It was two weekends ago that I had a some friends over (~20 people) and we all made tacos. I'm talking an 100% from-scratch event, full of tortilla-pressing, fresh-cilantro-chopping, avocado-mashing... But there was a little dilemma: meat is typically the actual taco filling. So, I made a jackfruit smokey pulled-pork concoction and a tofu-meaty crumble creation that I think turned out pretty great.
That being said, when I informed folks of the vegan stuff I'd made, someone showed up with 2 rotisserie chickens (enough for everyone, right🤷♀️). Despite the enormous beckoning bowl of shredded chicken, the jackfruit and tofu things were still being eaten (they were that brilliant!).
Sadly, no photos of the actual tacos because those homemade tortillas went fast! But I compiled some of the leftovers into a big bowl and will include the recipes down below.
↑This shows a mix of the tofu and jackfruit
Ingredients (for a lot of people! Scale down by x4 for ~5servings)
for the rice
2 onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
660g long grain rice (uncooked)
2 tsp cumin
360ml tomato sauce
1420ml vegetable broth
pinch of salt
for the jackfruit
2 Tbs oil
2 onions, sliced
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans jackfruit (20oz each) rinsed, drained and chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
half a Trader Joes taco seasoning packet
splash of your favorite hot sauce
240ml vegetable broth
+extra oil to 'char' it
for the tofu
3 Tbs oil
3 Tbs soy sauce
3 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
splash of your favorite taco sauce
3 blocks firm tofu (350g each)
Extras
- salsa
- guac
- black beans *opt. flavor these with the other half of the taco seasoning packet
- cabbage
- lettuce
- cilantro
- lime wedges
- pickled jalapeños
Instructions
for the rice
Heat a large pot on medium high with a thin layer of oil in it. Add the onion, cook till it begins to brown, then add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes.
Put in the dry rice, stir it around and allow it to toast for a couple minutes. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid to cook for 20-25 minutes.
Once it is tender, fluff with a fork and enjoy!
for the jackfruit
Heat up the oil in a large skillet/sauté pan, add in the onion, cook until translucent, add the garlic to brown for a couple minutes, then the jackfruit. Heat up the jackfruit, season with the rest of the ingredients and cook for 5 minutes before adding the broth. Let the mixture reduce until no liquid is left.
To get a meatier texture, I highly recommend to panfry the now-seasoned jackfruit to char all it's bits and pieces, alternatively, just enjoy right away.
for the tofu
Preheat the oven to 350°F, line two baking trays with parchment paper, mix together all the ingredients EXCEPT the tofu, in a large bowl. Once you get a smooth sauce, crumble in the tofu and mix to coat.
Bake the tofu for 40-45 minutes or until bits are crisping up.
For the guac
Mash ripe avocados with salt, pepper and lime juice to taste. To make things extra fancy, add some red onions or tomato (or just a few spoonfuls of homemade salsa!)
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