Vegan Tofu Rancheros

We made some basic Vegan Tofu Rancheros when we first adopted a vegan lifestyle as part of our Cinco de Mayo post in 2015. They were delish and super simple.  This recipe, also delish, has a few more steps, but I promise the from-scratch version is over the top.

Why Tofu Rancheros?

Well, is there a better savory brunch item than one that involves tortillas, potatoes, and beans?  Honestly, the cashew cheese gave this a nice tangy topping, but avocado would undoubtedly have added a little something extra- if you know what I mean.

We grabbed some of our favorites – Whole Foods Corn tortillas and Roasted Chili & Lime Refried Beans, No Evil Chorizo, and Cashew Cheese made locally by one of our Favorite Pittsburgh Vegan Restaurants, B52 Cafe (closed as of 2022).  

But, hold up though, let’s talk about those refried beans for a minute.

This is not sponsored, although I am pretty loyal to the Whole Foods 365 brand, so if they asked, I wouldn’t mind.  LoL! Anyway, The flavor of these beans was perfect.  I was never a bean person, let alone refried beans – mostly because I couldn’t get over what they looked like.  But the flavor here will definitely have me coming back for more.  In fact, I am already thinking about other creative ways to use them since their flavor is so wonderful!

See, you came for the recipe and got a quick review/opinion of the 365 brand Chile & Lime Refried Beans, which I highly recommend!

Recipe Video

Vegan Tofu Rancheros

No eggs needed!  These Tofu Rancheros hit the spot!  

Print

Ingredients

• 1 package Vegan Chorizo , We used No Evil Foods (it's oil-free)
• corn tortillas
• cashew cheese (or avocado)

Tofu

• 1 14 oz block firm tofu, cut into slabs

Potatoes

• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 2 lbs golden potatoes, diced

Ranchero Sauce

• 1/2 onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• oregano
• chili powder
• cumin
• 1 can crushed tomatoes

Instructions

1. **Heat refried beans, set aside
2. **Brown Chorizo in a pan over medium heat, set aside

Tofu

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Place tofu slabs on a parchment lined baking sheet, lightly salt and pepper to season
3. Bake tofu 15-20 minutes, flip, bake another 15-20 minutes, slice into strips

Potatoes

1. Preheat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat
2. Salt and pepper potatoes to taste, brush the pan with a small amount of oil [if using cast iron] and add potatoes to the pan; sprinkle onions on top
3. Cover, and cook stirring/scraping potatoes from pan with a spatula once every 3-5 minutes as they brown
4.  let cook for 15 minutes until knife tender

Ranchero Sauce

1. Sauté onions until browned and softened, using a dry skillet and splash of water as they start to stick to the pan
2. Add garlic and spices, saute until fragrant - add water if necessary to prevent burning. 
3. Add tomatoes and heat through

Assemble

1. **Crisp corn tortillas in the 400 degree oven
2. Corn tortillas, refried beans, chorizo, potatoes, ranchero sauce, tofu strips, cashew cheese (or avocado)

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

These were out of this world and certainly a step up from our simple ones way back in on the 2015 Cinco de Mayo post.  We even used up the leftovers in some pretty amazing tacos!

We hope this inspires you to whip up some amazing brunch food!

Live VegInspired!

XO,

Kathy