If you’ve never heard of a crunchwrap, you’ve probably never been through a Taco Bell. Back in the less healthy days of my life, crunchwraps were the best. They basically take everything you love about tacos/burritos, and combine them into this delicious hybrid of both. Believe me when I tell you, they’re delicious, but they are so not healthy in any sense of the word.
That all changes today, because today i’m going to give you a crunchwrap recipe that will not not only blow the OG out of the water, but is also 100% plant-based. Yes! A plant-based take on something that barely contains any plants at all. What a time to be alive!
A typical crunchwrap supreme contains a massive flour tortilla, ground beef, nacho cheese sauce, a tostada for that signature crunch, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and to top it all off, shredded cheese. Like I said, hardly a plant in sight, but my version is all plant-based. Impossible plant-based meat, Siete Cashew Queso, and Daiya Cheddar Shreds take the place of the traditional meat and dairy fillings, while guacamole replaces sour cream for that creamy, cooling center. Obviously the lettuce and tomatoes remain the same, but overall, this bad boy got a total vegan makeover.
The only tricky part of this recipe was keeping it gluten free, as you’re going to be pretty limited on large gluten free tortillas. You do have a couple of options though. For this recipe, I used La Tortilla Factory’s Sonoma Gluten Free Wraps. they might be tricky to find, so if that’s the case, use the largest gluten free tortilla you can find, and if necessary, break up your tostada shell to fit in the center. No matter what, your tortilla isn’t going to be big enough to cover it all, but that’s okay! Just cut out a circle from another tortilla that’s the same size as your tostada by using it as a guide. You’re going to basically use this round cut out as a patch to keep it all together.
Crunchwraps are best assembled and eaten while fresh, but you can make the Impossible beef ahead of time, and chop up the lettuce and tomato a day or two ahead. That way, everything is ready to go whenever you are.
Vegan Crunchwrap Supreme
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
Ingredients:
- 6 large gluten free tortillas – 3 of them are to cut out your tostada sized circle patches
- 1 package of Impossible Burger Meat (you can also use Beyond Ground Beef)
- Mexican Seasoning Blend (recipe below)
- Splash of vegetable broth
- 1 Package of grape tomatoes; cut into quarters
- 1 Package of shredded lettuce for tacos- or about 2 cups; finely shredded
- 3 Corn tostada shells
- 1/2 cup Siete Mild Nacho Cashew Queso
- 1/2 cup prepared guacamole
- 1/2 cup Daiya Cheddar Shreds
- Drizzle of avocado or olive oil
Mexican Seasoning Blend:
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions:
- In a large frying pan, cook Impossible Burger Meat or whatever choice of vegan meat you want over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon, until the beef is cooked through and starting to brown. This should take about 5 minutes. Add in your Mexican Seasoning Blend along with a splash of vegetable broth, and stir to thoroughly combine. Remove from heat.
- Take 3 of your large tortillas and cut out your rounds, tracing around one of your tostada shells as a guide. These are to basically patch your crunchwrap together at the bottom since most tortillas will not be big enough to wrap around the fillings.
- In a separate large frying pan, lightly heat your other three tortillas one at a time, just until they are pliable and easy to fold. Don’t do all three at once, just do them as you go so they don’t get stiff.
- Fill the crunchwraps: Place 1 of the tortillas on a work surface. Place a decent layer of your vegan beef onto the center of the tortilla, then spread the beef out to create a 5-inch round. Top the vegan beef with an even layer of the Siete Cashew Queso, then top with a tostada shell (break into pieces if necessary to fit your tortilla). Spread 1-2 tablespoons of guacamole evenly on top of the tostada shell, then sprinkle the lettuce and tomatoes over the guacamole. Sprinkle Daiya Cheddar shreds over the lettuce and tomatoes, then grab one of your tortilla round cutouts and place it on the top of each crunchwrap to cover the center.
- Wrap the crunchwraps: Fold the top of a tortilla down over the filling to the center. Holding that piece down and working clockwise, continue folding the rest of the tortilla towards the middle until the filling is completely covered (you will have 5 to 6 folds). If you are having trouble keeping it together, you can use toothpicks to hold the folds down for cooking. Just be sure to remove them all before serving.
- In a large frying pan, add a drizzle of oil and heat on medium/high heat. Place the crunchwrap, folded-side down, in the heated pan. Cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Repeat as needed until all the crunchwraps are cooked.