Meaty, flavorful, and hearty, these vegan TVP tacos will please even meat-eaters! They are packed with protein and are incredibly satisfying to have. The TVP taco meat is also easy to make, and is ready in 20 minutes!
TVP is easily one of the best meat alternatives out there! Thanks to its chewy, meat-like texture, it can be used in almost every recipe that calls for ground meat, like vegan meatballs, burger patties, and even vegan breakfast sausages.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Has the perfect meaty texture that is meat-eaters approved
- Bursting with flavors and is perfectly spiced
- High in protein - a serving contains around 14g of protein!
- Simple to prepare and is ready in no time
🥓What is TVP
Textured vegetable protein, or TVP, is an inexpensive ingredient that has been gaining popularity as a meat substitute due to its meaty texture. It is used in many store-bought meat alternatives and is sometimes even added to ground meat to cut costs!
TVP is made from defatted soy flour (aka soy protein isolate), which is the by-product of soybean oil production. The soy flour is then cooked under pressure and shaped into various shapes like granules, flakes, and chunks. In this recipe, the granules or ‘minced’ form are preferred to perfectly imitate the look and texture of ground beef!
🌮What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- TVP - Make sure to use the granular or minced form. You can find it in some groceries or health food stores, but I usually purchase my TVP online through Amazon.
- Chili powder - An optional ingredient; omit it to make this recipe spice-free.
- Tacos - I am a fan of hard taco shells, but you do you! For a higher protein alternative, you can even opt for chickpea flour tortilla or red lentils tortilla.
🔪How to make
Start by rehydrating your TVP with a cup of boiling hot vegetable broth. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
Heat some oil in a pan, then saute onion for a few minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Add rehydrated TVP and spices to the pan. Toss until everything is well combined.
Serve it in some taco shells and top with whatever toppings you fancy. Your TVP tacos are ready to be served!
✔Helpful tips
- Soak TVP preferably in vegetable broth, not water, to maximize the flavor of TVP tacos. Or, you can mix in ½ cube of bouillon or ½ teaspoon of vegetable stock powder with 1 cup of boiling water before soaking them in.
- Use TVP crumbles as opposed to chunks. It resembles the texture of ground meat and soaks up seasonings better.
- Make it your own by adjusting the amount of spices used. You can also add other herbs and spices that sound good to you!
- Enjoy TVP tacos immediately after assembling them. Soggy tacos are unpleasant to have!
- TVP taco meat stores well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Hence, you can prep it ahead of time, so all you have to do is assemble the tacos when ready to enjoy!
🥗Taco topping ideas
- Salsa like this copycat Chipotle fresh tomato salsa
- Avocado chunks, slices, or guacamole
- Freshly chopped veggies - shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, or bell peppers
- Vegan sour cream or sriracha mayo
- Chopped herbs - cilantro, parsley, green onion
- Vegan cheese - Shredded cheese, parmesan cheese, or even tofu cashew ricotta
❔Commonly asked questions
To make this ahead of time, you can make TVP taco meat and chop up the veggies first. Store them in separate containers, and only assembly them when ready to enjoy.
TVP taco meat can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days and frozen for up to 2 months in a sealed container. To reheat, heat it in the microwave or on the stove until thoroughly heated. Let the frozen ones thaw in the fridge or countertop before reheating.
Rehydrate TVP in either hot boiling broth or water and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. The general ratio of TVP to water is 1:1, meaning 1 cup of liquid is needed to rehydrate every cup of TVP.
TVP can be found in most well-stocked groceries, usually in the baking or health food aisle. It can also be found at your local health or bulk food stores or online through Amazon. (I am using Bob's Red Mill brand.)
🍽More hearty vegan mains
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Vegan TVP taco meat
Ingredients
Taco filling
- 1 cup TVP granules *
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 small yellow onion diced ( about 4 oz / 115g )
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder ( optional )
- salt to taste
To serve
- 8 corn taco shells to serve ( or any other kinds of tortilla )
- fresh tomato salsa ( optional )
- shredded lettuce ( optional )
- diced avocado or guacamole ( optional )
Instructions
- In a pot or saucepan, heat up vegetable broth to a boil. Turn off heat and pour boiling broth over TVP in a bowl. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat up around ½-1 tablespoon of neutral oil in a non-stick pan on medium heat. Place in onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Next, stir in garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Place in rehydrated TVP, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder and salt into the pan. Toss until everything is well incorporated and saute for 3-4 minutes. Give it a taste and add more salt, if needed.
- To serve, toast up some taco shells or tortillas and fill them with TVP taco meat and toppings of choice. Serve and enjoy !
Notes
- Soak TVP preferably in vegetable broth, not water, to maximize the flavor of TVP tacos. Or, you can mix in ½ cube of bouillon or ½ teaspoon of vegetable stock powder with 1 cup of boiling water before soaking them in.
- Make it your own by adjusting the amount of spices used. You can also add other herbs and spices that sound good to you!
- Enjoy TVP tacos immediately after assembling them. Soggy tacos are unpleasant to have!
- TVP taco meat stores well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Hence, you can prep it ahead of time, so all you have to do is assemble the tacos when ready to enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
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