Ole! Ole! Chorizo-style tacos with sauteed tomatillo kale

Chorizo-style tacos with sauteed tomatillo kale

I'll admit it, vegan eating and Mexican food don't necessarily mix- at least for those of us who like to drown our workweek sorrows in margaritas and cheese dip on Friday nights.  Thank goodness for guacamole or vegans would really be out of luck.  I have lately had a few disappointing meals at Mexican places when limiting dairy and meat from my options, and one particular problem I have noticed is that meat substitutes such as tofu are often not offered at such places. For example, we have an awesome new taco bar here in Durham, but the tacos most closely approximating vegan are sad affairs.  Alas, until such places remedy their meat-centric menus, vegan tacos may be better attempted at home.  Luckily, with very little effort and a quick trip to the Whole Foods, you can have satisfying and delicious tacos.  This is also a time, when the vegan in your life is not a party pooper.  Prepare all the same accompaniments for your tacos and offer a separate, vegan version of your taco meat in addition to the chicken or beef you're already cooking.  I do dare the meat eater to try the vegan substitute on one taco because if there is any food where there is so much going on in the flavor profile that you may not miss the meat, a taco is it.

There are a couple of different meat substitutes you could use here: normal tofu, cubed or crumbled and flavored with your favorite Mexican spices: cumin, chili and coriander for example.  There are also some pre-seasoned meat substitutes available- Mexican style "ground beef" and "chorizo" are both quite good on tacos.  The spices in the chorizo-style substitute are a little more pronounced, in a good way.  I usually finely dice some onion and add that to the pan when reheating the "meat," which turns out much better heated on the stove and not in the microwave.   On our last taco night, I sauteed some kale with tomatillo salsa and veggie broth, which was a great tangy and slightly bitter topping to the spicy "chorizo."  We like to use soft corn tortillas to make our tacos more like authentic Mexican ones, these are easily found at most grocery stores, and there's usually a lard-free version. Top the tacos at the table with vegan pepper jack cheese, tomatillo salsa, hot sauce, additional diced raw onion and finely minced cilantro.