Background

• Chorizo is traditionally a Spanish cured, smoked pork sausage made with paprika.
• The Mexican version of chorizo is typically a ground mince flavored with the native chili pepper varieties Ancho, Guajillo, and Chipotle making it a bit spicier.
• This version uses dried rehydrated ancho chilies as a base but can be modified to use guajillos (for a sweeter, fruitier version) or chipotle morita (for a smokier version) or a combination.
• The vegan “meat” in this recipe is TVP (textured vegetable protein).
• Despite the scary sounding name, it's a nutritious vegan meat replacer that soaks up the flavor of whatever sauce it is cooked in.
• TVP comes in different sizes and may have become powdery in the packaging. Strain out the soy flour powder using a fine mesh strainer before using to maintain the texture.
• The coconut oil (or alternatively avocado or olive) is necessary to emulate the fatty texture of pork fat. Don’t try to skimp.

Ingredients

• 3 cups TVP (strained to remove soy flour)
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 6 cloves of minced garlic
• ¼ onion minced
• 5 ancho chiles (or replace with guajillo or chipotle morita)
• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth, water, or chile rehydrating liquid
• ½ teaspoon coriander (whole or ground)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (whole or ground)
• ¼ teaspoon cloves (whole or ground)
• ½ tablespoon mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika (smoked or sweet or a mix depending on preference)
• Cayenne to taste (Typically a pinch does the trick)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Destem and deseed the dried chiles and toast them lightly on a skillet to bring out the aroma
2. Cover the chiles with boiling water in a bowl and let them rehydrate for 10 minutes
3. Toast whole spices and grind them in a spice grinder
4. Strain the chiles and add them to a blender with the spices, vinegar, soy sauce and vegetable broth
5. Blend into a puree and pour the marinade over the TVP in a bowl and mix
6. Saute onions and garlic in half of the oil until transparent and starting to brown
7. Add the TVP and other half of the oil and mix until well combined, cook until most of the liquid has evaporated