Taco Tuesday: Vegetarian Birria Tacos Recipe

If you’ve been around social media the last few months, you have more than likely noticed the popular and appetizing videos of people enjoying birria tacos. For those not familiar with the trendy meal, birria tacos are a savory dish traditionally served as braised meat inside a corn tortilla that’s been pan fried. A broth is made to pair with the tacos that are used in the cooking process and later, much for the enjoyment of the consumer, in the dipping process. To take a different spin on the popular dish, below is a recipe for vegetarian birria tacos that are sure to be a new favorite in your household.

 

Vegetarian Birria Tacos Recipe

 

Broth Ingredients

• 5 Arbol chilies
• 2 California chilies
• 2 guajillo chilies
• ¼ cup yellow onions
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• ⅛ teaspoons cinnamon powder
• 4 cloves
• ¼ teaspoon pasilla powder
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 tablespoons oil (any variety of your choice)
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
• 1 can San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2.5 cups veggie broth
• 5.5 cups water

 

Protein Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil (any variety of your choice)
• 179 grams Portobello mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
• ⅓ cup of the broth above

 

Additional Ingredients

• Cilantro, chopped (if you’re into that)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• Oaxacan (quesillo) cheese
• Corn tortillas

 

Making the broth:

The list of ingredients for the broth might look overwhelming, but it all comes together in a simple concoction that tastes amazing.

1. Sauté yellow onion in oil until translucent. Add in garlic and sauté together for another 30 seconds.
2. Add salt, cloves, red chili powder, pasilla powder, cumin, cinnamon, peppercorns and oregano to the pan. Cook together for around a minute or until fragrant.
3. Add tomatoes, which you will crush with a spoon and sauté for a few minutes with the spices.
4. Add veggie broth, four cups of water, Arbol chilies, California chilies and guajillo chilies.
5. Let broth simmer for about an hour on low to medium heat. At around the 40-minute marker, add another one and a half cups of water.
6. Blend broth well with an immersion blender, hand mixer or potato masher — just whatever you have on hand that will get the job done.

 

Making the protein:

1. Chop mushrooms into thin strips and sauté in your choice of oil until all the moisture from the mushrooms is released.
2. Add in taco seasoning and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.
3. Add ⅓ cup of broth to mixture and cook until the liquid is absorbed by the mushrooms.

 

Put it all together:

1. Dip corn tortillas into the broth and cook on a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cheese to the center of the tortilla and fold in half.
2. Add more broth as needed to cook the tacos in the skillet. The tacos should somewhat resemble a grilled cheese sandwich.
3. Once “grilled” on both sides, serve the tacos with yellow onions and cilantro. Spoon a good portion of the broth on the side to dip your taco, and enjoy!

 

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