I love tacos! Chicken tacos. Shrimp tacos. Ground turkey tacos. Fish tacos. Hard shell tacos. Soft shell tacos. Even tacos with just rice, beans and cheese. Or better yet a taco salad. Now, you get the point on how much I love tacos. I decided recently to start adding more plant-based foods in my life and that includes tofu. So, could I make tofu tacos?

Tofu Comes in Crumbles

Well, I was up for the adventure and decided that I could do it. I called upon my vegetarian friends, did some online research, went grocery shopping and got to cooking. I discovered that tofu comes in various options and I am still learning the myriad ways I can purchase it. But for my tacos the best was in crumbles. I found them in the frozen health food section at the grocery store. To my confusion but delight I found a variety of tofu crumbles already seasoned. Since I was not initially aware they came this way, I wasn’t prepared and didn’t understand my options but the store clerk told me   that one package had a picture of, you guessed it, A taco! Bingo, sold! That is the one I wanted.

Cooking Tofu

Next, I called up my vegetarian friend to figure out how to cook my new treasure. She said cook it just like you would ground beef, chicken or turkey. Well, that was easy breezy! I knew how to do that. I also asked about adding taco seasoning. I usually grab a packet of seasoning found next to the shells in the store adding it to my meat. She said to taste first and see how you like it. If you add the taco seasoning maybe just half the packet. Well, I kind of followed her advice but kind of didn’t. I got a little too happy and ended up using the whole seasoning packet. This made my crumbles too salty. But once I added my toppings of lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, shredded cheese and pickled jalapeño peppers I could barely taste the salt. I mostly used hard shells for my tofu tacos, warming them up in the oven on my specialized taco rack, but I tried one or two soft shells too. I served them up with a side of Mexican-flavored rice and black beans.

Perfecting Tacos and Trying Other Dishes

Ah, yes! As I sat eating my delicious meal, I was feeling pretty proud of myself for taking on this new challenge. I realized it was easier than I imagined and I was emboldened to take it higher the next time. I also realize that part of my no salt spice collection was one that would be perfect for tacos. It’s called Mexican Aromatics and instead of using taco seasoning I am going to use that instead. I think once I perfect this tofu dish, I am going to expand my palate and try tofu in other ways. I am excited about the possibilities.