Vegan Sofritas Tamales (Instant Pot Option!)
Vegan tamales filled with a soyrizo-based sofritas filling complete with poblano peppers and corn. Can be made on the stove or in an instant pot!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 25 Tamales 1x
- Category: Savory Recipes
- Method: Stovetop or Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
For the Dough
8 oz package dried corn husks
4 c masa harina*
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 c coconut oil, melted
4 c vegetable broth
For the Filling
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large chopped onion
4 loved minced garlic
1 chopped poblano pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c frozen corn
1 12 oz package soyrizo
1-3 tbsp adobo sauce (from a can of chilis in adobo sauce, optional)*
Instructions
- Soak Corn Husks: Place corn husks in a large pot and cover with warm water until ready to use. This will make the husks more malleable and less prone to cracking. They should soak for at least 20 minutes. Set aside.
- Make the Masa Dough: Whisk the masa harina, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the melted coconut oil and vegetable broth. Beat together with an electric hand mixer until the mixture thickens slightly and begins to feel dense. Cover bowl until you are ready to use.
- Make the Filling: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped poblano pepper to the pan and sprinkle in the cumin, chili powder and salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes. Stir in the frozen corn and crumble in the package of soyrizo. Stir in your desired amount of adobo sauce. The more you add the spicier your tamales will be. If you prefer mild tamales, omit this ingredient completely. Once everything is heated through, remove skillet from heat.
- Assemble: Lay out one corn husk. Spread about 3 tablespoons of dough in a 3 x 4 inch rectangle down the center of the husk. Spread 2 tablespoons of filling down the center of the dough. Fold the long sides of the husk over the filling to enclose it within the dough. Wrap the husk around the back of the tamale to make it look like a burrito. Fold up the bottom of the husk and leave the top open. You can tie up the tamale with a strip of husk if you desire. Continue until you have used up all of your dough. You may have leftover filling. This video or the video below both give a great demonstration of this step.
- Steam on Stove: Place a steamer basket into a large pot with a few cups of water in the bottom and add as many tamales as space will allow, open side up. Do not overcrowd the pot. This may need to be done in batches. Cover the pot and steam on the stove until tamales are firm, about 40 minutes. Check water level in the pot every 10 minutes or so to ensure you don’t run out. Add more as necessary.
- Cook in Instant Pot: Place trivet rack in the bottom of your Instant Pot and pour in water until it reaches the bottom of the rack. Add in your tamales open side up. They can touch and lie against one another but the pot should not be overcrowded. I like to cook my tamales in 2 batches. Cover the pot and turn steam handle to the “sealing” position. Pressure cook on high for 40 minutes. Allow stem to release naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure manually.
- Serve: Once tamales have been cooked through, you are free to serve them immediately or store them for later use. Serve with guac, salsa, mole or a combination of all three!
Notes
*Tamales will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or can be frozen for up to 1 month.
*Masa harina can be found in the hispanic section of most grocery stores. The brand I see the most is called “Maseca.”
*Adobo sauce is great if you want some of that hot, sofritas flavor but it’s not necessary. If you prefer a milder tamale, omit this ingredient completely.
Find it online: https://censoredbaker.com/vegan-sofritas-tamales/
