I Can't Believe It's (Mostly) Vegan! - Soyrizo and Cabbage Rolls

Tonight, in front of the fridge, in the throes of reviewing what was left of last week's groceries to make for dinner, I found things were looking pretty bare: a packet of wonton wraps, 2 large heads of cabbage, and some soyrizo. Hmm...not a whole lot to go on.

Imagine my surprise when I ended up with something so tasty it inspired me to start a new category: I Can't Believe It's (Mostly) Vegan! These are those rare treats that you can serve to a meat-fanatic crowd and casually forget to even mention that they're mostly vegan, because chances are good that nobody will notice.

These sound greasy, but were surprisingly light compared to the real thing, since the only fats are vegetable-based. They were definitely a hit, and felt like a super-decadent treat (but still largely vegan - the wrappers do have egg in them, but we still eat eggs around here) of the sort that I feel I rarely get to have any more because restaurants only make this sort of thing out of meat. I served them with a big pile of lettuce as a salad, and used a mix of vegan sour gream and salsa verde as a topping.


Soyrizo and Cabbage Wraps

1 package Soyrizo imitation chorizo
1 head cabbage (I used half purple and half green for color), finely shredded
1/2 t poppyseeds
1 package wonton/egg roll wrappers
24 oz. vegetable oil


Heat 1 T oil in large skillet until shimmering; stir-fry cabbage until just beginning to soften, 3-4 minutes. Place in large bowl and mix with Soyrizo and poppyseeds.

Place 3-4 T of mixture in the middle of each wrapper. To assemble, fold bottom corner up over filling, roll; then fold over corners on either side, and continue rolling to form egg-roll shape. (I used a little egg white to hold the seams shut.)

Deep fry in vegetable oil until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Serve warm with your favorite Mexican condiments.