Spicy Tempeh Taco Salad

This is probably my favorite homemade salad. I know, right?! I may change my mind someday so don’t hold me to it, but this is at least my current favorite and easily in the top five.

I really can’t take all the credit either because this salad is very much inspired by a favorite salad I order at a bar I love. Mine is a little different, plus I’m not entirely sure what all they put in theirs.

Related: 40 Easy 30-Minute Dinner Ideas

So what’s so great about this taco salad anyway? Well, first off, it’s vegetarian-friendly, which is nice for me, because a great vegetarian taco salad is hard to come by. It’s super filling because the tempeh provides quite a bit of protein, and I actually like the texture quite a bit better than ground beef.

And my favorite feature is the spicy mayo. Yum! Use a good quality mayo with no added sugar and you’ll find that this salad is exceptionally healthy for how flavorful it is. Which is a major win-win in my book.

Related: 60 Easy Dinner Recipes

Spicy Tempeh Taco Salad, serves 2.

8 oz. tempeh
1/2 white onion
3 cloves of garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt + pepper
small handful of fresh cilantro (maybe a heaping tablespoon once chopped for those who MUST have a measurement)
half a head of lettuce (or more if you want even more veggies)
2-3 tablespoons salsa (make your own, or use a jar like I did)
1/4 cup mayo
1 tablespoon Sriracha
2 flour tortillas

Cube the tempeh. It will crumble more as you cook it, so it’s OK if it’s larger cubes. Finely chop the white onion. Mince the garlic. You can go ahead and stir together the mayo and Sriracha. Set aside until you need it.

If you want to turn the taco shells into plates, then drape your shells over two oven safe bowls that have been lightly coated in oil. Bake at 350°F for 8-12 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

In case you’re skipping flours/breads right now, just know that this salad is still super delicious without the shells too. I often eat it without…just giving you some options. Plus the tortilla plates are too cute.

Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until the pieces begin to brown (2-3 minutes). Add a little more oil to the pan.

Then, toss in the tempeh and garlic. Generously season everything with salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes so everything gets nice and hot.

Chop up the lettuce. Assemble the salad: tortillas, lettuce, tempeh mix, salsa, chopped cilantro, and spicy mayo. I like to enjoy this while the tempeh is still warm. Give it a try this week! xx. Emma

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Yield 2

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 oz. tempeh
• ▢ ½ white onion
• ▢ 3 cloves of garlic
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ salt + pepper
• ▢ small handful of fresh cilantro (maybe a heaping tablespoon once chopped for those who MUST have a measurement)
• ▢ half a head of lettuce (or more if you want even more veggies)
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons salsa (make your own, or use a jar like I did)
• ▢ ¼ cup mayo
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• ▢ 2 flour tortillas

Instructions

• Cube the tempeh. It will crumble more as you cook it, so it’s OK if it’s larger cubes. Finely chop the white onion. Mince the garlic.
• You can go ahead and stir together the mayo and Sriracha. Set aside until you need it.
• If you want to turn the taco shells into plates, then drape your shells over two oven safe bowls that have been lightly coated in oil. Bake at 350°F for 8-12 minutes until the edges begin to brown. In case you’re skipping flours/breads right now, just know that this salad is still super delicious without the shells too. I often eat it without…just giving you some options. Plus the tortilla plates are too cute.
• Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until the pieces begin to brown (2-3 minutes). Add a little more oil to the pan. Then toss in the tempeh and garlic. Generously season everything with salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes so everything gets nice and hot.
• Chop up the lettuce. Assemble the salad: tortillas, lettuce, tempeh mix, salsa, chopped cilantro, and spicy mayo.