Vegan Chorizo
This Vegan Chorizo (aka Soyrizo) is smokey, spicy and delicious! It’s easy to prepare, and way better than the store-bought stuff!
I’ve been eating Vegan Chorizo (aka Soyrizo) since way before I went vegan. I liked it better because it had all the flavor of pork chorizo, but it wasn’t as greasy or heavy. I’m happy to say that making it home is really not too difficult, and in my opinion, it’s way better than the store-bought stuff!
Ingredients for Vegan Chorizo
- Soy Chunks – These are similar to Soy Curls, but they are in smaller chunks. You can use Soy Curls, but the Soy Chunks are way cheaper. Where I am in Southern California, they are ubiquitous in any Mexican / Latin American Market.
- Substitute for Soy Chunks – You can also use some TVP if you don’t mind a smaller mince. Or you can do like I do in my Tofu Taco Meat and just use crumbled Tofu and coat it in the Chorizo Marinade instead.
- Spices and Seasonings – Mexican Markets are also great for whole spices too! In this recipe we’ll be using Cumin Seeds, Whole Cloves, Garlic, Black Peppercorns, Bay Leaves, Mexican Oregano and Cinnamon.
- Dried Chiles – We’ll be using some dried Guajillo, Ancho and Arbol Chiles. I did try a version using Chile Powder, and it was not nearly as good, so I really suggest using the whole chiles as the flavor is much deeper and better!
- Vegan Mayo – I like to add this for a richer flavor. Since pork chorizo has a lot of fat, this does a good job of adding some fat into the mix! But it’s totally optional!
How to Make Vegan Chorizo
Rehydrate the Soy Chunks.
Drain the rehydrated soy chunks, then squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible, this is to avoid a soggy texture.
In a skillet or saucepan over medium low heat, add the garlic cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cloves and cumin seeds. Stir and toast them until they get fragrant, about 2 – 3 minutes. Make sure you don’t burn them!
Remove everything from the pan and reserve for later. Toast the chiles.
Pour in the vinegar and veggie broth, oregano, and bay leaves, followed by the reserved garlic and spices. Turn off the heat, stir everything together, then cover for 10 minutes.]
Discard the cinnamon stick, and add everything else including all the liquid to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour the marinade over the soy chunks and stir to coat. Let them marinade for 20 – 30 minutes.
You can also store the marinaded soy chunks in the fridge for up to 5 days and just cook as much as you’d like.
Once you are ready to cook them, get a non-stick or well seasoned skillet heated up over medium heat. Add a little oil, then the soyrizo and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring every now and then, until they are done to your liking.
Serve immediately, can be used in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, molletes, whatever you like!
other recipes you’ll dig!
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, please leave a rating & review! It really helps out the blog and it makes my day, thank you!
Vegan Chorizo
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Dried TVP Chunks (See Notes)
- 4 cups Veggie Broth
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 Ancho Chiles
- 4 Guajillo Chiles
- 4 Chile de Arbol
- 1/4 cup Vinegar
- 1/2 cup Veggie Broth
- 2 tsp Dried Mexican Oregano (or Marjoram, Oregano)
- 2 Bay Leaf
- 1/4 cup Vegan Mayo (optional for richness)
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup Water
- Salt to taste (I did about 1 Tbsp)
Instructions
- Add the TVP / Soy Chunks to a large bowl and cover with the Broth (you can use water, but the broth will infuse them with some flavor). Stir to make sure they are all submerged. Let them rehydrate for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Drain the rehydrated soy chunks, then squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible, this is to avoid a soggy texture. From 8 oz of the Dried Soy Chunks I used, I got a little over 1.5 lbs worth of "meat" so as long as you have around the same it should work well!
- In a skillet or saucepan over medium low heat, add the garlic cloves, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cloves and cumin seeds. Stir and toast them until they get fragrant, about 2 – 3 minutes. Make sure you don’t burn them!
- Remove everything from the pan and reserve for later. Raise the heat to medium, add a bit of cooking oil, and then the dried ancho, guajillo and arbol chiles. Stir and cook those for about 3 – 4 minutes, or until they soften and get toasty. Pour in the vinegar and veggie broth, oregano, and bay leaves, followed by the reserved garlic and spices. Turn off the heat, stir everything together, then cover for 10 minutes.
- Discard the cinnamon stick, and add everything else including all the liquid to a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt to your preference (I used about 1 Tbsp) and enough water to make the sauce smooth and pourable. I used 1/2 cup of water.
- Pour the marinade over the soy chunks and stir to coat. Let them marinade for 20 – 30 minutes. You can also store the marinaded soy chunks in the fridge for up to 5 days and just cook as much as you’d like.
- Once you are ready to cook them, get a non-stick or well seasoned skillet heated up over medium heat. Add a little oil, then the soyrizo and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring every now and then, until they are done to your liking.
- Serve immediately, can be used in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, molletes, whatever you like!
