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Homemade Soyrizo (Vegan Soy Chorizo) Recipe

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Alright, this recipe was a long time coming! Back in September 2013, I was craving the Trader Joe’s Soy Chorizo and couldn’t get to a TJ’s. So I found the ingredients list for inspiration, and figured out how to make a copycat version myself. The results were completely delicious and I shared the homemade soyrizo recipe on this site. Since then it has continued to be a popular post; I guess a lot of people were looking for a great vegan chorizo recipe! (And while we’re talking about copycat recipes, have you tried my copycat Chipotle Sofritas yet?)

close up of vegan soyrizo (soy chorizo) in black skillet with wooden spoon

{get the pin}

I always felt a little guilty about that, though. You see, the recipe itself is fine – the instructions were correct and reliable – but the procedure for making the soyrizo was unnecessarily complicated and weird (have you ever seen the word ‘pseudobroth’ before?), and I didn’t have a single large/clear/helpful picture of the soyrizo itself. So in the back of my mind I’ve really been wanting to remake it and provide you with streamlined instructions and better photographs.

Then, I caught wind that the Trader Joe’s soyrizo has supposedly been discontinued (yes, Reddit is my official source). I was thinking about how I hadn’t seen it at my local TJ’s lately and did a quick search, which led me to that thread. So I knew that it really was time to make the at-home version again.

Update 4/3/14: A reader let me know that soyrizo is back in some Trader Joe’s stores, but now contains milk as an ingredient =/. I will continue to keep an eye out for the latest soy chorizo news and always update it here. But in the meantime, there’s now even more of a reason to make it homemade!

Update 6/2/14: Good news! It looks like the Trader Joe’s soyrizo recipe was revamped again, and it has returned to being vegan. You can still save money by making your own soy chorizo, though!

Soy chorizo is also sold at Walmart, and while I have not tried those brands, I feel confident that this homemade version will blow them out of the water, too, in terms of price and taste!

vegan soy chorizo served on white plate with cilantro

I’m still not gonna be nominated for a photography award anytime soon, but at least I have a better camera and lighting setup now, so I hope these new pictures are more helpful. And I KNOW that this updated recipe is much easier to read, and follow. Plus, I made exact measurements of my spices this time around so that you have a better starting point for those. To make your homemade soyrizo, you’ll need Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), a soy product. TVP is available at most grocery stores in my area these days, and also easy to find online. Everything else is basically pantry staples and spices.

Where to use soy chorizo

Traditional chorizo is a type of spicy sausage that originates in Spain and Portugal. I did a great deal of research to develop this recipe to use traditional flavors, except vegetarian! The “real thing” is usually sliceable and can be pan-fried, but my vegan chorizo is crumble-style, so choose recipes that already call for ground meat.

Soy chorizo is amazing in tacos, burritos, and other places that ground meat would be used. You can also making a pretty bomb soy chorizo chili. Stir in the soyrizo toward the end of cooking your favorite tomatoey chili recipe so that it keeps all of its delicious spicy flavor.

So here it is. The streamlined, delicious-as-ever homemade soyrizo recipe. I hope that you’ll give it a try 🙂

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4.66 from 23 votes

Vegan Homemade Soyrizo (Soy Chorizo) - Copycat Recipe

Make your own homemade soyrizo! High-protein vegan chorizo made to be a healthier version of the popular Trader Joe's soy chorizo. Naturally gluten-free.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword soy chorizo, soyrizo, vegan chorizo
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 3 cups soyrizo
Calories 145kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (see notes)
  • 1 and 3/4 cups TVP
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth hot (I recommend low-sodium for better control over the soyrizo's saltiness)
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp tamari (or use low-sodium soy sauce)
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 large white or yellow onion minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced

Spices:

  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper (use less if this is your first time making the recipe)
  • 1/4 tsp ancho chili powder (or 1/2 tsp. regular chili powder) (omit if using hot paprika)
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tbsp ground black pepper (if using freshly ground, reduce to 3/4 tsp)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, add the TVP, as well as the sundried tomatoes if they need to be rehydrated (see notes). Don't stir them together. Pour the boiling hot vegetable broth onto the mixture and let sit for at least 10 minutes to rehydrate.
  • If rehydrating the tomatoes, remove them now, finely chop them, and return them to the bowl. Stir in the red wine vinegar, tomato paste, and tamari to the mixture. Measure out all of the spices into a separate bowl.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add all of the spices and stir well. Cook for just 30-60 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Add the entire bowl of soyrizo TVP mixture to the pan and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until excess liquid is cooked off. Enjoy on tacos, on pizza, as a dip, in chili, or in any other way you please!

Notes

TVP is a soy product and I've seen it in well-stocked grocery stores; usually Bob's Red Mill brand. It's under $4 for a bag that will make this recipe several times over. You can often find it for even cheaper in natural stores' bulk sections. I've never tried using a substitute but I imagine you could use something else with a "meaty" texture as long as you adjust the amount of liquid appropriately.
If your sun-dried tomatoes are packed in liquid in oil, rather than dry, drain them before using and skip the step where you hydrate them along with the TVP.
SPICE LEVEL: This soyrizo is quite hot. If you haven't made it before, I recommend leaving the cayenne OUT and adding it to taste, little by little, at the end of preparation. Then you'll know how much you want to use next time. But please know, this recipe is supposed to be very spicy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1half cup | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 531mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 550IU | Vitamin C: 4.1mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 5mg

Psst.. my vegan chorizo is great with some cauliflower queso 🙂

vegan soy chorizo served on small tortilla with cilantro on white plate

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Comments

  1. Michael Thomas says

    One question: Is there a reason for using red wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar, which is traditional in pork chorizo?
    I’m planning to use soy curls instead of TVP … pretty much the same thing I think, after the curls are crumbled in the food processor.
    Thanks for the great recipe (including the built-in substitutions; so helpful!)

    Reply

  2. Clementina says

    4 stars
    I would probably add to your post that your recipe is similar to the mexican style chorizo and not the spanish one. The differ in text and flavor. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  3. Mario says

    5 stars
    I finally made this last night, years after bookmarking the recipe. It was so delicious and flavorful. I was a bit nervous about the quantity of spices that went in, especially the smoked paprika, but I followed the recipe exactly and it came out with a well-balanced, intense flavor. The meat-eaters at the table loved it as much as I did.

    One favor: I live in the UK and couldn’t find TVP. I used soya chunks, which are supposedly the same thing. However, soya chunks come in much larger pieces than TVP. Would someone be willing to weigh 1.75 cups of TVP so I can better match the recipe?

    Reply

  4. Aubrie Hall says

    Looks so good! Can’t wait to try it. Just wondering… it looks like the recipe makes quite a lot. Could I just keep the soyrizo “raw” and uncooked in the fridge and just take out a small amount at a time to cook as needed?

    Reply

      • Jessica says

        4 stars
        This is delicious! But I highly recommend leaving the cinnamon out. I used less cinnamon than the recipe asked for and it was too overpowering.

  5. Hayley says

    I’m a little confused about the directions when you’re using sundried tomatoes packed in juices. So would I put the tvp into the bowl with the drained sundried tomatoes and then no vegetable broth soak for 10 minutes, or? Sorry, I just want to make sure I understand correctly. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      Hi Hayley, if your sundried tomatoes are packed in juices, you don’t need to soak them at all with the tvp, but should still soak the tvp. just chop them up and then add them to the recipe when it states to. Hope this helps.

      Reply

      • Hayley says

        Wonderful thank you. I ended up buying some regular sundried tomatoes not in juice to make the recipe as is, and oh my gosh was it tasty. Now I can make it both ways though, so thank you. I will absolutely make this one of my circulating recipes. 🙂

  6. Vero says

    1 star
    This had so much spice it hurt. Even with potatoes, beans, and a “cheese” sauce it was nearly inedible. And this is coming from someone who likes spice and is used to eating chorizo.

    Reply

    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      5 stars
      Hi Vero, did you by chance, use hot paprika instead of regular? I guess this recipe is quite spicy either way, but hot paprika would definitely make it not edible, I think. That level of heat is maybe not for everyone, but as you can see, plenty of others like the spice level. Regardless, I added another warning note about the cayenne pepper so hopefully it helps more folks season this to taste. Thanks for the comment.

      Reply

  7. Karen says

    4 stars
    Delicious, but I would maybe omit the cinnamon next time. It’s over powering some of the other spices that are also already strong.

    Reply

    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I would recommend keeping the cinnamon but reducing it next time. Classic chorizo has a lot of strong spices including cinnamon, it’s not quite the same without it, but I understand not everyone loves too much warm spice in their savory food!

      Reply

  8. banan says

    5 stars
    I made this to use it to make lentilballs for albondigas soup. I kept eating it too much by the spoonfuls before/while shaping the lentilballs, I couldn’t eat albondigas soup when it was finished because I was so full. It was definitely much much better than Trader Joe’s soyrizo and not as greasy.

    Reply

  9. Lillie says

    5 stars
    Being Portuguese chorizo is something I have really missed. Unfortunately my local grocery stores has a very very limited vegetarian/vegan selection.

    My first taste of this and I am in heaven. Thank you so very very much.

    Can’t wait to make this again and again.

    Reply

  10. TL Kent says

    5 stars
    Just made this…is absolutely delicious (if a bit spicy – woooowheee 🙂 I think next time I might leave out the cayenne as suggested. I am wondering, this recipe really made a lot, and I find a little goes a long way. Have you tried freezing leftovers? Does the TVP take well to freezing? Thank you!!

    Reply

  13. Lauren says

    5 stars
    Wow, I just made this and it is amazing! I’ve been looking for a good substitute recipe so I don’t have to keep buying those plastic bags of soyrizo that are like $7… This recipe tastes similar to a brand I used to buy, minus all the oily residue. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  14. Allie says

    5 stars
    Hi! Thank you for posting this!

    I’m trying to generate less plastic, as I live in Alaska and very few things are recyclable. Can you use fresh tomatoes in place of sun dried to use less packaging?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      Hi Allie, I think if possible, omitting the sundried tomatoes and adding extra tomato paste might work best. Raw fresh tomatoes might wash out the flavors. Overall the recipe should work without the sundrieds but you might need to adjust the other seasonings.

      Reply

  15. Craig says

    5 stars
    This recipe is great and i didn’t even put some of the spices (such as thyme, oregano, all spice). I was visiting my girlfriend in DC who is vegan and access to a TJ’s was an issue so she found this recipe. So good i think its actually better! Will definitely be making more of this in the future. Thanks so much for sharing it!

    Reply

  17. Ellen Allard (Gluten Free Diva) says

    I made your soyrizo this morning and it is delicious! I was looking for an alternative to the TJ’s version, as theirs (though delish) has alot of oil in it and I prefer less or no oil. I made your recipe WITHOUT any oil, adding just a smidge of vegetable stock, and it came out perfectly. I cooked it in a nonstick pan. I also only used 2 tbsp tomato paste as I ran out, so I subbed a tbsp of spicy ketchup. Thank you so much for posting this! I’ll be sharing it on my FB page and Instagram and Pinterest. ~Ellen, Gluten Free Diva

    Reply

  19. Gluten Free Diva says

    I can’t wait to try this! I have been loving TJ’s soy chorizo but it’s very high in fat. I’m going to make your recipe fat free. Thanks for figuring it out!

    Reply

  20. Julie says

    Thanks for this recipe! I cannot wait to try it. I used to love Trader Joe’s soyrizo, but I am now allergic to apples and it contains apple cider vinegar which made me very ill. But I have been so missing it and wanted to make it myself. Thanks again.

    Reply

  24. xm says

    I sent an e-mail to TJ’s and they said Soyrizo was coming back in March. It’s now the middle of March and I haven’t seen it here in Chicago but they did say it wasn’t being reformulated so we’ll see. If I can make my own, though-and be sure it doesn’t have hexane-then I’d prefer to do that, anyway. I’m sure it’s cheaper. Thanks for this!

    Reply

  25. Wilma says

    Thank you! This looks wonderful and what I really like about the idea is being able to adjust the seasonings for those who can’t tolerate as much heat — I love spicey food but it doesn’t really love me (in addition to several Chinese acupuncture doctors telling me to stay away from it). However, if time is an issue, there is the Soyrizo they sell at most supermarkets that to me seems the same as the TJ’s version and it’s been around for years — unless you know something I don’t?

    Reply

    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      Hey Wilma! Sometimes spicy food doesn’t love me too much either, hehe. To be honest, I’m not sure. I have seen some other brands of vegan chorizo at Whole Foods but they weren’t soy based and had a different taste/texture – cost a pretty penny, too. At my ordinary supermarket (in my area we have Giant and Safeway), I haven’t seen any vegan chorizo. I guess it probably depends on where you live. Do you remember what brand it is?

      Reply

      • Wilma says

        Shannon, I’m in So. California, L.A. area. I believe it’s the El Burrito brand that they sell at Von’s which is owned by Safeway. You can see the ingredients here: http://www.elburrito.com/soyrizo.html It is soy-based. But I still want to try your recipe one of these days when I’m feeling ambitious! 😉

      • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

        Cool! Yeah, I think Baltimore has some catching up to do vs. SoCal in terms of vegan options, though it’s always getting better. I don’t think that I’ve seen El Burrito before – thanks for sharing! If I come across it I will have to give it a try.

  26. Molly says

    As a note on the TVP, Bob’s Red Mill is a total rip-off. Whole Foods and any other health food store with a bulk section will have it there for less than half the price.

    Reply

    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      Good to know – thanks! I will update the recipe notes in a minute to mention this. My local Whole Foods has a really small bulk section and unfortunately, no TVP or raw cashews. I didn’t really contemplate this before, since the Bob’s Red Mill cost-per-serving is pretty reasonable, but I might look into buying it online or something next time.

      Reply

    • Andy says

      I don’t agree that Bob’s Red Mill is ‘a total rip-off’ or that it’s cheaper at Whole Foods et al if you prefer organic, non-gmo. BRM is organic, non-GMO and currently around $18-20 for 40oz.

      Superb recipe, thank you Shannon!

      Reply

  27. J says

    Thank you thank you thank you. I also noticed TJs stopped selling it and I ate about 2 packs/week. Am dying to make vegan nachos, but couldn’t b/c of this dilemna! (btw, Kenji on SeriousEats.com just came out w/ a vegan nacho cheese sauce, he’s a food genius). So now I can do this, w/ your soyrizo and his nacho cheese sauce!

    Reply

    • Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says

      Whoa, nice – thanks for the heads up about the nacho cheese sauce! I made nachos with this soyrizo & the coconut cheddar from My Sweet Roots – that stuff has a perfect texture but the coconut flavor is a little strange. I hope you like the soyrizo!

      Reply

  28. Anna says

    I always prefer homemade to store bought anyways! This looks really delicious. Thanks for linking up to Healthy Vegan Fridays!

    Reply

  30. Marfigs says

    Yum! This looks easy and delicious all in one 😀

    I also use Reddit as my official source on many issues, much to the disdain of everyone in Real Life :p Eventually Redditors get pedantic and start sourcing themselves somewhere down a thread, so I never feel one can go too wrong!

    Reply

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I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
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