Vegetarian BLT Tacos with Shiitake Bacon
Servings 6 tacos
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika pimenton
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- salt use smoked salt if you have it
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms sliced about 1/4" (discard stems)
- 12-15 cherry tomatoes chopped
- 1 avocado cubed or sliced (however you prefer it)
- 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
- 6 to rtillas corn or flour, your choice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 lime
Instructions
for the shiitake bacon
- Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack centered. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
- Whisk the olive oil, tamari, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and balsamic in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined. Add the shiitake slices, tossing thoroughly. If you don't mind getting handsy with your food, gently massage the marinade into the mushrooms (this will do a better job of coating them).
- Spread the mushrooms in a single layer on the baking sheet. Season generously with salt. Roast the mushrooms for 45 minutes, flipping the slices after 20 minutes. At 35 minutes, stay close to the oven, keeping an eye on the mushrooms. They're finished when they're nice and dark but not charred.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
heat the tortillas
- When the shiitake bacon is 15 minutes from finishing, begin heating the tortillas*, stashing them in a packet fashioned from foil.
assemble the tacos
- Line or layer the warmed taco shells with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, and the shiitake bacon strips. Before serving, sprinkle the cilantro over the tacos and add a squeeze of lime, and a little sour cream, if that's your thing.
Notes
*Heating corn tortillas can be tricky, since some brands of tortillas are drier than others (which can cause cracking). And keeping them all soft and pliable until the meal is served is even trickier. I most often use a large cast iron pan, and accept that there might be a few sacrificed to crackage. Flour tortillas are far easier to heat.