Easy Vegan Taco Meat
A really easy way to prepare a vegan taco "meat" from plant based ingredients! You will love the simplicity of this method and how it can slot into any of your favorite meal kits or recipes that call for ground beef. This vegan taco meat is made with no soy, tofu or nuts.
Ingredients
- Olive oil, for cooking
- 3 portobello mushrooms*, sliced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 packet taco seasoning, see notes
- ½ medium red onion, diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F.
- Prepare the mushrooms and chickpeas. Arrange the sliced mushrooms and chickpeas on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil, using a spatula to mix it all around and ensure that everything is coated with the oil. You don't want to skimp on oil here since you want the chickpeas to be crispy! So you will need a few glugs. Then add a nice sprinkling of salt.
- Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy. Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Pulse in a food processor. Once they've cooled down a little, add to a food processor (using the smallest inner bowl you have) and pulse several times to get the mushrooms and chickpeas "minced". You want the mushrooms broken down into tiny pieces but be careful not to go any further than that as you don't want them pureed! Some of the chickpeas will break up, with some remaining whole, but your focus is on the mushrooms - you don't want to over-do the mushrooms while trying to get more chickpeas broken up. While you pulse your food processor, make sure that it is churning the mixture evenly - you don't want the bottom to puree while the top stay whole for example. Some do a better job of this than others, and the size of your bowl will also play a part. I use the smallest bowl available for my food processor, and have also made it with a mini chopper.
- Fry the mince. In a frying pan or saute pan, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and add the mushroom chickpea mixture alongside the minced onions, until the onions are slightly softened up.
- Add the taco seasoning. Use the whole packet! Mix through and assess the texture. If the mixture feels dry, add a spoonful or two of water to loosen it up and let a sauce form. If there is moisture coming out from the mushrooms, continue to cook until it's reduced down.
- Serve! Spoon into tacos with all your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutritional information is for one taco, excluding the shell or toppings. It is based on using 4 tablespoons of olive throughout the recipe.
*Mushrooms - feel free to swap portobellos for another type of mushroom such as chestnut or button. Roast them halved or whole, depending on the size.
Calories: 123kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.001g, Sodium: 358mg, Potassium: 202mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 418IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg