Get Tempted! 5 Ways to Enjoy Tempeh
Any person who dabbles in occasional vegetarianism has probably given some type of veggie protein a try. Perhaps you’re a fan of black bean and mushroom burgers. Or maybe you like to make a spicy tofu sir-fry once a week. But have you ever given tempeh a try? Tempeh is a tasty protein-rich food many vegetarians thoroughly enjoy.
What is tempeh?
Tempeh is a fermented, soybean cake that can be served in its cake form, sliced, or deep-fried with seasonings. Tempeh is full of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. It’s fermented, chewy and has a nutty-flavor.
How to eat tempeh
Tempeh meal recipes
1. Summer tempeh marinade
Yield: makes almost ½ cup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
Directions
Whisk ingredients until smooth. Add to one 8-ounce tempeh package, sliced into desired cuts for a few hours to overnight. Reserve excess marinade for drizzling over grilled tempeh.
2. Saigon-Style Sweet Potato and Tempeh Curry
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 lb. sweet potatoes, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 8-oz. pkg. tempeh, cut into bite-size cubes
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ½ cup reduced-fat coconut milk
- 2 large shallots, finely chopped (½ cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)
- 1 bird’s eye or Thai chile, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced, or 1 tsp. minced jalapeño chile
- 2 Tbs. hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 cups small cauliflower florets
- 4 oz. string beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
- 1 cup Thai or sweet basil leaves, torn
Directions
“Trim and discard top and bottom ends of each lemongrass stalk so you have 2- or 3-inch pieces of lemongrass, then peel and discard tough outer husks. Mince remaining tender inner cores of lemongrass. (You should have 1/4 cup.)
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes and tempeh. Cook 10 minutes, or until tempeh and sweet potatoes are browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth and coconut milk, followed by shallots, garlic, chile, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce. Add cauliflower, string beans, and reserved lemongrass, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve sprinkled with basil.” – Vegetarian Times
3. Veggie bacon: thinly slice a tempeh cake and marinate tempeh pieces in liquid smoke and tamari, then pan-fry.
4. Taco meat: Crumble tempeh and season with cumin and chili.
5. Stir-fried tempeh: Let tempeh soak in a chili, lemongrass and garlic mixture for 15 minutes, then stir-fry with vegetables and rice.
Image: Lablascovegmenu
