15 Minute Meal

Shiitake mushroom substitute

Healthy and flavorful vegan tacos made with tofu, baby bella, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms and cabbage in a sweet and spicy Asian sauce. One shiitake mushroom substitute the best easy dinner recipes! I’m back with another clean-out-the-fridge experiment turned dinner staple, Mushroom Tacos.

Made with shiitake and baby portobello mushrooms, hearty cabbage, and spicy tofu cooked in a sweet and spicy Asian sauce, these healthy tacos have been a hit at not one but TWO casual dinners I’ve hosted in the last two weeks. If the ingredient combo in this mushroom taco filling sounds odd, that is because the first time I made them, I was in the process of trying to use up every possible odd and end in the refrigerator to clear space for a giant grocery trip I was preparing to make the next day. The refrigerator in our new house is smaller than a standard size, so it happens frequently. Our prior home had not one but two refrigerators, and even though the second dated from the late 1980s, it worked. When the time came to transition to having only one small one, I knew we were destined to starve. It was an adjustment at first, but I’m slowly learning to buy things in smaller quantities as we need them. Well then the leftovers meet unexpectedly delicious ends.

An easy, flavorful meal with mushrooms, tofu, and cabbage. We loved the tacos so much, I’ve made them twice since, once for friends, then again to perfect the recipe for you all here. The first time I made shiitake mushroom tacos, because that was what we had on hand. Their flavor is bland, and your tacos won’t have the oomph the recipe needs. One of the most under-appreciated of all seasonal vegetables, cabbage is delicious, especially sautéed.

It’s mild and ideal for soaking up all the yummy flavors we’ll be adding to these tacos. I found a package of this spicy Italian-style tofu in our fridge and decided to try tossing it in to make the tacos higher in protein. Its spice really elevated the filling and made it much more interesting. I realize Italian-style tofu sounds odd, but I love this product and buy it regularly. It’s ultra high in protein, it’s the right amount of spicy, and if you cut it up and sauté it, it has an excellent texture and is not at all mushy. I put it in eggs, pasta, and, now lately, Mushroom Tacos.