Yeah – I said it, vegan tacos! VEGAN TACOS! VEGAN! Some meat eaters out there are going think I have lost my mind to even begin thinking of making vegan tacos in February but after one bite, I am sure you’ll see why vegan tacos have become a staple food in our house. But why you ask? Why do I eat vegan tacos nearly every week and why o why do I love vegan tacos so much?
Well first of all, I’m from Arizona, Tucson to be exact, and we are super serious about our tacos (sorry Hilah, but it’s true – I love you and your taco recipes long time BUT our Arizona tacos are the bomb diggity). Thus, in my house here in Norway, we eat tacos at least one a week, usually on Fridays when most Norwegian enjoy their “taco” night. Eating tacos on Fridays became a family night”thing” in Norway about 10 years ago and is now viewed by some as more or less as a right of passage into hip and cool-dom (I mean how hip and cool can one actually be if they didn’t grow up eating tacos every Friday night, right?).
Secondly, I love vegan tacos because they are lighter, so I get to have a few extras (ahem – ok more than a few…) without feeling guilty. Vegan tacos allow me the privilege of enjoying all the good stuff which normally comes along with tacos – homemade salsa, savory & spicy fillings and even brown rice – without feeling so heavy afterwards. Vegan tacos tend to be quite a bit more colorful than meat tacos, and are a terrific dish for serving to both a meat-eating and non-meat eating crowd. Since people eat with their eyes and noses first, all of those pops of color make them very irresistible. One last thing that makes vegan tacos so amazing – they are budget friendly! No need to buy meat, cheese or sour cream means that you can use the toppings you have on hand or stick to the cheaper isles in the grocery store.
To enjoy vegan tacos, prepare one recipe of my (one ingredient) vegan mince meat and add two tablespoons of the below taco seasoning mix to it during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Using lettuce or cabbage leaves, or your favorite taco shells, layer in brown rice, the vegan mince meat, shredded carrots, chopped peppers, chopped onions, homemade salsa or any other toppings you fancy.
If you like this recipe or want to plan a taco night in your house this week, check out some of my other cool Mexican recipes like my lovely guacamole, decadent Kahula (great for making cocktails!) or tangy salsa verde.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon cumin, freshly ground
- 2 teaspoons paprika (sweet, not hot!)
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Add all ingredients into a cleaned and dry jam jar, screw on the lid, then shake to combine. Store the seasoning mix in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
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Yum, vegan tacos are the best. I like to make beer braised black beans or use walnuts for the mince. Your mushroom base sounds great and I’ll have to try it next time.
I haven’t tried that yet but both sounds AMAZING! Thanks for the suggestion!