Spicy Braised Tofu (Sofritas)

If you love Chipotle’s sofritas, you’ll adore this recipe. Spicy braised tofu that you can add to anything for instant Mexican food? Yes please!

We’ve put these sofritas in soft tacos, but you can use this recipe in many different dishes (we’ll cover those in the Variations section below.) You’ll be glad to have this one in your kitchen arsenal.

Let’s get to it!

This recipe makes 6 soft tacos.

Ingredients for the sofritas filling

• 4 tablespoons canola, grape seed, olive, or avocado oil
• 8 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 sweet pepper, any color, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A few grinds of black pepper
• 20 ounces of firm or extra-firm tofu
• 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 3 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder (both fresh and dried garlic gives depth of flavor)
• 2 chipotle peppers (in sauce), diced, OR 6 tablespoons chipotle sauce
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup red salsa

Ingredients for the soft tacos

• 6 soft tortillas (any kind)
• Plant-based (or other) sour cream
• Fresh green or red tomato salsa, or diced tomatoes and red onions
• Fresh cilantro
• Slices of jalapeno peppers
• Sliced fresh avocado, or guacamole
• Lime wedges

Method

First, you’ll want to remove the excess water from your tofu. You can do this with a tofu press, or put your tofu on a plate and put another (weighted) plate on top. Either way, you want to get out as much water as possible so that your tofu absorbs the flavors of the spices and sauce.

Leave your tofu to drain (it will take about 15 minutes) while you heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and sweet pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes or till the veggies are lightly toasted.

Now turn the heat up to high and crumble the tofu into the pot with your hands. Cook (while stirring) for about 5 minutes. Add the dried spices (chili powder, cumin, garlic powder). Stir well to coat the tofu evenly.

Add the chipotle pepper or chipotle sauce, the broth, and salsa, stirring well. Reduce the heat to let everything simmer for 15 minutes. You can let it simmer for longer if you wish as long as it doesn’t dry out, as the tofu will absorb more flavors the longer it simmers. Stir the sofritas occasionally to keep the tofu from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

While the tofu simmers, prepare the toppings and heat the tortillas. In a large skillet or grill, let the tortillas warm for a minute or so on each side. Put the warmed tortillas in a basket wrapped in a clean cloth.
To serve your soft tacos, fill each tortilla with the sofritas and toppings.

Any leftover sofritas will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 to 4 months.

If you want a side dish for your sofritas, try serving them with refried beans or cooked rice.

Recipe variations

Tostadas. Preheat your oven to low broil and put the rack in the top slot. Brush each tortilla with oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Broil for 2 minutes per side, watching them closely to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and add the sofritas and toppings.

Taco salad. Prepare a bed of lettuce and top with the sofritas and other toppings. You may want to add some shredded vegan cheese, too, or crispy onions.

Enchiladas. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spread a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Fill your corn or flour tortillas with the sofritas and put them in the casserole dish. Top with more enchilada sauce and (vegan) shredded cheese, then bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with toppings.

Nachos. Preheat your broiler to low, and put the rack in the top slot. Spread a bed of tortilla chips on a baking sheet, and top with sofritas. Add a layer of (vegan) shredded cheese, and broil for a few minutes till the cheese melts and the chips are slightly golden. Watch your nachos carefully to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and serve with toppings as usual.

As a baked potato topping. Sofritas add a special something to baked potatoes. Put a generous scoop of sofritas on top of each baked potato, and add the toppings.

Enjoy your sofritas and all their fabulously delicious variations!