Description
15 cheap, high-protein vegan TVP recipes, from quick tacos and chili to make-ahead crumbles, plus an exclusive TVP borek below.
Ingredients
Vegan TVP Borek Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup / 100g textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 stock cube, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ cup / 195g tomato passata
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Pastry
- 16 sheets phyllo dough (4 sheets per log, 4 logs total)
Milk & Oil Wash
- ¼ cup unsweetened oat or soy milk
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
To Finish
- ½ cup sparkling mineral water*
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and/or nigella seeds
Instructions
- Rehydrate the TVP: In a bowl, combine the TVP (1 cup) and boiling water (2 cups / 415ml). Let it sit for about 10 minutes until the TVP absorbs the water and becomes soft, then drain well.
- Sauté the aromatics: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil (2 tablespoons) over medium heat. Add the onion and ½ a teaspoon of the salt. Sauté until softened and golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for a further few minutes.
- Build the filling: Add the rehydrated and drained TVP to the skillet and stir well. Sprinkle in the stock cube, cumin (1 teaspoon), paprika (1 teaspoon), and dried oregano (½ teaspoon). Mix together and cook for another 2–3 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Simmer with passata: Pour in the tomato passata (¾ cup), salt (½ teaspoon), and pepper (½ teaspoon), and simmer for 10 minutes until the filling is moist and saucy but not watery. Remove from heat while it still looks a little wetter than you think it needs to be. It will continue to dry out as it cools and again in the oven.
- Finish the filling: Stir in the fresh parsley. Let the filling cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C fan forced (360°F).
- Make the wash: Whisk together the plant milk (¼ cup), olive oil (¼ cup), and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
- Layer the phyllo: Working with one log at a time, lay a sheet of phyllo on a clean surface and brush with the milk and oil wash. Top with another sheet and brush again. Repeat until you’ve used 4 sheets for this log.
- Fill and roll: Spread a quarter of the TVP filling evenly over the layered phyllo, leaving a small border around the edges. Roll tightly, but gently, into a log shape.
- Repeat and shape: Repeat steps 8–9 three more times to create 4 logs in total. Arrange them in a round baking dish like a pie dish, joining them together to form a round spiral. A round baking dish helps the spiral hold its form and keep the water (next step) in place.
- Finish and bake: Pour the sparkling water (½ cup) evenly over the assembled spiral and sprinkle with sesame and/or nigella seeds (1 tablespoon). It will look like a lot of water, but it will absorb and evaporate in the oven. Let it sit for a minute to slightly soak in. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the phyllo is deeply golden and crispy on the top, then change the setting to use fan on the lower heat panel only for 10 minutes so the borek bakes on the bottom.
- Cool and serve: Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Sparkling mineral water: Use the sparkling water straight from a freshly opened bottle and bake immediately after pouring so the carbonation does its job before going flat. This gives the pastry a lovely lift and keeps the layers from drying out.
