This is one of those recipes that really impressed me from the first bite. I absolutely love a chicken tinga taco and I’ve been thinking about doing a vegan or vegetarian version that left little to be desired and I think I cracked the code!
Usually made with chicken cooked in a chipotle-forward tomato sauce, I swapped the meat for shredded oyster mushrooms, and the results were excellent! The texture of the mushrooms mimics that of chicken – especially when you take the time to tear them into thin shreds.
Perfect as a taco filling or spread atop a tostada, this is also a relatively simple meal to make.
How to Make Vegan Tinga
Obviously, tinga is usually made with chicken and referred to as tinga de pollo in Spanish. However, I’ve renamed this tinga de hongos as it’s made with mushrooms (hongos = mushrooms)!
Use oyster mushrooms here – the type really does matter for the texture so I wouldn’t recommend subbing in any other kind – especially button mushrooms or portobello.
Instead of chopping up the mushrooms, I like to shred them into thin strips with my fingers so that they resemble the texture of shredded chicken. This is similar to the recommended prep in my chile verde.
Once you’ve shredded your mushrooms, add them to a large bowl and drizzle them with a bit of neutral oil and season with salt. Stir to combine, then spread them over a parchment-lined baking tray.
Move the tray to a 220°C/425°F oven and roast the mushrooms until they’re golden and have reduced in size significantly – this will take about 20-30 minutes. I also like to stir the mushrooms halfway through to ensure everything is cooking evenly.
Meanwhile, start to make the base for your tinga. Add a bit more oil to a large saucepan and set it over medium heat.
Once it’s shimmering, go ahead and add in a thinly sliced onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it’s really softened and beginning to brown around the edges – this will take about 7-10 minutes.
Next, add in a bit of garlic and tomato paste. Stir to combine and cook for a few minutes longer. Then, add in a bit of cumin and a touch of cinnamon. Cook this just until it’s fragrant.
Then, add in some diced fresh tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes – stirring every so often – until they’ve released a lot of their moisture, have broken down and are jammy in consistency. This will take about 5-10 minutes.
After you’ve reached this stage, go ahead and stir in some chopped chipotle chiles in adobo, a bit of veggie stock and your roasted mushrooms.
Let everything simmer for about 10-15 minutes, just to allow all of the flavours to come together.
When you’re ready to serve, remove the tinga from the heat and stir in a splash of fresh lime juice just to brighten the flavours.
Then, all you need to do is adjust for seasoning and serve over tostadas or as tacos! Serve with a side of Mexican-style rice or top with guacamole!
Vegan Mushroom Tinga (Tinga de Hongos)
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) oyster mushrooms torn into thin strips
- 60 ml neutral oil such as sunflower or avocado, divided
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 medium tomatoes diced
- 3 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo finely chopped
- 120 ml (½ cup) vegetable stock
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C/425°F. Add the mushrooms to a large bowl and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil. Season generously with salt and stir to combine. Spread over a parchment-lined baking tray and roast until reduced in size, lightly golden and crisp, 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp of neutral oil to a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion and season with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and beignning to brown around the edges – about 7-10 mintues.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan – about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cinnamon and cook just until very fragrant – only about 30 seconds longer.
- Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down significantly – about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chipotle chiles and the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the roasted mushrooms. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tinga is lightly thickened and the flavours are homogenous. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making vegan tinga tacos is so easy. Using the technique of shredding oyster mushrooms mimics the texture of chicken and offers a lot of complex flavour.
Do you want to make vegetarian tinga de hongos? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
