Mexican cuisine boasts a variety of vegan-friendly options that are flavoursome, often spicy and always delicious. Mexican is the perfect cuisine if you are new to cooking as the food is often easy to make and difficult to mess up! With core ingredients such as tomatoes, corn, fresh vegetables, avocado, beans and rice, Mexican-style eating is filling, nutritious and healthful.
Here are a few tips on how to make sure you’ve got vegan Mexican food down.
The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Mexican Food
Ask To Swap Ingredients
Most Mexican dishes can be made without the addition of sour cream or cheese (unless there is a vegan alternative to dairy products available) and the dish will retain it’s delicious flavour. A plate of traditional Mexican food can be found with beans, rice, guacamole, salsa, pickled vegetables and possibly a side basket of tortillas or tortilla chips. Next time you order Mexican, why not try asking to replace cheese with extra guac/salsa or swap meats for a dose of rice and beans?
Guacamole Is Your Go-To
Is true Mexican food ever authentic without a good dose of guacamole? This combination of mashed avocado, ground pepper, cilantro, salt and garlic is a beloved favourite addition to a wide range of Mexican dishes. While some places will now add dairy to their guac, this tasty topping is easily made vegan and accidentally vegan at most authentic eateries. If you’re eating at home, try this recipe.
Befriend Beans And Reach For Rice
Beans and rice are affordable and readily available ingredients that can be incorporated into most dishes. Many Mexican-style dishes have beans (mostly black or pinto) in either whole-cooked, mashed or refried form. Rice is versatile and compliments beans well, balances out the heat from spices and pairs well with most textures. Beans and rice can be found as an accidentally vegan filling in most Mexican eateries.
Tortillas Are Tasty
Did you know that every Mexican town has a tortilleria (tortilla bakery)? Corn tortillas are gluten-free but break apart easily so are often small, whereas wheat tortillas are bound together by gluten so are usually larger. Authentic Mexican tortillas are usually made from only plant-based ingredients (just be wary of added lard or shortening these days). Try this recipe to make your own tortillas at home!
Say Yes To (vegan) Salsa
‘Salsa’ translates to ‘sauce’, so there is no set definition of ingredients in any one salsa. Commonly, salsa is made with chopped tomatoes, onions, herbs and garlic but some Mexican-style salsas even have mango or peach. Unless feta cheese or other animal ingredients are added, salsa is likely to already be vegan. Versatile and the perfect thing to eat with a basket of hot corn chips. Try this quick recipe.
Trust A True Taco
Most Mexican-style places offer a range of vegetable fillings, alongside the obligatory beans, rice, guacamole and salsa. Tacos come in two forms: hard tacos which are a corn shell that is then deep-fried until crisp, and soft tacos which are similar to burritos as they have a soft shell made from flour. Soft tacos are usually eaten with utensils rather than hands but hard tacos are easier to eat as without utensils. If you’re into home-cooked Mexican food, try this vegan tacos recipe.
Bring On Burritos
In Spanish, the word ‘burrito’ translates to little donkey; so if you’re hungry enough to eat a (sort of) horse, burritos are the perfect thing to fill you up. Often filled with rice, beans, salsa and guac – typical vegan burritos are easy to make and can be easily found at many at eateries or takeaway shops too.
Why not try this recipe?
Nachos, anyone?
Image Credits: creativelydelicious | eatthis | thewyldekitchen
