My dad always loved to pick me up from the babysitter’s house on Friday evenings. TGIF, right? At the end of a long work week, he was just itching to spend some quality time with his kindergartener, no doubt. Or… maybe it was that the sitter made the most amazing homemade tortillas that she would send me home with every week. Yeah, come to think of it, that was probably it! In all seriousness though, spending a couple of hours after school helping my sitter prepare them gave me a palate for authentic Mexican cuisine. Nothing really could ever top those tortillas.

Fast forward 20 years to when I was in graduate school and learning how to cook authentic Mexican meals from my roommate. Well, authentic with a twist—he helped me take the recipes he grew up eating and make them vegan, including handmade tamales and breakfast tacos. He swore that these tacos could fool his own parents into thinking they were made with traditional chorizo. I wouldn’t know as I have never had the pig version before, but the soy version is so tasty that these tacos have become a staple in my diet for the last decade! He also introduced me to the comal: a flat, round, cast iron skillet used for toasting spices, grilling vegetables, or—you guessed it—cooking tortillas. Now, I’m not adventurous enough to roll my own tortilla dough, but the comal is great for warming torillas. Slather a little bit of vegan butter on each side and it gives a nice toasty flavor that is really the cherry on top of the metaphorical taco sundae.

These breakfast tacos are so tasty, you’ll want them for lunch and dinner, too! The base ingredients and suggested toppings are included in the recipe below, but tacos are so versatile that you can really include whatever topping or filling you like. Add refried beans to the tortillas before filling with the chorizo/potato mixture, or leave out the plant-based egg if you like, or add in some cilantro-lime rice if that is a flavor mix you enjoy. The possibilities are endless. ¡Buen provecho!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil or grape seed oil
• 2 medium to large Yukon gold potatoes, diced
• 1 package of soy chorizo¹
• 6 fl. oz. plant-based egg
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• 10-12 tortillas²
• 2 Tbsp. vegan butter (optional)
• corn salsa, to taste (optional)
• avocado, divided in chunks (optional)
• radishes, sliced (optional)
• red or green cabbage, slivered (optional)

Directions

• Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté potatoes over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, reduce heat to medium and cover, cook for 2-3 minutes more.
• While potatoes are frying, prepare pico de gallo (chopped tomato, onion, and jalapeño).
• Open package of soy chorizo, remove from casing, and add to potatoes. Cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes, until the crumbles begin to brown.
• Add plant-based egg to one side of the pan and scramble for 2-3 minutes. Lower heat, slowly stir scrambles in with chorizo and potato mix.
• Serve with your preferred taco toppings (suggestions listed in optional ingredients).

Notes

1. There are several different plant-based chorizo products that could work with this recipe, but we have found that the Trader Joe’s soy chorizo is the best consistency and flavor and highly recommend using this brand. It’s worth noting that no matter what brand you choose, soy chorizo is very messy and easily stains hands and clothes so it’s helpful to have some paper towels handy for disposing of the casing.
2. We recommend at least warming tortillas in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, but you can also warm them on a cast iron skillet greased with plant-based butter for a toasted flavor.
3. Preparing a large batch of taco filling per this recipe works well for a large group, or for reheating tacos throughout the week. Reduce the ingredients by half if you prefer to have fresh tacos in smaller quantities.

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