Sofritas Recipe

What Are Sofritas?

Sofritas is a popular meat-free filling served at Chipotle. It’s delicious vegan meat for tacos, burritos, or to make taco bowls.

It’s made of stir-fried shredded firm Tofu cooked in a spicy sauce made of chipotle chilies and a blend of spices.

How To Make Chipotle Sofritas

It’s super easy to make a Sofritas recipe at home.

Some recipes use oven-roasted fresh poblano peppers but here I am sharing a much easier, straightforward version of Sofritas that everyone can make in just 15 minutes.

Ingredients

All you need to make this recipe are a few simple ingredients:

• Extra-firm tofu – it’s very important to use extra-firm tofu or at least firm tofu for this chipotle Sofritas recipe. If you use a softer kind of tofu, your Sofritas will be watery.
• Olive oil – or any oil you love like melted coconut oil or avocado oil.
• Cornstarch or arrowroot flour –  this is used to coat the tofu scramble and make it crispy.
• Salt
• Dried Ancho pepper – deseeded, slightly dry roasted in a pan. This is the best option to replace the classic fresh Poblano pepper. It makes the Sofritas spicier and much faster to cook.
• Chipotle sauce – I am using the La Morena brand.
• Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce – I used the same brand as above. It consists of marinated chipotle.
• Cumin 
• Smoked paprika
• Garlic 
• Lime Juice or lemon juice.
• Maple syrup or Coconut sugar. This is optional, but it balances the spices in the dish.
• Tomato paste
• Vegetable broth

Pressing The Tofu

First, open the tofu block and wrap it into some absorbent paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.

Next, place the block on a chopping board and top up with a heavy weight – a cookbook, for example. This makes a homemade tofu press.

Wait at least 20 minutes or until the tofu has released all its excess water.

Scrambling the tofu

After that time, remove the weight on top of the tofu block. Scramble the tofu into tofu chunks of small size, similar to ground meat.

Then, place the tofu pieces into a mixing bowl and sprinkle salt and cornstarch on top. Stir to coat until sticky and gummy.

Next, warm some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Stir fry the shredded tofu for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.

Making the sauce

While the tofu is cooking, make the Sofritas sauce.

First, slice the Ancho dried chili peppers. Next, remove their stem and the seeds inside.

Then, in a cast iron or non-stick pan, cook the chili peppers for 1 or 2 minutes on each side with no oil until fragrant, then transfer to the blender jug.

In a blender or food processor add all the remaining sauce ingredients including the 1/2 cup water vegetable broth and blend until thick and smooth.

Assembling the Sofritas Sauce

Finally, pour the sauce over the cooked tofu and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

If too thick to your liking, add an extra 1/4 cup of water or vegetable stock.

Stir with a wooden spoon to make sure it’s evenly distributed and that all the flavors have blended well.

Serving Sofritas

There are many ways you can serve Sofritas: plain or with black beans.

If you love black beans or just want to add a boost of plant-based protein, then stir a drained 14-ounce can of black beans in the pan.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Sofritas as a:

• Burrito bowl – on top of cooked rice, with corn, salsa, a drizzle of lime juice, and lettuce.
• Tacos – use lettuce leaves or my gluten-free coconut flour tortilla recipe or fill with the Sofritas meat-free filling. Top up with crunchy vegetables like shredded lettuce, chopped red onion, cabbage, or tomatoes.
• Burritos – wrap in corn tortillas and place the burritos into a large 9×13-inch baking dish. Top up with salsa sauce and vegan cheese. then broiled in oven 350°F (180°C) until hot. Serve with a dollop of coconut cream, homemade guacamole, and fresh cilantro.
• As a dip for my Vegan Cornbread Recipe.

Storage Instructions

This Sofritas recipe is perfect for making ahead vegan dinners as it stores for up to 4 days in the fridge or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Place the leftover Sofritas in an airtight container and freeze or refrigerate until ready to use.

If frozen, thaw the container in the fridge the day before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions