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If you’ve never had (or heard of) fish tacos, which are a Southern California/Baja California regional favorite, you’re in for a treat. You can also make these with a firm white fish like mahi-mahi, tilapia, or cod.
When I moved to San Diego in 1997, I started hearing about fish tacos. They sounded bizarre to me until I tried one at Rubio’s, the most famous chain here. Fish tacos are surfer food, served in shacks on the beach along the Baja coast. Rubio’s was founded by a surfer/college student, who wrote a business plan for a fish taco shop for a class, then made his fortune making it a reality.
Traditional fish tacos are made from battered, fried fish chunks, wrapped in a double corn tortilla, topped with shredded green cabbage, a squeeze of lime, and a creamy mayonnaise sauce. They were a favorite in my gluten-eating days, and I hadn’t had one for years.
After learning how to make tofu “cheese” from Jeff Smith, a local musician and long-time vegan, I learned that his wife Sally makes a vegan version of fish tacos from it.
Vegan Fish Tacos
Makes 4 tacos
16 oz (450 g) tofu “cheese”
1/4 C. (25 g) dry hummous mix*
1/4 C. (25 g) cashews
1 t. (2 g) smoked paprika
1 t. (2 g) Old Hickory smoked salt
1 t. (2 g) Old Bay seasoning
1 t. (2 g) nutritional yeast
8 small corn tortillas
1/2 C. (100 g) cabbage or bok choy
Joe’s mustard sauce or Sally’s vegan tartar sauce
Make the tofu “cheese” by following this method. Slice into 1 inch (3 cm) strips.
Preheat the oven to 400F (205C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put the cashews in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely ground. In a shallow bowl, mix the cashews with the rest of the breading ingredients with a fork. If the tofu is very dry, dip in soy milk, then coat each side with the breading.
Place on the prepared baking sheet and spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip over and bake for 15 minutes more. (You can bread actual fish the same way, and bake for 10 minutes per side.)
Grill the corn tortillas and slice the cabbage or bok choy into ribbons. Assemble the tacos and serve each with a wedge of fresh lime.
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Notes: Hummous mix is a dry mix that is available in boxes or in some bulk sections. If you can’t find it you can substitute garbanzo bean flour. If you’re gluten-free, make sure the mix doesn’t include wheat flour.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
The whole menu looks great. I’m trying it out on my family. Also gives me an option for our omnivore family when I can’t keep track of what fish is sustainable or not in season. Thanks, Stephanie! Still thinking of our dinner last week. Mmmmmm.
Thanks Amy! So glad it was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to write, I really appreciate hearing from you guys.
Hello! I’d love to make is recipe but I think the link to the tofu “cheese” recipe got broken – it is no longer linked. Could you re-link, or email the tofu “cheese” recipe to me? I’d like to try this for dinner with my vegetarian friends Wednesday (while my family is eating tilapia fish tacos due to Ash Wednesday observation). Thanks!
this is one of the most creative “fish” taco recipes i’ve seen, love it!
xotaco!
I’m sorry, I don’t think fish is vegan. Maybe you could substitute tofu?
My mistake, I guess I was a bit confused from the title. Maybe mock Fish Vegan Tacos.
Hi Earl, thanks for taking the time to comment. Yes, they are mock fish tacos… let me know if you try them!
Looks like a great recipe! I don’t know what “Hummus mix” is, though. Can you clarify?
Molly, thanks so much for your comment! Hummus mix is a dried mix you can find either in bulk sections or as a package mix. You just need to check the ingredients if you’re gluten-free, as sometimes they do include wheat flour. I’ll add that clarifications in the post.
Oh! Thank you! I’ve been wanting to try garbanzo bean flour, so I think I’ll use this as an excuse to buy *both* of them.
Fish tacos are my favorite… this I would love to try
It was wonderful meeting you and laughing with you all weekend!
Sara, the feeling was mutual! Let me know if you try this. I used to make it with mahi mahi and it was soooo good.
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