tacos

Serves: 5-7 people

ingredients

For the tortillas

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 7/8 to 1 cup hot tap water (about 110°F to 120°F)

For the filling

• 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, pressed

• 2 pints mushroom of choice

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoon neutral oil

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 small bunch or about 3 loosely packed cups of leafy greens 

• Salsa of choice

• Finely chopped white or green onion for garnish

Steps

1. Don't forget to press your tofu about 2 hours before starting this recipe. To press the tofu, remove it from its packaging and place it on top of several folded tea towels. Place a few more layered tea towels on top of the tofu block and place something heavy, like a cast-iron skillet or textbook, on top of those towels. Let this sit for about 2 hours. Pressing tofu helps remove excess moisture so that the tofu can more easily absorb flavors and get crispy. 

For the tortillas

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry tortilla ingredients with a fork until well combined. In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine oil and water. 

2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. While whisking with a fork, gradually pour the liquid mixture into the well. Continue stirring with the fork until the dough forms a shaggy mass. 

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured countertop and knead just until the dough forms a smooth ball. If the dough is too dry, add a bit more water. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. 

4. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and flatten it slightly. Cover the dough balls with a damp tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Toward the end of the dough's resting time, preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. 

5. When the skillet is hot and the dough has rested, roll out one ball of dough until it is about 6 inches in diameter. Keep the remaining dough balls covered. Place the rolled-out tortilla in the ungreased pan and let fry for about 30 seconds on each side, or until the dough is speckled brown. Wrap the tortilla in a warm towel to keep it soft while you fry the remaining tortillas. Repeat rolling out, frying and covering with remaining dough balls. 

For the filling

1. Chop the pressed tofu and mushrooms into bite-sized pieces and mince the garlic. In a medium bowl, combine the tofu, mushrooms, garlic, apple cider vinegar, oil, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt, chili powder, cumin and black pepper. Let marinate for about 15 minutes. 

2. Transfer the marinated mixture to a large skillet over medium heat. Saute, stirring only occasionally, until the tofu is warmed through and the mushrooms are cooked to your liking, about 15 minutes. 

Putting it all together

1. To build the tacos, place a small handful of leafy greens on each tortilla, followed by about 1/3 cup of filling. Top each taco with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of salsa and garnish with chopped green or white onions. Dig in!

Sustainability Tips

• Flour: I like to buy King Arthur Flour brand because King Arthur Flour is a B Corp. That means that they're held to a high environmental and social standard. Alternatively, you could find a farmer who grows and mills flour locally. Buying locally can help connect you to your local food system and cut back on the miles your food has to travel.

• Mushrooms and greens: Make sure you're making this when mushrooms and greens are in season (pst! that's spring and fall). This will make it easier to find local and organic mushies and greens. Buying organically and locally cuts down on pesticide contamination and excessive greenhouse gas emissions during travel.