Spicy Sofritas Tofu, like homemade Chipotle! Think spicy peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro in a flavorful simmer sauce for your tofu!
THIS, my friends.
This is tofu. This is sofritas. This is like homemade Chipotle sofritas at its finest.
The truth is that I am sort of 75% there on tofu, like most people, I think? but I am 200% there on sofritas tofu – like the stuff you get at Chipotle, and as of now, the stuff that you make at home.
It’s to the point where Ineedthemeveryday.
There is no burrito, rice bowl, taco, quesadilla, breakfast skillet, or nacho platter that does not benefit in some way from a heap of spicy, saucy sofritas.
In This Post: Everything You Need For Spicy Sofritas
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First Of All, What Is Sofritas?
Thanks to popularization from Chipotle, I think many people now associate the term sofritas specifically with spicy shredded or ground tofu in a peppery, tomatoey sauce. At Chipotle, sofritas = tofu.
But more generally, according to our lady of the internet, Wiki: “sofrito, sofregit, soffritto, or refogado is a sauce used as a base in Latin American, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese cooking. Preparations may vary, but it typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sauteed or braised in cooking oil.”
Okay So… What’s In Sofritas?
Okay, good question.
- First and foremost, in this case, TOFU! Main ingredient.
- Chipotle peppers.
- Roasted poblanos.
- Garlic.
- Salsa (shortcut ingredient to get us some onions, tomatoes, and rockstar flavor)
- Cilantro
All the big flavor players get pureed into a sucker punch sauce and poured all over your crumbled, browned tofu, and the whole thing gets gently simmered into flavorful yumminess.
SO MUCH YUM.
How To Make Sofritas
This recipe could not be easier! Here’s what you’re going to do:
- Roast your poblano peppers. You can do this over an open flame or just toss them on a baking sheet and broil them in the oven for a bit until they’re blistery. Easy peasy.
- Pop your blistered poblanos, chipotle peppers, garlic, spices, and salsa in a blender and blend, blend, blend!
- Scramble up your tofu in a large skillet and add your spicy sauce. Add beans if you’d like to make things a little thicker. Yay for even more plant-based protein!
- Pop these spicy sofritas in a burrito (or burrito bowl), on top of a rice bowl, served in tacos, or maybe even the mixture straight out of the skillet. We’ve been known to do that.
Ways To Eat Sofritas
The sofritas is the showstopper, but don’t stop there.
- Bowls: with pinto beans, fresh guac, rice, and if you’re feeling fancy, maybe some tomatoes and corn, and sautéed peppers? YUM.
- Tacos! with more of the same.
- Burritos, like so.
- Vegan Crunchwraps. YES I SAID VEGAN CRUNCHWRAPS.
- In a tortilla casserole because what else?
- Just chips? Also, Cotija cheese because it’s so deliciously salty and I can’t not crumble that stuff on ev-er-y-thing.
This combination is everything my heart ever wanted in the homemade vegetarian Mexican food department.
Spicy Sofirtas Tofu: Frequently Asked Questions
Should I remove the skin off my poblano peppers?
I did not remove the skins of my poblanos, but you can do it either way. If you are in a pinch for time, try subbing one or two small cans of diced green chiles for the poblano.
Can I use frozen tofu?Recently I tried this with frozen and thawed tofu, and it was excellent! The tofu sheds its water more easily after a freeze / thaw, resulting in a dry and crumbly texture that helped it soak up the sauce (I actually doubled the sauce for this version which was perfect).
What can I sub for chipotle peppers in adobo sauce?1/2 teaspoon of chipotle powder should work!
Description
Spicy Sofritas Tofu, like homemade Chipotle! Think spicy peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and fresh cilantro in a flavorful simmer sauce for your tofu!
- Roast your poblano: Hold the poblano over the flame on a gas range until it’s hot and blistery. Alternatively: turn your oven to the broil setting, coat the poblano with oil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 15 minutes at a time until it’s soft and blistered.
- Make a sofritas sauce: Place poblano, chipotles, garlic, spices, and salsa in a small blender or food processor (EXCEPT tofu). Pulse until a mostly smooth paste forms.
- Make the sofritas tofu: Slice the tofu and press with a clean towel to remove as much excess moisture as you can (the drier the tofu, the better it soaks up the sauce). Heat a drizzle of oil over medium high heat. Scramble the tofu into small bits with a spatula or wooden spoon. You can do beans or no beans – this is a choose your own adventure here. Add the sofritas sauce with 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sauce is richly colored and thickened slightly. Add more water as necessary, and season to taste with the salt and lime juice.
- Serve: Serve in tacos, burritos, and mega rice bowls!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: sofritas, vegetarian Mexican recipe, vegetarian recipe, vegetarian tacos, tofu recipe
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Garlic Shrimp and Tomatoes with Parmesan Orzo Recipe
Shrimp laced with buttery garlic and thyme and a burst tomato sauce served on a creamy Parmesan orzo.
Juicy, succulent shrimp laced with garlic, butter, and thyme, tucked into a silky burst tomato sauce, and piled high on creamy, luscious Parmesan orzo. WHAT A DREAMBOAT DINNER. I love this recipe!
In This Post:
How To Make This Garlic Shrimp and Tomatoes (with Pictures)
Step 1: Blister and Smash the Tomatoes
Get the tomatoes hot and blistery; then give ’em a gentle smash with the back of a spoon or a small plate. It’s… very fun.
Step 2: Cook the Shrimp
Make a little clearing right in the center of the tomatoes where you can add your shrimp to cook for a couple of minutes. Salt it up!
Step 3: Get the Garlic and Butter Going In There
Throw in a bunch of freshly sliced garlic and a knob of butter. Stir it up a few times until it’s dreamy.
Step 4: Make a Creamy Orzo
Put a lid on the shrimp and make a quick creamy orzo – butter, Parmesan, cream, lemon, and salt.
Step 5: Put It All Together
Piping hot orzo goes on the plate first, and then we pull our shrimp and tomatoes back out to pile on top.
Lindsay’s Notes
This recipe is in heavy rotation at the moment – and it never fails to make me feel like I’m eating at a fancy restaurant and/or generally have my life together. Is my laundry all over my table? Yes. Have I been using dry shampoo for the last 4 days? Yes. But am I also eating a kind of fancy and beautiful dinner? YES! Three cheers for doable “fancy” recipes. 10/10 recommend.
Creamy orzo with the twang of Parmesan, sweet burst tomatoes gently bubbled into a sauce, and a pile of jumbo, delicate, buttery, garlic-laced shrimp. Pass me a glass of wine and I am living my best life.
As far as family approval goes, Bjork and I love the whole big, beautiful thing – no thyme for him (a true crime and I don’t want to spend any more time talking about it), and lots of thyme, salt, and pepp for me. The girls are hit and miss with the shrimp and tomatoes, but you better believe they love the creamy Parmesan orzo which is, of course, just mac and cheese in disguise. They’ll usually eat a few of the fresh little tomatoes on the side, too. Winning for everybody!
Description
Shrimp laced with buttery garlic and thyme and a burst tomato sauce served on a creamy Parmesan orzo.
Garlic Shrimp and Tomatoes:
Creamy Orzo:
- Cook the Orzo: Cook according to package directions. Drain, toss with a bit of oil, and set aside.
- Soften the Tomatoes: Add the tomatoes and olive oil to a pan over medium high heat so they can soften and get a bit blistered on the outside. I usually cover the pan to avoid extra splatters.
- Smash the Tomatoes: Once they’re soft (5 minutes or so), give them a gentle smash with the back of a spoon or applying even pressure with a plate or similar flat object. You want the tomatoes to be partially burst / smashed so they release some juices.
- Cook the Shrimp: Make a little clearing in the center of the tomatoes and add your shrimp right in; season them with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
- Give it Some Flava-Flave: Add the garlic, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pan and stir to mix it all together. Let it get saucy and bubbly; then remove from heat and cover with a lid.
- Make the orzo: Mix the orzo with butter, half and half, Parmesan, and lemon. Stir to combine; warm it up over the heat if necessary.
- Pile it up: Serve immediately so the orzo doesn’t get too starchy and sticky! Pile it on a plate with a big scoop of steamy shrimp and tomatoes. Top with thyme. So good!
Notes
This amount usually makes enough for just Bjork and I to finish the shrimp, with plenty of orzo for us and the girls. If you wanted to serve 4 adults, I would use 2 pounds of shrimp!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: shrimp and orzo, orzo recipe, shrimp and tomatoes
Recipe Card powered byFrequently Asked Questions For Garlic Shrimp and Tomatoes
What can I use instead of shrimp?Chicken would be delicious! I would probably pan-fry the chicken first, then take it out and set aside while you build your tomato sauce, then add the chicken back in at the end.
How long do the leftovers last?You can definitely eat this meal as leftovers for 1, maybe 2 days after you make it, but it’s one of those meals that really shines when it’s made fresh.
Can you make this vegetarian / meatless?Use zucchini in place of the shrimp! Or, similarly, this recipe is great.
How do you make this gluten-free and/or dairy-free?Use gluten free orzo, dairy-free butter (or olive oil), and something else creamy in place of the half and half and Parmesan – a knob of dairy-free cream cheese would be good!
Another option would be to skip the creamy orzo and serve this with quinoa or another gluten-free, dairy-free option.
My Favorite Shrimp Recipes
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
Hi, I'm Alex!
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