Tempeh Tacos with Avocado Crema
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- avocado oil or other high-heat, neutral-flavored oil ¼ cup
- Tempeh Crumbles 2
- Kosher
- soy sauce or tamari 2 tbsp
- medium limes 2-3
- or ripe avocado 1 piece
- vegan sour cream or tangy coconut yogurt ¼ cup
- garlic cloves 2
- jalapeño pepper 1
- ground cumin ½ tsp
- cilantro leaves and tender stems 1 handful
- Freshly
- taco-sized corn tortillas or taco-sized flour tortilla 12
- Quick Pickled Shallots 6 forkful
- cilantro 1 handful
- medium lime 1
If you opted to make tofu instead of tempeh, start the recipe by making this Simple Baked Tofu, or make my pan-fried tofu or air-fried tofu. Toss the cooked tofu with the soy sauce and lime juice as listed for the tempeh in step 2(c). Not a fan of cilantro? Use a bit of flat-leaf parsley instead. If you don't have a 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick frying pan, you can use a wok. Heat the wok until you see light wisps of smoke, then add half of the oil. Cook half of the tempeh until browned and crispy, stirring every 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining oil and tempeh. Storage: Store the Avocado Crema in an airtight container with the avocado pit to keep it fresh for longer, up to 5 days. Store the fried tempeh separately in the fridge for about 4 days. Reheat the tempeh in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat with a touch of oil and toss for a few minutes until heated through, then squeeze on some lime juice. Assemble the tacos as listed in the last step right before serving. Nutrition boost: Top tacos with a quick slaw: massage shredded cabbage with some lime juice and salt until softened. Or, top with chopped tomatoes. For more protein, buy corn/wheat blend tortillas, or low-carb ones, such as those from Trader Joe’s or Aldi. Shortcut: Instead of using a skillet, simply wrap several tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. Shortcut: Use store-bought guacamole instead of making the Avocado Crema.
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1Gather: avocado oil or other high-heat, neutral-flavored oil , Tempeh Crumbles , Kosher salt, soy sauce or tamari , medium limes . For the avocado crema: or ripe avocado , vegan sour cream or tangy coconut yogurt , garlic cloves , jalapeño pepper , ground cumin , cilantro leaves and tender stems , Freshly cracked black pepper, taco-sized corn tortillas or taco-sized flour tortilla , Quick Pickled Shallots . For the for serving:: cilantro , medium lime .
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2Open some windows for ventilation and line a large plate or cutting board with a few paper towels.
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3Cook the tempeh. Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) or larger sauté pan or nonstick frying pan (see Note 3) with the avocado oil over medium-high to high heat until it just starts to lightly smoke. Add the Tempeh Crumbles and spread them out in a single layer as much as possible. Cook for 2 minutes undisturbed, then toss. Cook for a total of 12 to 14 minutes, stirring every 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until mostly golden brown and crisp (some pieces will get brown before others; that’s okay). If needed, lower the heat to medium to prevent burning. Transfer the tempeh to the paper towel-lined surface to blot out excess oil and season with a couple pinches of salt. Once the tempeh has cooled a bit, transfer to a bowl. Add in the soy sauce and 1 tbsp of lime juice. Toss to coat the tempeh.
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4While the tempeh is cooking, make the Avocado Crema and prepare your side salad (if you’re making one). Avocado Crema: Scoop out the flesh from the avocado(s). If planning to keep leftover crema, hold on to an avocado pit. To a food processor (or small-capacity blender), add the avocado flesh, 3 tbsp of lime juice, the sour cream, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, cilantro, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and several cracks of pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as you go. Season to taste, adding more lime juice or salt and pepper as desired.
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5Warm the tortillas. Heat a skillet (ideally cast iron, but any kind works) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add each tortilla and cook for 20-40 seconds per side. Stack and wrap the tortillas in a dish towel to keep warm.
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6Assemble. Dollop some Avocado Crema onto each tortilla and spread out, leaving a border at the edges. Top with fried tempeh and spoon some Quick Pickled Shallots on top, adding a spoonful of the pickling liquid. If desired, sprinkle a bit of cilantro onto each taco. Serve lime wedges (squeeze on top before enjoying, if using) and your side salad, if you made one.