Vegetarian Tacos

Taco night has to be one of our favorites in the US.  It’s really easy to find local ingredients like salsa, lettuce, and tortillas.  Plus it’s fast and inexpensive.

We just add a little twist I came up with when Martin and I were first married:

textured vegetable protein instead of ground meat

You can find textured vegetable protein (also called “tvp” on some packages) in Germany and the US.  It’s a dried soy product.  You mix it with water, add spices, salsa, peppers, and tomatoes, and it’s good to go.  I always warm it on the stove as I add ingredients.

We used to invite people over for tacos + boardgames wherever we lived.  First we shocked them with how good vegetarian tacos could be, then I’d silently knock their socks off and win our favorite games, Settlers of Catan or Ticket to Ride.  …I think that’s how it went!

The point is that when you look at food and question how you are really supposed to make it, amazing things happen.  (Like homemade lemonade or popcorn on the stovetop – mmm)  Suddenly the guy who I remembered winning hot dog eating contests was eating like 8 tacos made of the same ingredient as tofu.

You just can’t think of it as, “This had better taste like MEAT.”  It won’t.  It’ll taste like taco seasoning + salsa + vegetables.  But I don’t think vegetarian foods should taste like meat.  Why not just eat the meat, right?

Have you ever tried textured vegetable protein?  Any beloved recipes or perhaps a memory of the time you shocked someone with dinner?  Good shocks, bad shocks – whatever it is, you know we’re hungry to hear!

Oh hey – for all you folks in Germany, here’s a very American taco joint in Berlin where Americans pass out in pure joy.

And double hey – here’s a whole slew of recipes we heart.