Veggie Love Tamari Tempeh Bowl
I am not a big tofu person but I am won over to tempeh! Tempeh is a natural cultured fermented whole soybean product that is formed into a firm dense cake form. It is nutritious, an excellent source of plant-based protein and a great choice for vegans, vegetarians and for us all. Tempeh is chewy, has a slightly nutty flavour and lends itself to pan-frying much easier than tofu, retaining its dense texture and shape.
Tofu is also a fermented soybean product. It is made from compressing soy milk into solid white blocks. It is softer in texture (even the firm varieties) to tempeh and has a neutral taste. Tofu absorbs cooking seasoning flavours more readily due to its softer texture which is a nice benefit of tofu.
Being from the whole soybean, tempeh has more nutritional value than tofu, being higher in protein, fiber, potassium and iron, and also carbs since, as said, it’s the whole bean.
I created this recipe to include more plant-based meals in our weekly rotation. This recipe is very versatile and you can use any other veggies you wish, serve with rice, rice noodles or quinoa, drizzle with tahini instead of topped with an egg, or slice a hardboiled egg instead of one sunny side up. The flavour of the veggies with simple seasoning blend beautifully together, but feel free to season it up as you wish!
Prep time: 15 Minutes / Cook Time: 30 Minutes / Number of Servings: 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
1 250g package of plain Tempeh
¼ cup Sesame Oil
¼ cup Tamari
¼ cup Olive Oil – divided
8oz Cremini Mushrooms – sliced
2 Sweet Potatoes – peeled and diced
1 Shallot – halved and sliced thin (Option: regular cooking onion)
5 cloves of Garlic – sliced
3 Cups of Kale – ripped into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon ground Ginger (Option: 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger)
½ teaspoon Turmeric (Optional)
½ cup Veggie Bouillon – (Needed if the veggies start to stick or the pan is dry, can also use water)
Salt and Pepper – to taste
Eggs – 1 sunny-side up per plate (Optional, omit if Vegan and substitute with a drizzle of tahini)
Avocado – sliced for garnish
Pumpkin Seeds – for garnish
Cooked rice, rice noodles or quinoa - for serving alongside
How It’s Made:
Cut the block of tempeh into cubes.
Heat the sesame oil in a medium frying pan and sauté the tempeh until it is browned on all sides.
Add the tamari and let the tempeh sauté in the sauce, soaking it up. Transfer the tempeh to a bowl.
In the same frying pan, add half the olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until they have given off their liquid and are roasted nice and brown. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and add the tempeh cubes into the same pan, keeping them both warm and as separate as possible for serving.
As the tempeh and then the mushrooms are sautéing, in a separate large frying pan, add the remaining olive oil and when hot, add the sweet potato cubes. Stir them around to coat the cubes in the oil. Let them cook for 10 minutes or so on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add some veggie bouillon or water if the pan gets too dry.
After 10 minutes, add the shallots and garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add the ground or fresh ginger and the turmeric, if using, and stir to mix them into the sweet potato, onion and garlic. Season with a few grindings of pepper.
Add the kale and stir to combine with the sweet potato mixture. Cook until the sweet potatoes are soft when pierced with a knife and the kale is wilted and soft. Add more bouillon or water if the pan gets too dry. Cover to let steam help the veggies soften, stirring every couple of minutes.
When the sweet potatoes and kale are done, turn the heat to low to keep the mixture warm.
If you are serving this with a sunny-side egg, prepare your egg now. If no egg will top your deliciousness, then you are ready to plate up this goodness!
To serve, as in the photos, put some rice on the side of the plate and arrange a large serving spoonful of the tempeh, the mushrooms and the sweet potato kale side by side. Sprinkle the sweet potato mixture with some pumpkin seeds. Garnish with sliced avocado half on top of the mushrooms and the tempeh. Slide the egg on top.
Enjoy!
Variations:
Serve with rice noodles or quinoa.
Omit the egg and drizzle with tahini or a balsamic glaze.
Use any veggies of your choice for the sweet potato and kale – carrots and cauliflower sautéed with a dash of curry powder, baby potatoes halved with fresh or ground rosemary, spinach or chard or cabbage finely cut…
In place of the mushrooms (but they are so great with the tempeh!) - green beans or sliced Brussel sprouts with a dash of chili powder, kohlrabi cut into sticks with some basil, even chickpeas, Romano or white kidney beans with a splash of balsamic vinegar… Changing up the veggies will make for unique taste combinations and a new dish every time!
