Tempeh: A Meat-Free Alternative

After my lukewarm reaction to tofu, I was ready to take on a heartier vegetarian stapleâ€”tempeh. I had never heard of tempeh before this experiment, but as I read about it, the prospect of a high protein, low-fat food really appealed to me. Basically, tempeh is cooked and fermented soybeans that have been formed into a dense cake. Also important to note, tempeh has a high calcium content for those on a vegan diet.

Tempeh is a popular addition to stir fry dishes and stands in for the meat or protein a carnivore might add. Tempeh absorbs flavors well and has its own nutty taste with a somewhat chewy texture. I wasnâ€™t quite sure how to handle this new branch of vegetarian eating, so I did what I always do and took to the internet for inspiration. After a little bit of searching, I found this recipe for Basic Oven-Baked Tempeh by Crescent Dragonwagon from her book Passionate Vegetarian.

I followed the aforementioned recipe, though since I didn't have Pickapeppa, I substituted Tabasco sauce and added honey, ketchup, and black pepper as my additional three ingredients. I used Lightlifeâ€™s Organic Three-Grain Tempeh and baked per directions (I sliced the tempeh thin to absorb the marinade and had to adjust the cooking time as such) and the result was a hearty, dense, and somewhat spicy addition to white rice. On their own the tempeh and rice tasted a bit plain, so I whipped up a quick ginger-soy sauce, and the dish was a success!

From Pillsburyâ€™s Easy Chinese Cooking

Ginger-Soy Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon oil

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients in small bowl.

I recommend pouring the sauce into a small container and shaking just before serving so that the oil and soy sauce can mix well. Between the baked tempeh and the soy-ginger sauce I had a fantastic light meal in only about 30 minutes. I enjoyed tempehâ€™s hearty texture and nutty flavor and look forward to cooking with it again in the future. Next up, seitan: savory, sumptuous, or will my meal fall flat?

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Showing the Latest of 1 Comment

lochnessie233
2 yearss ago

Really? Tempeh? I can't stand the stuff and I was a vegan for a good while. In general, I find meat-substitutes to be too artificially dense or bland to be worthwhile. However, who can't love deep-fried tofu in a Thai curry sauce. I suggest you give it another try before you write it off.

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