Blackened Tofu Tacos with Charred Corn & Radish Salsa

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo (or any day of the week) with these tasty tacos loaded with spice-crusted tofu and a zesty corn & radish salsa. The amazing pan seared tofu, inspired by Crispy Blackened Tofu from the Daily Garnish, will shock tofu-haters because it is so crispy and flavorful. For this dish, the delicious, spicy tofu is piled into gluten free tortillas and topped with a unique salsa of oven roasted corn and radishes to create amazing vegetarian tacos. The recipe may look a little lengthy but nothing about it is challenging and if you prefer, you can actually prepare the spice blend and salsa (keep refrigerated until ready to use) ahead of time. I used Spinach Oat Flatbread as my tortillas but you can easily use store-bought gluten free tortillas, too.

Blackened Tofu Tacos with Charred Corn & Radish Salsa
Gluten Free
Serves Two
Click Here for Printable Recipe



Ingredients--
Blackened Tofu:
1 block light extra-firm tofu (like the kind by Mori Nu)
1 Recipe Spice Rub (see recipe below)
1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1.5 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
a few dashes of liquid smoke
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Charred Corn & Radish Salsa:
1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted and drained
8-10 small radishes, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon
1/4 cup radish greens, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
Hot Sauce, to Taste
Salt

Taco Assembly:
4 small (about 6 inches) gluten free tortillas or flatbreads (such as Spinach Oat Flatbread or Homemade Corn Tortillas)
Fresh Parsley, for garnish
Hot sauce, for topping

1. If not already made, prepare Spice Rub (recipe below) and set aside.

2. Start the salsa by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

3. Add corn and radishes to baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.


4. Roast vegetables 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, or until radishes are tender and corn is beginning to “char” and blacken.

5. While the salsa vegetables are roasting, begin the blackened tofu, -- remove tofu from packaging and place lengthwise on a cutting board. Cut tofu block into 2 slabs, then cut each piece in 2 so you are left with 4 pieces.


6. Use paper towels to squeeze each piece gently to remove any excess moisture. Place several layers of paper towel on cutting board and lay tofu pieces side by side on top of towels. Place several more paper towels on top of tofu then place a heavy plate on top of all 4 pieces. Stack on another bowl or plate so the tofu is being pressed down. Let tofu sit for 10-20 minutes (really you can just let it sit until you’re ready for it).


7. While the tofu is being pressed, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic, Worcestershire, and liquid smoke in shallow bowl large to enough to fit all 4 pieces of tofu. Set aside.

8. Once the vegetables are finished roasting, you can finish the salsa--In a medium bowl, toss together roasted vegetables with remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Set aside until ready to assemble tacos.


9. Now that the salsa and spice blend are prepared, you can finish the tofu-- add tofu to soy sauce mixture and let marinate for 2-3 minutes. Flip pieces and let marinate for 2-3 minutes more.


10. While the tofu is marinating, add sesame oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat to medium high.

11. Place spice blend dish beside marinating tofu. One at a time, remove a tofu piece from marinade and carefully dredge in spice blend. Flip to coat on all sides (use your hands if necessary to make sure tofu is thoroughly coated in spices). Place tofu in skillet and repeat with remaining three pieces. (Keep the extra spice blend).

12. Sear tofu 4-5 minutes, or until a “blackened crust” forms on the bottom. Gently flip tofu and cook for 3-4 minutes more, or until a crust is formed on top and bottom. Next, carefully flip tofu pieces onto sides for a few seconds to sear the edges as well.

13. Once tofu is seared on all sides, use a spatula break tofu into strips, then sprinkle with the reserved spice blend.


14.  To assemble tacos-- wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds so they are pliable.

15. Place two tortillas (or flatbreads) on each plate. Divide tofu strips between tortillas and top with a scoop of salsa. Finish with fresh parsley and hot sauce, if desired.






Nutrition Information--Blackened Tofu Tacos including Salsa--approximately 295 calories per serving (2 Tacos)
Blackened Tofu--approximately 225 calories per serving (6 ounces of tofu/ half of the recipe)
Corn & Radish Salsa-- approximately 70 calories per serving (half of the recipe)

Note--I only made one serving so the pictures reflect half of the actual recipe.

Spice Rub:
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes (use less to make spice blend less spicy)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a shallow dish (large enough to dip tofu pieces in) until combined


More Taco Recipes from Spicy Sweet Potato--
Taco Bar-- Lots of different options for a fun DIY taco
Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream-- Crispy Tortilla Shells filled with a spice rubbed tilapia and and topped with chipotle cream
Shrimp Tacos with Green Apple Salsa-- Tasty shrimp tacos topped with a unique apple salsa
Provencal Lentil Tacos with Roasted Vegetable Tacos-- Vegetarian Tacos with a French Twist