All You Need to Know About Tempeh (with 5 Tasty Recipes!)

One Green Planet



Image Source:Tempeh Picatta

Tempeh is a highly nutritious fermented soy food that originated in Indonesia over 2000 years ago. It is made by cooking and de-hulling soybeans, infusing them with a culturing agent, and then incubating them overnight to form a solid cake. Tempeh has a distinctive, nutty taste, and is easy to prepare. It readily absorbs the flavor of sauces and marinades, making it a perfect addition to stir fries, scrambles, chili, spaghetti sauce, or used as a meat substitute.

High in protein and dietary fiber, tempeh is filling, satisfying, and has a substantial texture even tofu-haters and the staunchest meat-lovers are sure to enjoy! And like other soy proteins, tempeh may help lower LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels, while increasing levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol in the body.

Tempeh is also a great source of several vitamins and minerals, including riboflavin, magnesium, manganese and copper. Choose organic to ensure your tempeh is GMO-free and made without the use of harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

Want to learn how to make tempeh at home? Read this useful article.

Below you'll find 5 of our favorite tempeh recipes. They are all nutritious, delicious, and highly recommended. Enjoy!

1. Tempeh "Tuna" Salad

Recipe: Tempeh
Recipe: Tempeh



Ingredients:

  • 1 -8 oz package plain tempeh, crumbled

  • 1/4 medium red onion, diced

  • 2 green onions, diced

  • 3 celery ribs, diced

  • 3 Tablespoons sweet relish

  • 1 cup of your favorite mayo

  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Crumble tempeh and mix with the red onion, green onion, celery, relish, mayo and brown mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold on salads or grilled in a sandwich.

2. Gingery Maple Glazed Tempeh on Baby Greens Salad
This is a light lunch with an asian tang! If you get hungry very quickly after just a greens, fruits, veggies and croutons salad, add some tempeh or bean patty strips to amp up the protein, which will keep you full for a while. Get the recipe here.



3. Tempeh in Spicy Onion Curry
This Indian curry is a popular curry used in meat preparations. The earthy spices and the onions will remind most Indians of the roadside small shops serving greasy chicken or lamb curries. Serve hot with any Indian Flat Bread (Roti, Chapati, Naan) or Basmati Rice! Get the recipe here.



4. Pomegranate Sweet and Sour Tempeh
This bright tasting sweet and sour tempeh pairs really well with a good reisling! Get the recipe here.



5. Minced Tempeh Salad with Lemongrass, Sesame and Cashews
Inspired by Thailand's cuisine in general, this recipe uses raw lemongrass in a tempeh salad with a sesame/lime/sugar/soy sauce combination that will blow your mind! Get the recipe here.



This post was originally published on One Green Planet.

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