In April we created a homemade Sofritas recipes for our Real World Vegan Meal Plan subscribers. I’m sharing it with you today (below), but first I thought I would also share an excerpt from our newsletter, this one written by Dave, which gives you a glimpse into Dave’s process for creating the recipe and an example of the weekly email we send to our Real World Vegan Meal Plan email subscribers (subscribing to the newsletter is FREE, sign up here).
My take on homemade Sofritas
Originally published April 2, 2015
JL is traveling again – but this time it’s for a Florida vacation. Well, she did sneak in a vegan pressure cooking cooking demonstration class in Merritt Island and we collaborated virtually to bring you this week’s meal plan, but, mostly, she’s been relaxing with her family in the sun.
It seems like each time I write this newsletter I’m talking about a trip to Chipotle, because, well, when JL’s gone I like an easy Sofritas fix. Sure, my schedule is hectic (I’m on the swim deck coaching adults at 5:30 a.m. and my day ends on the deck coaching a high school team at 6:30 p.m.) I really don’t want to cook all the time so I turn to Sofritas. Then JL challenged me to just make my own. So I did and they are in this week’s Real World Vegan Meal Plan.
I did a little digging online, from the Chipotle site to a variety of foodie sites, and in most recipes, it seemed that people were creating the sauce, and then going right to a skillet with the tofu. I can see why, from a texture-perspective, but I couldn’t let go of what I found on the Chipotle site: they braise their tofu.
So that’s what I did. I used peppers, Adobo sauce and spices to cover the tofu to marinate all day. I braised it to marry the flavors and chopped it up before finishing off in the skillet to get that crumbly texture. It took two attempts – we liked the first one, we loved the second one – and it was worth it.
Some might ask, “Why go to the trouble when Chipotle can make the Sofritas for you?” My answer is at the heart of our Real World Vegan Meal Plans. We want to eat whole foods. And we want convenience. And we believe that when new vegans get to eat food that is familiar to them they may be more likely to stick to a plant-based diet. I had fun creating it and I know exactly what’s in it. We can’t wait for a burrito night with some of our non-vegan friends, just to wow them!
This is the kind of recipe we create for our meal plan subscribers (and our subscribers have first access to this recipe this week!). Fun, familiar foods, vegan-style, using whole foods + a bit of convenience.
~Dave
Now, how about Dave’s Sofritas recipe?
Homemade Sofritas
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 16 oz package extra firm tofu
- 1 medium poblano pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce Jarred chipotles in the international section of your grocery
- 1 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 yellow onion Finely chopped
- 2 cups “chicken” broth
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil optional if you use a non-stick skillet
Instructions
Take your frozen tofu (you do freeze your tofu, don’t you?) and let it thaw. Once thawed, press it in your tofu press, or place it between some paper towels in a baking pan and place a plate with some canned goods on top to weigh it down.
In a blender or food processor, combine the poblano pepper, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, about half of the broth, onion, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar and herbs. Process until completely smooth. Add more broth, if necessary, to achieve a thick sauce that is thin enough to serve as a marinade. If you like, you can char the poblano pepper over your gas stove – or roast it – for more flavor.
Pour some of the sauce over the block of pressed tofu and let it marinade. We let ours sit overnight in the refrigerator. Bring out the tofu and remaining sauce about an hour before you are ready to start cooking to let things come back to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 450.
Add the tofu, and the remaining adobo sauce mixture, to an oven-safe pan. Leave the tofu in its block still – or cut into 4 large steaks. Don’t tear it apart just yet! Cover with foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and hot. Alternatively, you can do this in a large skillet on the stove top. But we feel that the braising of the tofu first gives it a better flavor.
Once done, now you can break it apart a bit. Either by using a fork and breaking it up into varying sized chunks, or slicing it up as you like. Then take some of your tofu and put it in your olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Let the tofu get a bit of texture. About 5 minutes. Now add in some additional sauce, just a bit, and let it come together for a minute or two. These last steps add a little additional texture to the tofu.
Now, create your burritos, tacos, enchiladas, or whatever you feel like having. Add some pinto beans, lettuce, and tomato (or salsa of your choosing). A little guacamole works great too!
Note: There will potentially be a lot of sauce in your pan. You can pull out the tofu and use as much of the sauce as you like in our burrito, taco, enchilada, whatever!
Here’s what’s on the menu for next week’s Real World Vegan Meal Plan:
The June 1 meal plans are ready to roll via email!
You’ll be making Brown Rice in bulk + Frozen Grape Smoothie, Scrambled Tempeh, Gazpacho, Summer Slaw, Buffalo-style Grilled No-Chicken Strips, Blackened Tofu Tacos, and Fried Rice.- Meal ideas include PB&J on toast for breakfast, protein bars, savory breakfast toast, granola, hummus, veggie dumplings, salad with rice, Mediterranean sandwich, Kabob night, rice & beans, and vegan hot dogs with ‘bacon’.
- Tips for breakfast on the go and small plates lunch.
- You’ll also receive a shopping list, access to JL’s monthly video message (this month: strategies to avoid being the “pain in the @#*%” vegan when hanging out with friends), and Dave’s monthly fitness tips!
7 thoughts on “Dave’s Homemade Sofritas recipe”
Comments are closed.
Thank you so much! I’m a kosher-observant vegan and can’t eat at Chipotle, though I’ve always wanted to try their different dishes because of the way my friends rave about them! Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Dave & JL!
Enjoy, Adina!
Pinning to try later, thank you! 😀
You’re welcome, @tanyaphillips:disqus!
My tofu is marinating now, but I did not see where to add the second half of the broth. I see that you add “about half of the broth” in the processor, but I don’t see where to add the other half. Smells good!
I’m excited to give this one a try. I think Sascha would love it.
Oh, yay, @theveganlisa:disqus!