Lion’s Mane Tacos

Photo by Katherine J. Zhang | @theplexitarian

During the pandemic, Sous-chef Kiki and I became regulars at our local farmers’ market. She’d hop in her backpack carrier and off we went. We’d always come back with a filled reusable bag containing a plethora of locally grown vegetables and handmade goods. Eventually my weekends were planned around which local market I was going to check out “this time.” I was so thrilled about all the wonderful farms and food merchants that we have here in the Bay. Inspiration quickly took over, and I set out to make a recipe celebrating some of my local finds.

At one market in particular, I stumbled upon 3 booths that eventually shaped this recipe. One was a local tortilleria, selling delicious and organic handmade blue corn tortillas. Further down the strip, I discovered a booth selling a brown paper bag full of lion’s mane mushrooms for a price I could not refuse. Feeling good about my purchases, I decided to get one last thing on my way out: A jar of organic vegan kimchi made by a local business not far from my hometown. I immediately went to my kitchen and began experimenting. I’d repeat this process over and over for a few weekends until I was satisfied with what is now called the Umami Market Tacos!

Ingredients

Lion’s Mane Mushrooms and Marinade:

  • 2 - 3 Lion’s mane mushroom bulbs

  • 3/4 cup Fresh orange juice

  • 1/2 cup Hot water

  • 3/4 Vegan chicken bouillon cube

  • 1 Lime juiced

  • 1 tbsp Nutritional yeast 

  • 1 tbsp Smoked paprika

  • 1 tbsp Brown sugar

  • 1/2 tbsp Light soy sauce 

  • 1 tsp Liquid smoke

  • 1 tsp Onion powder

Guacamole:

  • 1 Medium sized avocado

  • 1/2 Lime, juiced

  • Salt

  • Nutritional yeast

  • Onion powder

  • Garlic powder

Oil:

  • 1/2 tsp Neutral cooking oil

Optional:

  • Vegan kimchi

  • Kizami Nori

Directions

  1. Cut the lion’s mane mushrooms into slivers.

  2. In a mixing bowl, add hot water and the vegan chicken bouillon cube. Whisk the two ingredients together. Once integrated, add the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, and liquid smoke to the same bowl and whisk together.

  3. Add the nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, brown sugar, and onion powder to the same mixing bowl and whisk together to create the marinade.

  4. In a container, add the prepped lion’s mane mushrooms and pour the marinade inside. Make sure each lions mane sliver is evenly coated. Let it sit for at least 2 - 4 hours, although 1 day is preferred.

  5. In a mixing bowl, add one avocado. Mash the avocado using a hand masher. Add the lime juice and season to taste using nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.

  6. Add 1 tsp of neutral cooking oil to a hot iron skillet over medium heat. Remove the lions mane mushrooms from the marinade and place it into the iron skillet. Rotate the mushrooms periodically and cook until any remaining liquid has evaporated.

  7. Heat the blue corn tortillas on a hot iron skillet over medium heat. Occasionally rotate until both sides are slightly toasted.

  8. Grab a blue corn tortilla and add guacamole to the bass of the tortilla. Then place a handful of cooked and marinated lion’s mane mushrooms over the guacamole. Add warm kimchi over the lion’s mane mushrooms and finish them off with kizami nori.