Vegan Chilaquiles by Toni Okamoto in Plant-Based on a Budget
From Toni: The word chilaquiles is derived from the Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs in Mexico) word chil-a-quilitl, which means “herbs or greens in chili broth.” It’s traditionally made with eggs and cheese, but since I no longer eat those things, I did my best to create a tasty plant-based version of one of my childhood-favorite Mexican dishes.
Yields 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
5 corn tortillas, cut into small strips
3/4 cup diced red, white, or yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 small cloves)
1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, pressed
6 sprigs cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Bottle of your favorite salsa
Optional Additions:
1 cup chopped spinach added in step 4
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (if you like your salsa spicy), added in step 4
Optional Toppings:
Fresh or canned jalapeños
Sliced avocado
- In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil and fry the tortilla strips for 1½ minutes on each side or until they are crispy.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until the onion is tender and translucent.
- Using your fingers, crumble the tofu into the pan.
- Add the cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper, and cook on medium-high for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the pinto beans, mix well, and let cook for 2 more minutes.
- Serve topped with the salsa.
Toni’s Tips:
>>If the term sprigs is unfamiliar, here’s a little helpful info: Cilantro is sold in bunches. Each bunch contains stems with cilantro leaves. Those are called sprigs.
>>If you’re doubling this batch and planning on saving some for a later meal, when serving the leftovers it’s best to start at step 2 and fry up new corn tortillas.
>>Use corn chips instead of frying the tortillas if you want to save on time.
Testers’ Tips:
>>“Vegan sour cream would be A+ in lieu of avocado. I also recommend ½ teaspoon turmeric for health and to make the tofu a yellow color, similar to the color of eggs.” —Logan J. from Sacramento, CA
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