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Alright, this recipe was a long time coming! Back in September 2013, I was craving the Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo and couldn’t get to a TJ’s. So I found the ingredients list for inspiration, and figured out how to make a copycat version myself. The results were completely delicious and I shared the homemadesoyrizo recipeon this site. Since then it has continued to be a popular post; I guess a lot of people were looking for a great vegan chorizo recipe! (And while we’re talking about copycat recipes, have you tried my copycat Chipotle Sofritas yet?)
I always felt a little guilty about that, though. You see, the recipe itself is fine – the instructions were correct and reliable – but the procedure for making the soyrizo was unnecessarily complicated and weird (have you ever seen the word ‘pseudobroth’ before?), and I didn’t have a single large/clear/helpful picture of the soyrizo itself. So in the back of my mind I’ve really been wanting to remake it and provide you with streamlined instructions and better photographs.
Then, I caught wind that the Trader Joe’s soyrizohas supposedly been discontinued (yes, Reddit is my official source). I was thinking about how I hadn’t seen it at my local TJ’s lately and did a quick search, which led me to that thread. So I knew that it really was time to make the at-home version again.
Update 4/3/14:A reader let me know that soyrizo is back in some Trader Joe’s stores, but now contains milk as an ingredient =/. I will continue to keep an eye out for the latest soy chorizo news and always update it here. But in the meantime, there’s now even more of a reason to make it homemade!
Update 6/2/14:Good news!It looks like the Trader Joe’s soyrizo recipe was revamped again, and it has returned to being vegan. You can still save money by making your own soy chorizo, though!
Soy chorizo is also sold at Walmart, and while I have not tried those brands, I feel confident that this homemade version will blow them out of the water, too, in terms of price and taste!
I’m still not gonna be nominated for a photography award anytime soon, but at least I have a better camera and lighting setup now, so I hope these new pictures are more helpful. And I KNOW that this updated recipe is much easier to read, and follow. Plus, I made exact measurements of my spices this time around so that you have a better starting point for those. To make your homemade soyrizo, you’ll need Textured Vegetable Protein(TVP), a soy product.TVP is available at most grocery stores in my area these days, and also easy to find online. Everything else is basically pantry staples and spices.
Where to use soy chorizo
Traditional chorizo is a type of spicy sausage that originates in Spain and Portugal. I did a great deal of research to develop this recipe to use traditional flavors, except vegetarian! The “real thing” is usually sliceable and can be pan-fried, but my vegan chorizo is crumble-style, so choose recipes that already call for ground meat.
Soy chorizo is amazing in tacos, burritos, and other places that ground meat would be used. You can also making a pretty bomb soy chorizo chili. Stir in the soyrizo toward the end of cooking your favorite tomatoey chili recipe so that it keeps all of its delicious spicy flavor.
So here it is. The streamlined, delicious-as-ever homemade soyrizo recipe. I hope that you’ll give it a try 🙂
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4.66 from 23 votes
Vegan Homemade Soyrizo (Soy Chorizo) - Copycat Recipe
Make your own homemade soyrizo! High-protein vegan chorizo made to be a healthier version of the popular Trader Joe's soy chorizo. Naturally gluten-free.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword soy chorizo, soyrizo, vegan chorizo
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 3 cups soyrizo
Calories 145kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (see notes)
- 1 and 3/4 cups TVP
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth hot (I recommend low-sodium for better control over the soyrizo's saltiness)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp tamari (or use low-sodium soy sauce)
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large white or yellow onion minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
Spices:
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (use less if this is your first time making the recipe)
- 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder (or 1/2 tsp. regular chili powder) (omit if using hot paprika)
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper (if using freshly ground, reduce to 3/4 tsp)
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
In a large bowl, add the TVP, as well as the sundried tomatoes if they need to be rehydrated (see notes). Don't stir them together. Pour the boiling hot vegetable broth onto the mixture and let sit for at least 10 minutes to rehydrate.
If rehydrating the tomatoes, remove them now, finely chop them, and return them to the bowl. Stir inthe red wine vinegar, tomato paste, and tamari to the mixture. Measure out all of the spices into a separate bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add all of the spices and stir well. Cook for just 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
Add the entire bowl of soyrizo TVP mixture to the pan and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until excess liquid is cooked off.Enjoy on tacos, on pizza, as a dip, in chili, or in any other way you please!
Notes
TVP is a soy product and I've seen it in well-stocked grocery stores; usually Bob's Red Mill brand. It's under $4 for a bag that will make this recipe several times over. You can often find it for even cheaper in natural stores' bulk sections. I've never tried using a substitute but I imagine you could use something else with a "meaty" texture as long as you adjust the amount of liquid appropriately.
If your sun-dried tomatoes are packed in liquid in oil, rather than dry, drain them before using and skip the step where you hydrate them along with the TVP.
SPICE LEVEL: This soyrizo is quite hot. If you haven't made it before, I recommend leaving the cayenne OUT and adding it to taste, little by little, at the end of preparation. Then you'll know how much you want to use next time. But please know, this recipe is supposed to be very spicy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1half cup | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 531mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 550IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 5mg
Psst.. my vegan chorizo is great with some cauliflower queso 🙂
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