Vegan taco salad with quinoa tofu taco meat
A quick and easy main course salad made with a delicious plant based quinoa tofu taco meat, fresh vegetables and a tangy, citrus cilantro cumin vinaigrette.
Servings 4 people
Calories 630kcal
Ingredients
Quinoa tofu crumbles
- 1 cup quinoa cooked
- 14 ounce extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
Cilantro cumin vinaigrette
- 3 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoon green onion white part only finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ cup cilantro minced
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon agave or honey optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh salad ingredients
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper strips
- 1 cup corn
- 1 avocado diced
- 8 ounces mixed greens
- 4 corn tortillas
- Lime wedges garnish
Instructions
Prep up the tofu crumbles
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Crumble up tofu in a bowl and add the quinoa. Add the remaining ingredients for the quinoa tofu crumbles. Mix together well so that all the flavors mix together throughout the entire mixture. The best method is to use your hands so you can continue to crumble the tofu into small pieces.
- Spray a baking sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil. Evenly lay out the mixture on the pan. Place into the oven and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When ready remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Prep up tortilla strips
- Slice tortillas in half and then into small strips.
- Place them on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes or until browned and crispy.
Prepare dressing
- Place all the ingredients for the dressing into a blender and process until well blended. Set aside until ready to serve.
Prep veggies
- Chop up vegetables as indicated in the ingredient list. Cut the avocado just before serving.
Arrange salads
- Place the salad greens in a large bowl and add the dressing. Use tongs to evenly distribute the dressing over the leaves of the greens. Transfer to serving bowls.
- Top with vegetables and quinoa tofu crumbles. Garnish with lime wedges.
Video
Notes
Tips for BEST results:
When making the quinoa tofu taco meat, crumble up the tofu well, the smaller the pieces the better.
Use your hands to mix the spices into the tofu and quinoa. Not only does this mix things up well, it also works to crumble up any remaining large pieces of tofu.
Use extra firm tofu. This tofu works the best for making quinoa tofu taco “meat”. It is firmer in texture and has less moisture and I think it lends itself to a final texture that more mimics ground beef. If you can only find firm tofu, I suggest pressing the tofu first or at the very least squeezing it well in a strainer to remove the excess water.
Use fresh limes for making the dressing. There is a difference in the flavor between fresh squeezed limes and buying lime juice in a bottle. It may be subtle, but it’s there. Maybe it’s the processing the packaged product experiences or the preservatives added, but my preference is always for fresh limes.
Nutrition
Calories: 630kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 391mg | Potassium: 1046mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3217IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 5mg