By Caroline Patrick, Graduate Nutrition Student

Tofu taco Tuesdays, anyone? I know it’s the month of ghosts and ghouls, but don’t let the tofu scare you away. These things were deliciously taco-licious. At Wednesday night’s Test Kitchen we had our first rendezvous of the season with tofu, and we were lucky enough to have a short presentation about what it is and how it’s made.

Here’s what I learned:
The process of producing tofu starts by adding heat and water to soybeans. Then the liquid is separated from the solids and voila soymilk! From here, tofu is made much in the same way that cheese is made from milk. The extracted soymilk is coagulated, creating the firm texture. Typically tofu is packaged in water to preserve its form and freshness. It’s important to both drain and press the tofu to extract as much of this liquid as possible, as removing excess water allows the tofu to absorb more flavors, and to brown faster.

As this dish was cooking on the stove, the smells emanating were incredible—garlic, onions, cumin and more. We could not wait to assemble our tacos! But first, a Test Kitchen-goer and Mexico native advised us to take the time to warm the tortillas in a skillet, and boy was she right. The warm tortillas made the perfect base as we piled on the tofu, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and cheese. We also added some tang to this recipe by topping off our tacos with fat-free plain Greek yogurt. If you have some on hand, we definitely recommend you add a dollop of it in there!

You will be amazed at how flavorful and satisfying this dish is. I even had it for dinner the next night—they’re genuinely that good. Try this recipe out on your next taco night and discover the power of tofu.

Sargent Choice Tofu Tacos
Makes 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) package of tofu, crumbled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
½ lime, juiced
½ cup crushed tomatoes
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
10 6-inch whole wheat tortillas
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup salsa

DIRECTIONS

1. Over medium heat stir fry tofu, oil, garlic, in a large skillet for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chili powder, paprika, cayenne, cumin, salt, lime juice, and crushed tomatoes to the skillet and stir. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. Stir in cilantro. Cook for another 30 seconds. Spoon mixture into serving bowl
4. Spoon the tofu mixture into taco shells.
5. Top the mixture with lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and salsa.

NUTRITION FACTS: Serving 1 Taco