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Portobello Tacos with Pineapple Salsa & Avocado Cream

The grilled portobello mushrooms in these tacos are a truly satisfying meat substitute. Oh, we know that people generally have complicated feelings about mushrooms. But you could probably sell these portobellos to the wariest diner; in fact, they might not even recognize them. On the grill, portobellos develop a nice char, which gives them a dense, meaty texture and some smoke — add a little adobo, bright with vinegar and smoky sweet chipotle peppers, and they get a deep, earthy umami flavor.

They’re perfect layered in the taco. A spoonful of pineapple salsa adds a light, fruity sweetness and a mild kick, and the queso fresco and avocado cream are there to add the salty creamy notes and soothe the palate. This taco has all the flavors.

Vegans! You can skip the cheese, and make this terrific vegan avocado cream.

Our tip: Go all out and make your own corn tortillas. It’s so easy and they taste wonderful — they have a soft, tender texture and full corn flavor. They’re also pliable and easy to fold when they come off the skillet, so your tacos will stay somewhat tidy. And, if you don’t have an immediate use for the whole can of chipotle peppers you’ll open to make this recipe, you can tuck them in the freezer until you do.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the salsa:
¼ pineapple, diced small
½ red onion, diced small
1 small jalapeño pepper, diced small
1 bunch cilantro, picked and chopped
1 tsp olive oil
Pinch of salt
Lime juice

For avocado cream:
2 avocados
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp lime juice (about 2 limes)
Pinch of salt

For portobello tacos:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 large portobello mushrooms, sliced ½-inch thick
2 Tbsp adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
2 to 3 cracks fresh black pepper
Pinch of salt
8 corn tortillas
1 cup queso fresco
Cilantro, chopped for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

Directions
  1. To make the salsa: In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except the lime. Stir until combined, and then add a squeeze of lime. Set aside.
  2. To make the avocado cream: In a medium bowl, mash together the avocado, lime juice, and salt. Add the sour cream and stir it into the avocado mixture. Set aside.
  3. To make the portobello mushrooms: In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, olive oil, adobo sauce, salt, and pepper.
  4. Heat a grill pan to medium-high and grill mushrooms slices until they are lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes a side.
  5. Using the hot grill pan, warm the tortillas. Note: This will soften the tortillas, so they’ll be less likely to tear when you fill them.
  6. Use 2 tortillas for each taco, and fill them with portobello mushroom slices, queso, salsa, avocado cream, cilantro, and if you like, a squeeze of lime.