I've been meaning to write this recipe up for over a year now. It is fairly labour intensive. It was also incredibly delicious. Definitely a keeper!

The author notes that they wanted to come up with a vegan chorizo "for omnivores", something that was as good as the meat-based version, something that nailed the flavour and gave textural variety just like the original. The texture is great. It cooks up beautifully. And, what's more, I think the flavour is better than any meat-based chorizo I've ever had. This isn't just an adequate vegan option, or even a tasty one. I actually prefer it over any other chorizo out there (including the meat-based ones)!

Vegan Chorizo

Slightly adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 350g extra-firm tofu, frozen
• 1 fresh poblano pepper
• 1 c. dried Puy/French lentils, cooked and drained
• 1 dried Guajillo (or other relatively sweet) chile, stem and seeds removed
• 1-2 dried arbol (or other hot chile) chiles, stem and seeds removed
• 1 dried ancho (or other rich, fruity) chile, stem and seeds removed
• 2 Tbsp. raisins
• 1 whole chipotle in adobo + 2 Tbsp. sauce from can
• 2 c. water
• 200g plain tempeh
• 1/4 c. coconut oil (or vegetable shortening)
• 1 onion, diced
• coarse sea salt
• black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano (if you can find it)¹
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted and ground
• 3 whole cloves, toasted and ground
• 1 Tbsp. yellow or red miso paste
• 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Thaw and drain tofu. Cut into thick (~2cm) slices, wrap in a tea towel or similar and press out some of the moisture (you don't have to be super thorough about it). Set aside.
2. Adjust oven rack to 10cm below broiler and preheat broiler to high.
3. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place poblano on top.
4. Broil, turning occasionally, until blackened on all sides.
5. Remove from oven and wrap foil around poblano to form a tight seal. Set foil-wrapped pepper aside.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C (325°F).
7. Spread cooked lentils on baking sheet and bake until mostly dry and crunchy (20-30 minutes).
8. Microwave dried chiles for ~30 seconds to toast.
9. Combine dried chiles, chipotle, adobo sauce (from chile can), and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until simmering. Let stand for at least 2 minutes.
10. Pour chile mixture into blender and purée until smooth.
11. Use a food processor (or a knife) to blitz tempeh and tofu into small pieces about the texture of ground meat.
12. Unwrap and peel the poblano pepper. Discard skin, stem, and seeds. Mince the cooked flesh.
13. Melt oil/shortening in a large pot of medium-high heat.
14. Add onion and minced poblano. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened (~5 minutes).
15. Add garlic, oregano, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and cloves. Cook for another minute or so.
16. Add mixo paste, soy sauce, vinegar, and puréed chile mixture.
17. Add crumbled tofu and tempeh.
18. Add baked lentils. Mix well.
19. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
20. For a moister texture, add 2 Tbsp. water.
21. For a drier, well-browned texture, add 2 Tbsp. of oil and continue cooking until liquid has evaporated and crispy bits start forming (~15 minutes).
22. Use anywhere you'd use Mexican chorizo.
23. Keeps in fridge for up to a week or can be frozen for several months.

Pro tip: This chorizo is amazing mixed into scrambled eggs for breakfast! Especially if you add a little cheese. It's also great on nachos.

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¹ I'm pretty sure I just left out the Mexican oregano when I made this. I'm sure it'd be lovely if you can get it, but it was still amazingly tasty even without it. ^Back