Are you on the hunt for a quick and easy recipe, that just so happens to be vegan? Who am I kidding? Who doesn’t love a meal that can be put together in under 20 minutes? You might remember my Day #4 post of my “What Vegans Eat” week where I made tempeh and black bean tacos. Well, the wait for the recipe is over and it is time to get cooking!
Vegan Tempeh and Black Bean Tacos
Servings: Makes 4 tacos
Ingredients
water, for cooking
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
2/3 of a block of tempeh (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
1/4 cup black beans
1 TB low-sodium soy sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
1 1/2 TB taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
4 tortillas
Optional Toppings:
lettuce
onions
tomatoes
nutritional yeast
salsa
Directions
1. Line a medium skillet with a thin layer of water. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot. Once hot, lower the heat to medium and add the garlic and peppers. Cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, or until the peppers have softened.
2. Add tempeh to the skillet. Break the tempeh up with a spatula. Add soy sauce and lime juice. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the tempeh is warm.
3. Add black beans and cook an additional 3 minutes, or until the beans are warm.
4. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Assemble tacos by placing lettuce and onions onto each tortilla. Top the lettuce with the taco-seasoned tempeh and black beans. Finally, top the tempeh with tomatoes, nutritional yeast, and salsa.
I ate two tacos, which made for a very protein-rich and filling meal. Not to mention that I got in a great deal of veggies, too!
The use of nutritional yeast added a delicious cheese flavor to these tacos. You could certainly use vegan shredded cheese (like Daiya) in its place, but the nutritional yeast easily met my cravings for a cheesy flavor.
I really loved using the taco-seasoned tempeh and black beans in a more traditional taco form, but the versatility of this recipe also enabled me to change things up a bit with my leftover ingredients.
For lunch the next day I made a tempeh and black bean taco salad. I nixed the tortillas, added extra lettuce, and loaded on the salsa in place of dressing. If you are looking for a low-carb Mexican recipe, then this may be the route that you want to take. I, however, prefer to eat this dish both ways! What can I say, I get bored easily! 😉
Have you always thought that Mexican food and a vegan diet do not go together? This recipe proves that that is most definitely not the case!
