Vegan Chorizo

When tofu is crumbled into small bits, combined with umami-rich mushrooms and coated with big-flavor ingredients like chile guajillo, clove and oregano, it becomes a real showstopper. For this soyrizo recipe, the seasonings are similar to those used in Mexican pork chorizo, so use it in dishes where you would normally use the traditional sausage: Serve it as part of a savory breakfast, add it to veggie hash or tuck it inside tortillas for tacos topped with crunchy onion, cilantro, guacamole and lime.

Ingredients

• 7

  large guajillo chiles, destemmed, deseeded and rinsed

• 2

  chiles de árbol, destemmed, deseeded and rinsed

• 3

  cups boiling water

• 2

  large garlic cloves

• 2

  tablespoons ground cumin

• 1

  tablespoon paprika

• ¾

  teaspoon ground coriander

• ½

  teaspoon ground clove

• ½

  teaspoon ground cinnamon, preferably Ceylon

• 1

  teaspoon dried oregano

• 1

  tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2

  tablespoons liquid aminos, soy sauce or tamari

• 2

  teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

• 15 ½

  ounces firm tofu, patted dry and crumbled

• 10

  ounces shiitake or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and finely minced (about 3 cups)

• ½

  cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed

Preparation

1. Add the guajillo chiles and chiles de árbol to a heatproof bowl and pour in the 3 cups of boiling water. Allow the chiles to rehydrate for at least 10 minutes, gently pressing a bowl on top to submerge them in the water if needed.
2. Once tender, add the chiles to a blender with ½ cup of the soaking liquid. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, oregano, coriander, clove, cinnamon, liquid aminos and vinegar, and blend for 1 to 2 minutes until completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the blender as needed.
3. Combine the crumbled tofu and minced mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour the blended mixture over the tofu and mushrooms, and mix until fully incorporated.
4. Add the oil to a large (12-inch) pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the soyrizo mixture.
5. Cook for 20 minutes until the mixture begins to sear and lightly brown, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. The liquid from the tofu and mushrooms should be mostly absorbed.
6. Serve as taco filling with diced onion, minced cilantro, guacamole and lime, or add to your favorite dishes that call for chorizo. Keep refrigerated for up to a week in an airtight container.