I made my own version of Chipotle's Mexican Tofu Sofritas. just to see how close I could come. Not sure how I did but these ARE delicious!
Sofritas was Chipotle Mexican Grill's first vegan option on their menu and is simply shredded tofu braised with poblano, chipotle peppers, and spices.
This was inspired by my Tofu Tacos, and pairs well with this Mexican Street Corn Salad.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]Ingredients to make Mexican Tofu Sofritas
If you can find SUPER firm tofu, it will make an excellent crumble, otherwise, you can use Extra-Firm and just press it very well.
- Super-firm Tofu
- Poblano
- Onion
- Small Tomatoes
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
- Tomato Paste
- Smoked Paprika
- Nutritional Yeast
- Chile Powder
- Cumin
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Garlic & Onion Powder
See the recipe card for quantities.
Sofritas Recipe Instructions
This recipe is as easy as crumbling a block of tofu.
All of the remaining ingredients get tossed into a blender. You mix the two and bake. Easy peasy.
Use super-firm (sometimes called "high protein" tofu) if you can find it, otherwise extra firm will do but make sure to press it to remove as much moisture as possible.
Then crumble it into a bowl so it resembles the texture of ground beef.
Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano, cut it into smaller pieces, and add to your blender. Peel the onion, cut it into quarters, and add that too along with the tomatoes. This is the base of our sauce.
Now add all the other ingredients with the exception of the water, and blend. This sauce then gets poured into the tofu and mixed well.
Spread the crumbles evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake in a 350° F oven for 30 minutes. Turn OFF the oven, but leave the crumbles in there for an additional 30 minutes to continue drying out, stirring occasionally.
The drying process cooks away any moisture and concentrates the flavors. Then we simply add them to a skillet and add either veggie broth or water to rehydrate them into some of the juiciest sofritas you ever had.
Substitutions
- Tofu - instead of super-firm tofu, you can use extra-firm, just press it well.
- Tomatoes - I really like Campari Tomatoes but you can also use Roma
- Chipotle Peppers - these guys really make the flavor of this recipe but if you cannot eat them try adding a little chipotle chili powder or extra smoked paprika
- Ancho Chili - if you cannot find Ancho chili powder try using regular McCormick chili powder with a tiny bit of Cayenne.
- Mexican Oregano - is usually found in the ethnic aisle of your grocery store near the salsas, refried beans, dried chiles, etc. If you cannot find it you can use regular Italian oregano instead.
Variations
- Spicy - feel free to add additional chipotle peppers, green chile, or jalapenos to spice this up even more
- Uses - the sofritas make excellent sofritas bowls, tacos, tostadas, or burritos
- Sofritas Bowl - make a meal by adding rice, black beans, fire-roasted corn, and corn tortillas
Storage
Store the sofritas in a tightly sealed container in the fridge, and they should be good for 2-3 days. You can also freeze them right after the baking step and rehydrate them in a skillet when ready to use.
FAQ
Are sofritas authentic Mexican food?Sofritas were introduced by Chipotle Mexican Grill in 2013 as a vegan option on their menu.
What are sofritas made of?Crumbled organic tofu, simmered in a spicy sauce made of poblano peppers, onions, tomatoes, chipotle peppers, and spices
Isn't tofu bad for you?Tofu, soymilk, miso, tempeh, edamame and other soy products are high in nutrients such as fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, protein, and zinc. Researchers have found that women diagnosed with breast cancer who ate the most soy lived significantly longer and had a significantly lower risk of breast cancer recurrence than those who ate less. - https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/soy/
What if I'm allergic to soy?The original Chipotle Mexican Grill recipe used shredded, organic tofu. I have previously used cauliflower and mushroom to imitate beef crumbles, so they might work with some tweaking to the recipe. There are also various plant-based crumbles in the stores but they are much higher in oils and fats and are already flavored - so again, the spices in the recipe would need to be adjusted.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Mexican Tofu Sofritas
- Vegan Mexican Pasta Salad (oil free & gf)
- Vegan Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
- Vegan Chile Rellenos Casserole
Mexican Tofu Sofritos Recipe
- Author: Chuck Underwood
-
Prep Time: 15 min
-
Cook Time: 60 min
-
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
-
Yield: 4 servings
-
Category: Main
-
Method: Stovetop, Blender
-
Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
I made my own version of Chipotle's Mexican Tofu Sofritas. just to see how close I could come. Not sure how I did but these ARE delicious!
Ingredients
Units- 16 oz block super-firm tofu
- ½ cup low-sodium veggie broth or water
Sauce
- 1 poblano pepper (7 oz)
- 1 white onion (6.5 oz)
- 3 small tomatoes (about 2.5 oz each)
- 1 Tbs tomato paste
- 2 chipotle peppers and 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp Ancho chile powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp Mexican oregano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Press tofu to remove as much moisture as you can
- Crumble tofu into a large bowl (so it resembles ground beef)
- Remove seeds and stem from poblano and cut it into large pieces
- Peel onion and cut into quarters
- Cut tomatoes into quarters
- Add all the cut veggies and all of the spices to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add sauce to tofu and mix well.
- Spread evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 min.
- Turn off heat, stir crumbles and break apart any large pieces, and return to oven to continue drying out for another 30 min.
- Add tofu to skillet and add ½ cup broth or water to rehydrate
- Simmer until heated through and liquid has evaporated
- Serve with your choice of garnish
Notes
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Keywords: mexican tofu sofritas, vegan, chipotle
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