Huevos rancheros are a Mexican breakfast with three basic components: lightly fried corn tortillas, fried eggs, and salsa. For my vegan huevos rancheros recipe, I use one of my favourite new vegan ingredients as an alternative to fried eggs: Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg, which is now available in the UK. If you don't have access to this great product, try using a simple tofu scramble in its place in the recipe.
When I'm visiting my family in the states one thing I eat a lot of are corn tortillas. They are readily available at all supermarkets, are inexpensive, and the quality is pretty good. Unfortunately they aren't so readily available in the UK, which is why I generally make my own.
The problem is the preparation takes time, huevos rancheros are a breakfast food, and anyone who can function to that degree within 6 hours of waking up is probably possessed (whereas I am just dysfunctional and would probably flatten my hand in the tortilla press by accident).
But there is a solution. Finding premade corn tortillas in the UK might not be as easy as popping to the nearest supermarket, but they are available from Cool Chile Co, as are chipotles in adobo. If you live in London, the you can find these items at the Cool Chile Co stall in Borough Market or at Whole Foods Market. Otherwise they can be ordered online.
If you haven't heard of or tried them, chipotle chilies are red jalapeño peppers that have been dried and smoked. Adobo is a zesty, spicy sauce with a hint of sweetness. Its primary ingredients include tomatoes, garlic, various herbs and spices, and vinegar. To make chipotles in adobo, the dried and smoked chilies are rehydrated and mixed into the purée, typically sold packed into a small can.
One of these cans goes a long way and can last weeks in the fridge. Cook with chipotles in adobo once and they will become a kitchen staple in no time. Need ideas to use the rest of the can? Try mixing one with vegan cream cheese and spreading it on bagels, or toss a couple in your tomato sauce for a fiery smoked lasagna. Mix it with mayo for a sandwich spread and into stews for a rich and smoky kick. Chipotles in adobo play nice with a heap of flavour profiles, so experiment!
Scrambled Chipotle Vegan Huevos Rancheros
The instructions for the Follow Your Heart egg (now available in the UK) are to whisk ½ cup of cold water with 2 tablespoons of the powder, but I like the additional eggy flavour brought on by the addition of a ¼ teaspoon of black salt. If you fancy it you can also throw a handful of firm cubed or crumbled tofu in for some added bulk and texture.
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme or Mexican oregano
- 1 400 gram tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1-2 chipotle chili peppers in adobo
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons Follow Your Heart vegan egg mix
- ½ cup ice cold water
- ¼ teaspoon black salt
- Fresh lime juice
- Vegan cheese
- Pickled jalapeños
- Avocado and/or guacamole
- Chopped Coriander leaves
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a saucepan and fry the onion on medium to medium high heat until it begins to lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a further minute.
- Sprinkle in the thyme and and stir for a few seconds before adding the tinned tomato and chipotle peppers. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
- Add the soy sauce and lime juice and then blend the sauce using a handheld stick blender, food processor, or blender. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the sauce warm.
- Heat a skillet to medium high heat and add another another tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Fry the tortillas on both sides until pliable and lightly browned, but not crispy. Drain on kitchen roll.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the Follow Your Heart egg powder with the ice cold water and black salt.
- Add the final teaspoon of vegetable oil to the skillet and pour the egg mixture in. Scramble until the egg mixture looks dry and firms up, about 6-8 minutes.
- Place the two corn tortillas on a plate, top with the scrambled eggs, and spoon plenty of sauce over them (you will probably have some leftover salsa). Squeeze some fresh lime across the plate and sprinkle with any/all of the optional extras. Serve alongside refried beans.
- Author: Kip Dorrell
- Serves: 1
- Cuisine: Mexican