• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HealthyHappyLife.com logo

  • about
  • RECIPES
  • LIFESTYLE
  • BLOGGING
  • VIDEO
  • SHOP
  • Cookbooks
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • My Books
  • Videos
  • About
  • holiday
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » This and That » Tempeh Taco Night! with Pickled Radish Slaw.

    by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Mar 14, 2020 · published: Feb 2, 2011 · About 5 minutes to read this article. Leave a Comment

    Tempeh Taco Night! with Pickled Radish Slaw.


    Like many families, Taco Night was a weekly staple in my household growing up. And usually when taco night is “veganized” we reach for standard fare like beans and rice to fill our taco tortillas. Well here’s my creative spin on vegan taco night..

    Tempeh Tacos! For this fiesta feats, lets perk up our palates with bold flavors like sweet maple-chipotle-spiced tempeh cubes, zesty citrus-pickled radish slaw, fresh crisp greens and thick luscious slices of avocado. All piled high on a healthy sprouted corn tortilla. Have a Tempeh Taco Night!..

    Taco Fixins’..

    Mexican food is one of my all time favorite cuisines. Growing up in California I was exposed to a wide variety of authentic Mexican flavors. I learned early on that most often, the best Mexican food comes from a tiny cafe shack down by the beach. Or in your very own kitchen. Nothing “highbrow” needed, just flavorful, fresh fare – crafted with care.

    I used to love a tiny little beach side cafe called Costa Brava in Santa Cruz – they had the freshest veg burritos ever. Crunchy shoots of chopped cilantro in each bite. They used the leaves and the crunchy stems of the cilantro – genius! Try it – the zesty crunch is superb.

    But if I can’t be back in Cali for my fave Mex eats, at least I can get creative in my own kitchen.

    Tonight’s Main Taco Ingredient: Tempeh! (I adore tempeh. I actually prefer it over tofu most nights.) Learn more about Tempeh here. Nutrition facts and info.

    Why Tempeh?
    Well I personally love rice/beans paired with all the mex bells and whistles (guac, salsa, etc). But since my husband is a “veganish” eater and hates rice and beans, I really needed an alternative taco stuffer ingredient. Tempeh cubes it is!

    This recipe is perfect for lunch, but add a few sides, and your taco night dinner is set! Sides for this meal? A few ideas…

    Plantains
    Mex Couscous Power Bowl
    for a party: Vegan Nachos
    Salsa Verde
    Verde Guacamole

    Tomato Mexican Rice
    Fizzy Fruity White Sangria
    EZ Zesty Guacamole

    Side link -> if you ever do find yourself eating at Chipotle for Mexican eats – be sure to check out my 5 Healthy Vegan Dining Tips at Chipotle.

    And now onto the recipes!..

    Tempeh Tacos with Pickled Radish Slaw
    serves 2-3

    1 avocado, sliced into long strips (toss in lime or lemon juice to prevent oxidation)
    1 cup crisp greens (I used pea shoots but you can sub with mache, chopped cilantro or another leafy green)
    3-5 corn tortillas, warmed
    sides (salsa, rice, plantains – whatever you’d like!)

    Spiced Mexican Tempeh
    1 package tempeh 8oz, cut into cubes
    2-3 tablespoon olive oil
    2 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
    1 teaspoon liquid smoke
    ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
    ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    ½ teaspoon spicy chipotle powder
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    ¼ teaspoon pepper
    ½ orange, juiced
    1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

    Pickled Radish Slaw
    *this watermelon radish recipe is similar
    1 white onion, sliced into thin rings
    1 ½ cups radish slices (rounds, or julienned sticks)
    ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
    ½ orange, juiced (opt’l: microplane some citrus zest in too)
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1 tablespoon olive or grape seed oil
    ½ teaspoon coriander (opt’l)
    pepper
    opt’l: a drizzle of tahini

    garnish: orange slices

    Directions:

    1. The night before you make this recipe you will want to prepare your radish slaw so that you can have it chilled and lightly pickled the next day. I used watermelon radish, but you can use classic red radishes if you’d like. If using red radishes (which are less sweet than a watermelon radish) add in an extra spoonful of sugar. This helps the pickling process. Toss your radish slaw ingredients and place in the fridge overnight.

    watermelon radish for the pickled radish slaw:

    2. About a half hour before you want to eat: prep your avocado slices and tempeh. set aside your taco fillings (pea shoots, avocado, pickled radish slaw – and anything else you may wat to have on hand).

    3. Warm your tortillas in the oven. I wrap mine in foil and place in warm oven – a little olive oil rubbed on them. I liked these sprouted corn tortillas even though they were a tad on the dry side. Next time I’ll probably stick with traditional corn tortillas or better yet – make my own!

    sprouted corn tortillas…

    4. Tempeh. This tempeh is really a quick saute. Toss all your ingredients in a large bowl – so the tempeh is well coated with the seasonings. Turn on your saute pan. Since your tempeh has been tossed in the olive oil you don’t need to ‘grease’ the pan. But you can add more if you’d like. Saute over medium-high heat until the edges of the tempeh start to brown. Remove from heat and transfer to your serving bowl.

    5. Assemble your tacos! This is the fun part. Assemble however you’d like. And like I said, you can add salsa, vegan sour cream, vegan Daiya cheese, rice, beans, guac – whatever you’d like! You can even wrap your ingredients into a large whole wheat tortilla burrito wrap or stuff the tempeh cubes into enchilada wraps, slather in enchilada sauce/vegan cheese and broil int he oven – then serve the chilled slaw on the side. The “taco night” opportunities are endless. Enjoy!


    More recipes you may enjoy

    • Happy Vegan Birthday to me! And a Babycakes Cake.
    • Blueberry & Bosc Pear Pie. with a two-faced pie crust.
    • Fresh Blueberry Citrus Whole Wheat Waffles
    • Bittman: The Minimalist Moves On. And away from meat.

    About Kathy Patalsky

    Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

    Garage to ADU Conversion: Making of a Studio!

    How I Found My Lost Cat – Tips to Help

    Vegan Linzer Cookies

    5 Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Pie

    Primary Sidebar

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    newsletter:

    Trending

    my cookbooks

    my cookbooks

    Disqus Latest Comments

    1. s

      s: Absolutely one of the best things I've ever baked. Used dairy butter…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    2. JanetS

      JanetS: Neither of those non-grain flours will substitute for oats or wheat. As…

      Commented on: Cinnamon Toast Morning Muffins, gluten-free and vegan

    3. disqus_LfP7ofaP87

      disqus_LfP7ofaP87: Earth Balance brand HAS PALM OIL, as do most of the vegan…

      Commented on: Sticky Banana Bread Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

    about kathy

    kathy patalsky

    featured: peach coconut water smoothie

    browse recipes

    Breakfast  |  Entrees  |  Desserts  |  Smoothies  |  Sandwiches  |  Salads  |  Beverages  |  Soups |  Appetizers |  Snacks  |  Sauces  |  Sides   /  Cooking Videos  |  Round-Ups  |  Fan Favorites  |  Holiday  /  All the Recipes

    browse:

    • reviews
    • travel
    • vegan topics
    • people
    • videos
    • beauty
    • wellness
    • Mom Life

    my ttc + baby journey

    Footer

    BROWSE BY:

    Category:

    DATE:

    looking for something?

    contact   |   about   |   kathy’s cookbooks  |  press  |  findingvegan  |  meal plans  |  shop  |  vegan recipe index  |  privacy policy  | start a blog

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Services | Work with me