Superfood Tempe Taco

With the weather getting cooler it’s time for something comforting, something warm, and something spicy. It’s time to Taco!

There’re a few reasons why I love Mexican food. I love food with bold flavours, the kind of food that punches you in the face with a strong taste and then makes you come back for more. It’s sexy and daring. It’s passionate.

One of my favourite Mexican foods is taco. I mean, who doesn’t like taco? It’s tasty, easy to make and it’s great for parties!

Traditionally, taco is made with meat but I make mine with tempe, walnuts and chia seeds. These make the taco highly nutritious and their unique texture gives the taco that ‘meaty’ and chewy taste, even though it’s completely plantbased.

You can find tempe (also spelled tempeh) at your local supermarket, health food store or an Indonesian or Malaysian speciality grocery store. You want to get raw tempe, as the cooked version is often flavoured and not as firm as the fresh type so it might be difficult to grate.

Why I love it

It’s not only that this superfood tempe taco is easy and quick to make, it’s also nutritious, delicious, and high in protein. The added chia seeds provide a boost of omega 3 and they also help thicken the taco’s ‘meat’ mixture in next to no time.

The leftover ‘taco meat’ can also be used to spice up salad or sandwiches for lunch the next day, if you can manage not to eat it all in one sitting.

The key is to a good taco is a good taco seasoning. You can get it at the store or you can make it your self. If you’re a big taco fan, I recommend making it yourself because it’s so easy to do and you can customise it to suit your preferences.

You just need to get all the spices, mix them together and then store the mixture in an airtight jar to keep its freshness. The best thing about making your own taco seasoning is that you can adjust the taste to your liking. You can make it as hot (or as mild) as you like, you can add more of the spices you like, maybe reduce the salt, or add more pepper.

Superfood Tempe Taco

Ingredients:

• 1 pack (250) raw tempe, grated
• ¼ cup walnut, finely chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning*
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced

• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• ½ red onion, sliced
• ¼ cup non-dairy cheese
• 8 hard taco shells

Method:

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan on medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and stir for about 3 minutes, until it begins to soften.
3. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Stir grated tempeh; cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Pour vegetable broth over the tempeh mixture and reduce heat to low. Add the taco seasoning, oregano, and ground red pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

*How to Make Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• ½ – 3 teaspoon chilli powder (depending how hot you like it)
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together

Tips:

• Make a big batch of taco seasoning and use it to season roast vegetables, salads, wraps, etc
• Use lettuce leaves in place of taco shells if you want to make it lighter (or if you run out of taco shells)
• Use leftover taco meat to fill sandwiches or to sprinkle upon your salads.

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you Leave a comment below or share a picture and tag me on Instagram!

Keren x

This recipe is also created in collaboration with Australian Avocado