Get ready for the pure deliciousness that are these 20-minute Vegan Asian Tempeh Tacos! These are so simple and delicious. The slaw makes every bite so fresh and bright while the tempeh is garlicky-sticky-sweet heaven.
These are now a staple at our house. We started making them a couple of months ago and now we have Tempeh Taco Tuesdays. The boyfriend does the slaw and I do the tempeh. Aren’t we just a match made in heaven?
Vegan Asian Tempeh Tacos: Some Notes
Tempeh is an amazing Indonesian fermented soybean product. It cooks up beautifully. The nuttiness really adds to the texture of the taco filling for this recipe. You'll see. If you haven't had tempeh before, today's your lucky day! You can find it in most supermarkets.
Paul uses a mandolin to slice the cabbage but if you don’t have one just try to cut the cabbage pretty thinly! I believe in you. Isn't this the most gorgeous slaw? It gets even more beautiful as it sits and marinates in the vinegars.
In case you were wondering...and I kind of hope you weren't; my self-etched bowl says "Doughnt mix with my dough". I guess if I was more into doughnuts or made them often enough, I would've put "Doughnut mix with my dough".
Anyways, we use Siete Foods Chickpea Tortillas for our tortilla choice, and we heat them up for about 15 seconds on each side (no oil) over medium-high heat. Neither of us are grain-free eaters, but I think their thin, slightly crispy texture makes these tacos taste even brighter! And if you're gluten-free, then these would work even more for you!
Get these ingredients ASAP
I use a blend of Asian ingredients in this recipe, like gochujang, mirin, and miso. Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste, mirin is a Japanese sweet cooking rice wine, and miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste. These are ingredients you can find in your local natural foods store or Asian supermarket. I highly recommend them.
If you already have these ingredients, phenomenal. If not, go find and try these amazing ingredients that can add so much depth to your cooking. Not only will your vegan tempeh tacos thank you, but your pantry will thank you as well. If you really don't want to do that or don't have the time, you can simply omit them. The recipe won’t be nearly as delicious, but it will still be delicious.
If you make this recipe, please comment and rate the recipe below! I love hearing from you all. Also, you can tag me on Instagram @higheralchemybaking with your bake!
Vegan Asian Tempeh Tacos
Ingredients
For slaw
- 2 cups (120g) thinly shredded red cabbage
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 lime's juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
For tempeh
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 1 diced tomato
- 8 oz (226g) tempeh
For sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon gochujang
- ½ teaspoon red miso (or any miso you have)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For serving
- 6 tortillas of your choice (6-inch ones)
- 1 chopped green onion (optional)
- 2 cups salad greens (optional)
Instructions
Make the slaw
- Combine the shredded red cabbage, salt, vinegars, juice of lime, maple syrup, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Let sit while you make the tempeh filling, tossing occasionally in passing.
Make the tempeh
- Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat. When the pan is heated, add the oil and minced garlic.
- Cook the garlic until golden brown, then use your hands to crumble your tempeh into the pan. Toss with a spatula occasionally.
- When the tempeh starts to brown (3-4 minutes), add the chopped tomato. Toss together and let cook for about a minute.
- Add the salt and sauce. Let the sauce simmer and reduce, stirring constantly, until the tempeh is sticky and there is no liquid on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat.
Heat the tortillas
- Follow the instructions on your tortillas' packaging. If there are none, heat the tortillas in a clean small pan over medium-high heat. Each side should take about 10-20 seconds. Watch carefully and flip when golden brown on the bottom.
Construct your tacos & plates
- Drain the liquid from the slaw into a separate bowl. Add the sesame seeds to the slaw and toss to combine. The leftover liquid can be used as a salad dressing over the optional salad greens.
- Top the 6 tortillas with the tempeh filling and slaw on top, being sure not to overfill each taco with filling. If using the salad greens tossed with the slaw dressing, plate the tacos with the salad. Add the optional green onions over top and serve.
Notes
Just look at how beautiful those are.