It was only weeks ago when I discovered the magic of Tempeh. This delightful little cake of nutritional goodness has opened so many new doors of exciting culinary creativity, and these BBQ tempeh tacos are no exception!
Similar to cooking with tofu, tempeh picks up the flavors of seasonings and sauces quite wonderfully! And its texture, when added to dishes like stir fry, tacos, burritos and salads, make it the perfect meat alternative. This recipe has several of my favorite ingredients, incorporated into one, savory, nutrient-dense and delicious taco. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- Vegan Ranch dressing (see recipe below)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 - 8 oz package of plain tempeh, cut into cubes
- 1/2 can lentils, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup sweet barbeque sauce (I use Sticky Fingers Smokehouse Carolina Sweet)
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 avocado, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 cup frozen corn, steamed and set aside to cool
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- Several leaves of Romaine lettuce, shredded
- 8 large flour tortillas
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves for topping (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Sprinkle tortillas with a tiny splash of water and stack them one on top of the other in a covered, oven-proof bowl. Heat the tortillas in the oven while you prepare the other ingredients.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add tempeh, lentils, garlic powder and paprika. Cook for 2 minutes, tossing the ingredients with the spices. Add the BBQ sauce and cook over very low heat for approximately 3-4 minutes. The sauce will begin to caramelize. Using a spatula to toss and stir, continue cooking the tempeh for another few minutes. Turn off heat, cover and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the avocado, onion, corn, jalapeno and red wine vinegar. Toss and stir gently to coat and mix all ingredients. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, add the Romaine lettuce and drizzle with 1/4 of your Ranch dressing. Toss well to coat.
Remove the tortillas from the oven, and handle with care to assemble tacos (careful, they're hot!)
Assemble the taco ingredients in layers on each tortilla; first with lettuce, then tempeh, then avocado salsa, then a drizzle of vegan ranch dressing and optional cilantro leaves.
Vegan Ranch Dressing
- 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use Follow Your Heart brand)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 1/2 tsp dill
- 1 Tbsp non-dairy milk (I use Silk Almond Milk)
Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. You will have extra dressing left over from this recipe. Store in a mason jar or tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. This dressing is delicious on salads or used as a dip for veggies, cauliflower bites and other nibblers. Add a sprinkle of cayenne for extra spice!
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