Anyone who knows me, knows that there is nothing I love more than Chipotle, it was the one thing I craved every single day for the three months I was abroad. I used to love their Barbacoa, until one night I was given a huge hunk of fat in my bowl, and ever since then, I've stuck to Sofritas, they are flavorful, yummy, and always consistent.
I love Mexican food, but don't love cooking meat, so I am always looking for new kinds of proteins to use. I decided I was finally going to attempt to make sofritas, and though it certainly was a process, they turned out pretty good and there are endless ways to use them. This recipe makes a pretty large serving of sofritas, which you can add to a veggie bowl from chipotle (save money and get free guac), make tacos with, or even create the delicious recipe pictured below.
What's on your grocery list for sofritas?
- Firm Tofu ($1.79)
- Can of Chipotles in Adobo Sauce (not sold at TJ's but sold at most other stores) ($1.39)
- 1 Green Bell Pepper ($0.69)
- Tomato Paste ($0.89)
- Garlic ($1.99 for a bag)
- 1 Yellow Onion ($0.59)
- Apple Cider Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar ($2.49)
- Cumin ($1.99)
- Dried Oregano ($1.99)
- Cayenne Pepper ($1.99)
- Salt & Pepper
What's on your grocery list for the rest of the meal?
- Corn Tortillas (I recommend Guerreros) ($2.39 for 30)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper ($0.99)
- 1 Red Onion ($0.99)
- Dried Oregano ($1.99)
- Frozen Jasmine Rice ($3.49 for 3 packets)
- Cilantro ($1.99)
- 1 Lime ($0.29)
- TJ's Chile Lime Seasoning ($1.99)
Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: 2 (with tons of extra rice and sofritas)
Ingredients for the Sofritas:
- 1 Package Firm Tofu
- 2 Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce (not sold at TJ's but sold at most other stores)
- 2 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce
- 1 Green Bell Pepper
- 1/2 can of Tomato Paste
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Ingredients for the rest of the meal:
- 4 Corn Tortillas (I recommend Guerreros)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1/2 Red Onion
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 bag Frozen Jasmine Rice
- 1/4 cup Cilantro
- 1 Lime
- TJ's Chile Lime Seasoning
Instructions:
I recommend making the sofritas in advance as this can be a fairly time consuming step, plus this gives the sofritas extra time to marinate and really absorb all the flavor of the sauce.
First remove the "brick" of Tofu from it's packaging, place on a plate then pat dry with paper towels, repeat as necessary, then place tofu between two paper towels with a heavy pot or pan on top in order to "press" the tofu.
In a blender or food processor combine: 2 Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce (not sold at TJ's but sold at most other stores), 2 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce, a green bell pepper roughly chopped (without seeds), 1/2 can of tomato paste, 2 cloves garlic minced, a yellow onion roughly chopped, a teaspoon apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of cumin, half a teaspoon oregano, a teaspoon of cayenne, plus salt and pepper to taste.
Set sauce aside, remove tofu from "press" then squeeze as much excess water out of the tofu as possible, patting dry with paper towels. Cut tofu slab into thick slices, and cook in a large frying pan with olive oil. Once tofu is brown, flip and cook until the other side is crispy and brown.
Mix tofu in a food processor or blender, then add to a medium sized bowl along with most of the marinade, mix until tofu is coated, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until you plan to eat the sofritas.
The full meal has five components: sofritas (as mentioned), fajita veggies, cilantro-lime rice, the tostada shell, and guac (recipe linked here).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, brush tortillas with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet lined with foil.
Next chop the red bell pepper, and about a third of the red onion into thin slices, heat veggies in a skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano. While veggies are cooking, microwave the package of white rice, then pour rice into a small bowl. Add 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, the juice of half a lime, and a bit of salt. Mix rice until well combined.
By this time the oven will likely be preheated. Bake tortillas for about 4 minutes, flip, then bake for another 3 or until tortillas are golden and the sides have puffed up a bit.
While tortillas are baking, make the guac, and heat up the sofritas on the stovetop, then remove tortillas from oven, top with cilantro-lime rice, fajita veggies, sofritas, and a bit of guac and enjoy!
