These Vegan TVP Tacos are my new fave and my go-to for Taco Tuesday. They’re vegan and gluten-free and ready to eat in less than 20 minutes!
I love trying out and making up different taco mixes – yep as a vegetarian or vegan, there’s more than just one taco filling option! I rotate between the TVP taco mix recipe below, jackfruit, or beans. I love them all, but TVP is great as it’s easy and fast to prepare, high in protein but lower in carbohydrates than beans.
It’s also lots of fun changing up your toppings depending on what you feel like or what’s in season. My recipe below uses cherry tomatoes, lettuce, vegan cheese, and vegan sour cream for toppings. But I also like to use avocado, red onion, or fresh coriander, so feel free to change the toppings to your liking.
Before you rush out and buy TVP and get to making these tacos, it’s probably worth knowing what TVP actually is.
What is TVP?
TVP, or Textured Soy Protein, or Textured Vegetable Protein is a soy product. It comes in small pieces and the size and colour of those pieces may vary slightly depending on brand or type. The only type I have actually seen in store is the small mince-like pieces, which is what you want for this recipe. These sized pieces you can use pretty much anywhere you would have used mince.
There’s a bit of controversy around TVP because it is actually quite highly processed. If you look at the ingredients of a packet of TVP it might say something like “Defatted soy meal”. How do you get soy meal and then defat it?
According to How Stuff Works TVP is made by separating the protein from the whole soybean. “During this process, a slurry of soybeans is mixed with an alkaline solution that removes the fiber, which is separated from the protein in a large aluminum tank through an acid wash. The final product is a curd, which is then spray-dried at high temperatures. This results in a protein powder, which is put through a high-temperature and high-pressure process in a machine called an extruder. The result is TVP.”
So that doesn’t sound too great, does it? But before you decide against it, let me tell you some positives. Although it is processed it does some good health benefits. It’s high in protein at around 49g per 100g, it’s low in fat, calories, and carbohydrates – kind of ideal really. It’s also easy to prepare; all you need to do is rehydrate it then cook it however you like, and as it doesn’t have huge amounts of flavour to begin with you can pretty much flavour it any way you like making it super versatile.
Personally, I’m pro TVP. I think it’s fine as long as it isn’t something you’re eating all the time. If you’re unsure I suggest doing your own research and also buying some and trying it for yourself.
What else is in this Vegan TVP Taco mix?
TVP is the main ingredient and everything else is there to add flavour, and maybe a bit of texture. Additional to the TVP is onion, coriander seeds, ground cumin (although you could use seeds rather than ground if you prefer), smoked paprika, chilli flakes, tomato paste, and salt and pepper. That’s literally it. Just enough to give the TVP a bit of spice and some oomph with a Mexican touch.
What toppings go in these Vegan TVP Tacos?
I use the hard corn tortillas, then fill with the above TVP taco mix and add whatever toppings and fillings I feel like at the time. I pretty much always use cherry tomatoes and lettuce. You’ll see this recipe also includes grated vegan cheese and some vegan sour cream (I used both Zenzo cheese and sour cream). Other faves for me which I haven’t included in the recipe below but work really well are avocado, fresh coriander, sliced red onion, and some fresh lime juice. The reason I don’t always use the same toppings is because sometimes things aren’t in season or aren’t ready to be used, such as avocado or coriander. And sometimes I just like to change the flavours a bit without changing the actual taco mix.
What Kitchen tools do I need to make these tacos?
This recipe will give you around 3 serves, 2 tacos per person. Although depending on the size of your taco shells and how much you load them up you may be able to get a 7th taco, meaning one lucky person gets 3!
Based on 2 tacos per person, there are approximately 42.8g of carbohydrates per serve. This will vary depending on the brands you use, so this is a guide only.
If you end up with some leftover TVP taco mix it will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for a couple of days. Just reheat in the microwave or frying pan.
If you’re a fan of Mexican food you might like to try my Mexican Stuffed Capsicums or Jackfruit Quesadillas.
Ingredients
- Toppings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180℃
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Soak TVP according to packet instructions
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While TVP is soaking, add the onion to a frying pan with approx 1tbps oil (any cooking oil is fine, my preference is olive or grapeseed). Cook on medium heat until the onion is soft.
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Add coriander seeds, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes to the pan and cook for a further 2 mins.
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Add soaked TVP and tomato paste to the pan. Stir and cook for approx 5 minutes until hot. If the mixture looks a little dry just add a small amount of water.
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While the taco mix is heating on the stove top, put the taco shells onto an oven tray and into the oven to warm for about 5 minutes. NOTE: this step is optional but recommended, it just makes taco shells warm and crunchy.
- Once the TVP taco mix is hot, season generously with salt and pepper and turn off the heat. Remove taco shells from the oven.
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To assemble your tacos, start by putting a small handful of grated cheese into the bottom of each taco shell. Divide the TVP taco mix evenly between the 6 tacos, then top with lettuce, tomatoes, and finally a good dollop of our sour cream. Enjoy while they are still warm.
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