baja tempeh taco salad with chili honey lime vinaigrette
Some might argue my laugh sounds a bit like ba ha ha ha ha in certain situations. Taco salad is nothing to laugh about, though. Especially not this Baja Tempeh Taco Salad, it’s too good for dinner table humor. Put up, shut up, and eat up. That’s my philosophy.
I do have a wild laugh. Well, I have multiple laughs, depending on the caliber of hilarity in a given situation. The ba ha ha ha mentioned above is a slow drawl, a low-octave sound at something of mild funniness but more than warrants the sniff laugh. The sniff laugh means something is ironic and not funny, or just plain not funny but I’m being polite in acknowledging the attempt. On the opposite spectrum is the flat-out guffaw. I’m silenced, bent over clenching my stomach, eyes closed, might be crying a bit, and when a noise does escape it’s a screech that could wake up your deceased cat and send it yowling down the cemetery. That laugh isn’t terribly common, but it’s my favorite, and tends to last for several minutes.
I am huge on laughing – it warms up a chilly soul. Any bad day can be cured with a good joke, just like most bad days can be healed with a nourishing meal. And crispy baked, lime infused tortilla chips. That is guaranteed to serve up a smile.
Baja Tempeh Taco Salad forms itself pretty snappily. Mix up a flavorful marinade and divide it amongst crumbled tempeh and sweet potato rounds. The sweet potatoes get drizzled in oil and a touch of honey, then roasted until soft and sweet. In the meantime, heat up a skillet and saute the marinated tempeh for a bit until browned and crispy. Tempeh is not meat, so it won’t get juicy as such, but with enough oil and the bevvy of flavor and a bit of belief suspension, it’ll prove a worthy substitute.
With the same oven temperature set, slice tortillas into strips, toss with oil, lime juice, and a bit of salt, and toast for a bit until crispy. Keep an eye on your tortillas lest they burn.
Next: vinaigrette. A food processor or blender is your friend here, but you can certainly emulsify the ingredients by hand if you wish. Whip or whisk the components until creamy, taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
All that’s left after that cooking soiree is putting together the salad. You can make it pretty or just dump everything in a good sized bowl and go to town. Serve the dressing on the side to prevent sogginess, unless you know it’ll all be et in one sitting. I wouldn’t put it past you and your people, though.
Tell me about your laugh – do you have multiple laughs, and when do you use them? If you tried this recipe out, leave a comment below with your thoughts! Don’t forget to find me on Instagram and say hello, I’m always ready for a chat.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, cut into rounds
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 block tempeh, crumbled
- 4 corn or wheat tortillas
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 1 avocado
- 6 cups mixed greens. I used kale and arugula
chili honey lime vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 4 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette. In the bowl of a food processor or strong blender, whip all ingredients until emulsified. Pour into an airtight jar or container and set in the fridge until 5 minutes before serving.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment. Stir oregano, garlic, onion, cumin, paprika, and salt with a fork until combined. In a bowl, toss sweet potatoes with half of the seasoning blend as well as honey, 1 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Spread onto one of the baking sheets and cook for 25 minutes, flipping rounds once halfway through. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, cut the tortillas into 1/2 inch strips. No need to be too precise here, however. Toss with 1 tsp olive oil, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Spread onto the second baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes on one side, then flip and bake an additional 5-8 minutes until crispy all over. Watch closely to prevent burning. They will continue to bake a bit on the hot parchment once they're removed from the oven.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium in a skillet. Add tempeh along with the other half of the seasoning and stir to coat. Cook about 8-10 minutes until tempeh crisps, keeping in mind it will not brown as much as regular meat.
- To assemble the salad: Add greens to the bottom of a bowl, then spread sweet potatoes and avocado evenly. Sprinkle with black beans and tempeh, then top with tortilla strips. Drizzle vinaigrette on individual servings.
