Vegetarian Stir-fry Salad with Tempeh

Many of you may not be familiar with tempeh but I hope to persuade you to give it a try. Tempeh is a vegetarian soy product, very different from tofu. It has a complex nutty, mushroom-like flavor and a firm texture. Crumbled or grated, it is an excellent vegetarian substitute for ground beef. Sliced into strips with a marinade, it can be grilled, or tossed into a stir fry. If this is your first attempt at cooking tempeh, try this recipe because I think you will like the crumbled texture and familiar stir fry flavors of the sauce. This recipe is quick to prepare making it an ideal choice for a Meatless Monday.

Vegetarian Stir-fry Salad with Tempeh

Ingredients

Sesame Ginger Sauce

¼ cup water

¼ cup low sodium tamari

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ½ teaspoon powdered ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Tempeh Veggie Mixture

1 teaspoon canola oil

½ cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (7-ounce) package tempeh, crumbled (original or garden veggie)

1 cup carrot, shredded

1 cup red bell pepper, diced

1 cup broccoli, chopped

Chopped romaine lettuce or arugula

Garnishes: chopped peanuts, chopped scallions

Directions

Place all sesame ginger sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add canola oil. Saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes then add crumbled tempeh. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add carrots, peppers, broccoli, stirring occasionally for another 3-4 minutes. Pour sesame ginger sauce over vegetable mixture and cook until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Serve over chopped lettuce and top with peanuts and scallions.

Note: Tempeh comes is several flavors. I tend to use either the original or garden veggie. For a faster preparation of this recipe, you could substitute your favorite store-bought stir fry sauce. This mixture can also be served in lettuce cups or as lettuce wraps.

Nutrition Note: Tempeh (TEM-pay) is a traditional soy product made by a natural culturing and fermentation process that binds the soybeans into a cake form. Tempeh’s fermentation process makes it more digestible, reducing the phytic acid in soy which allows the body to absorb more nutrients found in tempeh. Tempeh is also a source of beneficial bacteria, protein, fiber and B-vitamins.

Judymatusky.com

Recipe adapted from ohmyveggies.com

 

 

3 Comments Add yours

  1. mistimaan says:

    Nice recipe 🙂

    1. Judy Matusky says:

      Thank you!

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