These easy, simple, and delicious vegan tacos harness the plant-based power of TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) to provide an affordable, comfort meal for the whole family. Simply combine TVP enchilada filling with onions, garlic, mushrooms, jalapenos, lime juice and spices. Then grab your tortillas and fillings, including this homemade cashew cream! You can make eight tortillas in advance with this recipe, or have the fillings, tortillas, and toppings ready to go and let everyone make their own tortillas just the way they like. You can make thin tacos with veggie toppings or create a hearty masterpiece with veggies, avocado, sauce, and tomatoes (here’s my tip) so every bite is a messy adventure!
Best of all, with this easy TVP Vegan Tortilla recipe, you can have a complete, balanced meal on the table in 30 minutes – with whole-wheat tortillas, plant-based protein, veggies and healthy fats. Bang! A nutritious meal that also makes great leftovers. Plus, if you want, you can mix up the flavors and try different types of tortillas (crispy, whole grain), vegetables (cabbage, cucumber) and seasonings (extra spice).
While I love Mexican food, I’m not really an expert. I had the pleasure of having my dietetic intern and colleague Carlos Ramirez join me in my kitchen to create this recipe. We had a really fun day cooking together, taking photos, and then eating the food while developing this recipe.
What is Textured Plant-Based Protein?
You may not know TVP, or Textured Vegetable Protein, but it’s an old-school plant protein you should be adding to your diet regularly. I grew up on TVP because my mom would use it to make buns, burgers, pies, etc. It’s very cheap and we buy it in bulk – and because it’s dry it has a long shelf life. It has a mild flavor and a chewy “meaty” texture that can be reformulated and used in place of ground meat in many recipes. Manufacturers process TVP when producing soybean oil, and the resulting protein paste is very nutritious. It can be pressed into different shapes, such as strips, sheets, and blocks. Typically TVP is made from soybeans, but can also include wheat, oats, and cottonseed.
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These easy Textured Plant Protein Vegan Tacos evoke the nutritional power of Textured Plant Protein—an old-fashioned, nutritious, and economical plant-based protein that’s transformed into a truly delicious treat in just 30 minutes A plant-based taco meal everyone will love.
Textured Plant Protein Taco Filling:
Cashew Cream:
Tortillas and Toppings:
- 8 (6-inch) tortillas, heated in skillet
- 4 radish, sliced
- 1 Avocado, peeled, chopped or sliced
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup Bean sprouts or microgreens (can be substituted with baby lettuce)
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 Lime, cut into wedges
- To make TVP taco filling: Soak TVP in boiling water for 10 minutes. Stir with a fork after soaking. Drain excess liquid. Set aside.
- While TVP is soaking, start soaking cashews (see step 8) and prepare vegetables and ingredients.
- Heat a frying pan or wok over medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil.
- Add the diced onion and garlic and sauté until soft (about 5 minutes).
- Add chopped mushrooms and rehydrated TVP and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the jalapeños, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute.
- Add vegetable broth, soy sauce, tomato paste and lime juice and cook until liquid is absorbed and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Put cashew nuts in bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes. Drain cashews.Put cashew nuts in mixer or food processor, add ½ cup plant-based milk, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt (optional), and white pepper. Process cashews until very smooth. You may need to pause and scrape the sides a few times. The texture should be thick and creamy. Remove from mixer and place in bowl. Makes 1 ½ cups cashew cream)
- Make the TVP tortillas: Prepare the tortillas by assembling the TVP filling, cashew cream, tortillas and ingredients. Fill each tortilla with:
- 1/2 cup TVP Taco Filling
- ½ radish, sliced
- 1/8 avocado
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons sprouts or microgreens
- 1/8 green onion slices
- 1 lime wedge
- 3 tablespoons cashew cream
- Makes 4 servings (2 tortillas per serving).
notes
TVP may contain gluten, so if you are gluten-free, read the label before purchasing.
I purchased these adorable handmade earthenware tortilla holders from a local New Orleans artist. Using a tortilla rack for pre-made tacos really helps because it holds all the ingredients neatly.try these Ceramic tortilla holder I found on Amazon.
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 15 minutes
- category: main course
- gourmet food: mexican american
Keywords: Vegan Tacos, Texturized Plant Protein
For other taco recipes, check out my favorites:
Try this recipe with some of my favorite beans and rice dishes:
This quesadilla recipe is also great with the following side dishes:
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