Vegan TVP Tacos
Today we are talking about vegan tacos! When I went vegetarian several years ago, I started filling my tacos with things like black beans, peppers, tomatoes, etc. And it was delicious! Then I learned about vegan ground beef mock meats, and they were a lot of fun but a bit expensive. It wasn’t until I learned about Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) that the real fun began. These TVP tacos are the best of the best.
What is textured vegetable protein?
I won’t lie, Textured Vegetable Protein (aka TVP) looks like cat food. And my first time cooking it left me thinking that it also smells and tastes like cat food. But I swear — when prepared properly, TVP is a perfectly delicious people food.
TVP is a dehydrated soy product that is often used in recipes to replace ground beef. Virtually flavorless, it acts as a magical sponge that absorbs any flavor you desire. It is also high in protein and pretty cheap! You can find it in the areas of the grocery store near the Bob’s Red Mill stuff (my fave brand in the US), in many health food stores, asian supermarkets, or on the internet. In Barcelona, I grab my TVP from Dong Fang!
How do you cook TVP?
All you need to do is bring water or veggie broth to a boil, remove from heat, stir in the TVP, cover with a lid, and let sit about 5 minutes. The TVP will be soft, fluffy, and ready to use in a recipe. Add in lots of spices or sauces and really let the flavors soak in!
For this vegan TVP taco recipe, I use different Mexican spices and salsa to give the TVP a taco meat flavor.
How to make Vegan TVP Tacos
- Rehydrate TVP with Veggie Broth
- Cook Onions and Garlic until soft
- Add TVP and Spices to the pan
- Stir in your Salsa
- Once the mixture is nice and thick, you are done!
A Few Notes
- Please do not rehydrate this with water and eat it plain — you will lose all hope in these underrated protein-packed nuggets. And don’t skimp on the spices!
- This recipe makes about 3.5 cups of taco meat, and is best eaten within 4-5 days. I imagine this would fill around 10-12 small tacos, depending on how full you pack the tortillas.
- I use mild salsa because I’m a baby with heat. This recipe is perfect for heat-sensitive kiddos (and adultos). But feel free to add some extra chili powder or hot sauce to this! Or just use a very spicy salsa 🌶
Want more ideas on how to use TVP? Check out my Vegan Chili Cheese Dogs recipe for some delicious TVP Chili Sauce!
If you make this recipe, leave it a rating and a comment! You can also tag me @Daughter_of_Seitan on Instagram so I can see your lovely food creations. XOXO
Print
Simple Vegan Tacos
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3.5 cups of taco meat 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
These Vegan Tacos are simple, high protein, and take under 30 minutes to make! This TVP taco meat is versatile and tastes great with any toppings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Veggie Broth
- 2 cups Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
- 1/2 small White Onion, diced
- 1/2 cup Salsa of Choice
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup (sub Agave)
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- Fresh Black Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil 2 cups of Veggie Broth. Remove from heat, and add TVP to the pot. Give it a stir, cover with a lid, and let sit for about 5 minutes under the liquid is absorbed. The TVP should be soft and fluffy.
- In a large pan, add a little oil or water and cook the Onions and Garlic over medium heat until soft.
- Add the rehydrated TVP, Soy Sauce, Maple Syrup, Cumin Powder, Oregano, Chili Powder, and Black Pepper to the pan. Cook 5 minutes, stirring well.
- Mix in the Salsa and cook for another 5-10 minutes until any remaining liquid is evaporated.
- Scoop mixture into Tortillas, on a Salad, over Chips, or however you would like! I enjoy this TVP taco meat wrapped in a tortilla with chopped Lettuce, Avocado, Cilantro and a little squeeze of Lime Juice.
Keywords: Vegan Taco, TVP, High Protein, Soy, Simple, Tacos
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3 comments
Hey,
I am eating this dish as I write this review. I know its like bad to eat while watching screens or whatever, but that’s just what I’m doing.
As I started preparation with this dish I turned on a youtube video called “Madlib – Top Secret Bangers” and clocked my serving time just about 22 minutes into the mix. The time estimate above is fairly accurate, and as the title suggests this is a very simple recipe to make. It’s also really delicious as I can attest first hand having eaten it like three times now.
One additional note: I’m not very experienced in the kitchen at all, and its possible that I’m not getting the proportions right, but this dish comes out really spicy for me every time. Like the sweaty, nose running kind. So if you’re not into that I suggest turning the spicy elements down a notch to play it on the safe side.
Thank you for sharing mimi!!!
I’m glad you liked the recipe and found it simple to make! If you want the tacos to be a little less spicy, use a mild salsa and cut back a bit on the chili powder 🙂 It also makes a difference what type of chili powder you use — some chili powders contain a higher concentration of chile peppers, while others are cut with larger amounts of oregano, cumin, etc to lessen the heat.
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