Soyrizo is a meatless alternative to the traditional chorizo. Chorizo is a fabulous flavorful pork sausage, usually unsmoked (European brands can come smoked) and flavored with a variety of dried chiles and spices. It has a wonderful dark brick red color and is often used in paella, soups and stews, or other meat dishes. It can be spicy or mild, but the unmistaken flavor is that smoky paprika or combination of dried chiles.
Another big part of the traditional chorizo is the meat. Pork fat (and lots and lots of it), as well as other pork parts (tongue for example) are also the hallmarkers for that intense rich flavor. It's also fatty.
In this day and age where we're trying to eat healthier and as a mom, expose my kids to different flavors but not necessarly a huge fat or caloric content, something like soyrizo can be a cook's best friend. It's made with the traditional spices and flavorings of a traditional chorizo, but instead of the pork uses soybeans. This yields a product that's 60% less in fat, has only 120 calories per serving, and doesn't sacrifice any of the flavor.
This past weekend we headed up to visit some friends, Rochelle & Adam, who got a cabin up in the mountains. We've been talking about soyrizo omlettes for the longest time, and finally I got the chance to sample the goodness.
First heat the soyrizo in a pan like so:
Rochelle then sauteed some chopped onions and whisked up some eggs. She made a basic egg omlette and stuffed it with some of the onions and soyrizo and then added goat cheese (omg what a great addition!), and then folded the egg over itself to get the neat classic omlette. Then topped with some thinly sliced chives and some salsa if desired, and you have a wonderfuly tasty (and healthy!) breakfast treat! You truly can't miss the "meaty" flavor and it totally fools you. And being a healthier alternative, I'm loving it as an ingredient.
You can find soyrizo in your grocery store, next to the tofu!
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