Shredded Tofu Salad Stuffed Arepas with Guasacaca

This Shredded Tofu Salad is tossed in a creamy, tangy guasacaca salsa. The perfect high-protein filling to prep and stuff into arepas.

I’ve been playing around with a number of different flavored high-protein fillings. They have become my favorite thing to prep for the week especially depending on what sauces or dressings they get tossed in.

This first filling was originally inspired by the Venezuelan Reina Pepiada, but those plans shifted after trying guasacaca for the first time. It’s a creamy, mild avocado salsa that gets it’s sharpness from vinegar. That flavor really helped amplify the tofu filling even more than before, and suddenly these arepas happened.

Why You’ll Want to Make This Shredded Tofu Salad

• Can be made ahead. This includes both the filling and arepa shells. Doing that prep work ahead means that you can assemble your meal much faster.
• High in protein. Two stuffed arepas provide 20g of protein. It’s one of those meals that feel very filling and nourishing!
• Simple ingredients with some simple swaps. Customize or change any component of this meal based on your preference and desired ease. All suggestions are listed below.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

• Tofu: Use Super Firm Tofu or a Vacuum Sealed Extra Firm Tofu. To make soy-free, try Fava Bean Tofu from Big Mountain Foods.
• Chickpeas: I add this for fiber, but feel free to replace it with remaining half of super firm tofu.
• Snap peas: I wanted to use up the veggies in my fridge, but this is totally optional. If you still want the volume, consider using shredded carrots.
• Avocado: I don’t recommend any alternatives.
• Onion: For the sauce, I highly recommend white onion. I feel like red onion is a little too harsh for the sauce. Spring onions can work in a pinch.
• Jalapeño: Traditionally, guasacaca uses green bell pepper. I used jalapeño because I love spice. For my spice haters, definitely go for the green bell pepper.
• Vinegar: I recommend white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
• Lime: You can replace with an extra tablespoon of vinegar if preferred.
• Umami Enhancers: We are using nutritional yeast for the tofu and vegetable bouillon paste (Better Than Bouillon or 1/2 a cube of Edward & Sons) for the guasacaca. The recipe will still work without these ingredients, but they do add an extra hit of flavor. So if you have them, do use them!
• Cilantro: If not a fan of cilantro, swap for some parsley.
• Pre-cooked cornmeal: I used the brand P.A.N. pre-cooked yellow cornmeal, but the pre-cooked white corn meal works too. You need to make sure the cornmeal you use is pre-cooked and made for arepas as other types of cornmeal will not work for this preparation.

How to Make Shredded Tofu Salad and Arepas

For the tofu: Grate the tofu over the largest holes of your box grater. Toss with tamari, oil, nutritional yeast, potato starch, garlic powder, white pepper, and salt. Toss to coat then bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Break up any clumps then allow to cool.

For the guasacaca: To a blender cup, add avocado, onion, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, vinegar, bouillon paste, and a pinch of salt then blend until smooth. Add the cilantro and blend again until the cilantro is evenly minced. Taste and adjust with additional salt or vinegar as needed.

Mix the filling: To a large mixing bowl, add the chickpeas and mash with a potato masher. Add the tofu, snap peas, pepper, onion, cilantro, and half the guasacaca. Stir everything together to combine, stirring in more sauce to achieve your desired consistency.

Make the arepa dough: To a medium mixing bowl, mix together the corn meal and salt. Pour in the warm water slowly while using a hand to mix and form a dough. Add the oil then briefly knead the dough in the bowl until the dough has a play-doh-like consistency with no lumps. Cover and allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.

Shape and cook the arepas: Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball then use your palms to flatten the dough into a flat disk, about 1 cm in thickness. On a griddle, cook for 6-8 minutes on both sides.. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

Assemble: Cut into the arepa lengthwise to create a pocket. Stuff and enjoy!

Expert Tips

• What to look for with your dough. You can test a small piece of your dough by rolling it into a ball and then lightly flattening it with your finger. If the dough is showing a lot of cracking or crumbling, it needs more water. If the dough is really sticky, you need to add more cornmeal. Add small amounts of either while mixing until a play-doh consistency is reached.
• Swap the arepas for bread. Don’t feel like making arepas? Pile the filling up on your favorite slice of toasted bread.
• Arepas can be made ahead of time. Shape the arepa into disks and place a small sheet of parchment between each disk in a stack. Wrap the stack in plastic wrap then store in an airtight container. Place the container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cook as instructed.
• Taste before you mix. My biggest tip for cooking is to taste as you go along with the recipe. If something is tasting bland, add a little more salt to help bring out those flavors. If something tastes flat, add a splash of vinegar or citrus to liven up your filling. This is especially true when making sauces as this will be the main flavoring component for your tofu salad. Make it bold and flavorful!

How Long Does the Filling Keep in the Fridge?

Air can oxidize the avocado overtime, but with the lime and vinegar, this mixture can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For extra insurance, you can press a piece of plastic wrap overtop to cover the mixture and further reduce air exposure.

Ultimately, if you want to have this mixture last past the 3 days, I’d recommend vacuum sealing the mixture in a container using a Zwilling Vacuum Sealer.

Make It Balanced

When prepared as instructed, this meal provides all your desired nutrition. You get protein from the beans and tofu, fiber from the avocado and beans, and plenty of antioxidants from the veggies and guasacaca. Here are some more nourishing ways to enjoy.

• Swap the arepa: Serve the high-protein filling over bread or stuffed in a pita.
• Make it more protein-rich: Instead of the chickpeas, use the whole block of super firm tofu or fava bean tofu (for my soy-free friends).

Watch Me Make This Recipe

Recipe videos provide a general idea for recipe preparation. Please read the full recipe instructions and notes for the most accurate recipe results.

More High-Protein Meal Preps

• Crispy Citrus Shredded Tofu
• Cilantro Lime Edamame Toast with Pickled Onion Radish Salad
• Peanut Miso Cucumber Crunch Sandwich
• Lime Crunch Noodle Salad
• High-Protein Breakfast Crumble

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