Crunchy Tacos With Tempeh - The Washington Post

2022-06-11 00:07:28 By : Ms. Jack Sun

Rey Lopez for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post

Inspired by the taco emoji, with its hard taco shell and layers of filling, this variation stars tempeh. Made from fermented soybeans, tempeh is generally sold in 8-ounce bricks. Crumble it or shred it on the large holes of a grater, then saute with all of the usual aromatics and spices. Fill hard taco shells or your choice of tortilla, then top each taco with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream and hot sauce — or however you like them. This also makes a fine taco salad.

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Storage Notes: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.

When you scale a recipe, keep in mind that cooking times and temperatures, pan sizes and seasonings may be affected, so adjust accordingly. Also, amounts listed in the directions will not reflect the changes made to ingredient amounts.

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the tempeh and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, letting it toast slightly and begin to brown and coat the tempeh, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water and taco seasoning. Taste, and adjust seasoning and add more water, if desired. Remove from the heat.

To build the tacos, scoop about 1/2 cup of the tempeh crumbles into each taco shell or tortilla. Divide the cheese, if using, and lettuce and tomatoes among each taco shell. Top with the sour cream, salsa and hot sauce, if desired, and serve.

VARIATION: Instead of tempeh, use a 14-ounce block of extra firm tofu, pressed and crumbled, or a pound of lean ground meat. If using ground beef, lamb or turkey, omit the oil as the meat will contain enough fat to saute the other ingredients.

NOTE: To make your own taco seasoning, for 1 tablespoon: Combine 3/4 teaspoon fine salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion or garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika (any kind), 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

From staff writer G. Daniela Galarza.

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