Though I don’t cook with it often, tempeh is one of my favorite vegetarian sources of complete protein. Unlike tofu, it has a satisfying texture and nutty flavor that I love. In this recipe, we’re crumbling it up by hand into small pieces and coating it in a sweet, salty, spicy sauce. With the help of cornstarch, the sauce thickens up and clings beautifully to the tempeh. It gets served over a bed or rice with a crunchy slaw and a boiled egg on top for added protein.
Ingredient Highlight
Tempeh! Is a fermented soybean (or other legume or grain) product that is packed with protein, fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, and iron to name a few. I prefer it over tofu because it’s less processed (tofu is fermented soy milk whereas tempeh is fermented soy beans) and has a nutty flavor and better texture. Steaming tempeh can help remove the slightly bitter taste.
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 5 minutes Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp grated ginger or chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp sriracha optional, plus more for topping
- ¼ cup water
- 1 (8 oz) pack tempeh, torn/crumbled into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 3-4 cups cooked rice*
- 4 boiled or fried eggs
- Chopped cilantro or scallions, for topping
For the marinated veg:
- 4 cups thinly sliced crunchy veg**
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- * Cook extra rice to use for Turkey Lentil Curry.
- ** Use any raw crunchy veggie here! Cucumber, radish, fennel, cabbage, carrot, coleslaw mix, etc…
- Note: 1 pack of tempeh can generally feed 3 people, which is why I added egg to the recipe. Easily double the tempeh if you like more of it in your bowl or want to stretch the recipe.
Instant Pot jasmine rice instructions:
- Add 2 cups rice to a fine mesh strainer and rinse, using your hands to agitate the grains, until the water runs clear. This gets rid of the extra starch so your rice isn’t mushy. In a 6-quart Instant Pot, add the 2 cups jasmine rice and 2 cups water. Lock the lid in place and set the vent to “sealing”. Select “manual pressure” (set to high) and set the timer for 4 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then carefully move the vent to “venting” to release the pressure.
Stovetop jasmine rice instructions:
- Add 2 cups rice to a fine mesh strainer and rinse, using your hands to agitate the grains, until the water runs clear. This gets rid of the extra starch so your rice isn’t mushy. Add rice to a large pot along with 3 cups water. Cover and turn the heat on high. Once the water starts to simmer rapidly, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, covered, for about 12-15 minutes, or until the water is evaporated and rice is cooked. Don’t remove the lid until the timer goes off!
Instructions
- Cook your rice if you haven’t already (instructions below).
- In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, coconut sugar, ginger or garlic, sriracha (if using), and water.
- To make the marinated veg, add all ingredients to a medium bowl and toss to coat. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, but overnight is best!
- Toss tempeh in the cornstarch (I just do this right on my cutting board or do it in a bowl). In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil (enough to cover the pan in a thin layer). Once oil is hot, add tempeh, spread into an even layer, and let it cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown (turn the heat down if it’s burning). Stir it all up and let cook for 1 more minute.
- Turn off the heat and pour in about half (about ⅓ cup) of the soy mixture and stir immediately to coat the tempeh. The sauce should bubble up and thicken and cling to the tempeh. If it’s looking too dry or is sticking too much to the pan, stir in some water to loosen/scrape it up.
- Add rice to your bowl and top with tempeh, marinated veg, and drizzle the remaining sauce all over. Top with boiled or fried egg, more sriracha (if using), and herbs.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Mix together the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, sugar, ginger or garlic, and sriracha)
- Tear/crumble 1 (8 oz) pack tempeh into small bite-sized pieces
- Cook 2 cups rice (3-4 cups cooked)
- Boil 4 eggs (or fry them fresh)
- Chop up some fresh cilantro
- Thinly slice 3-4 cups thinly fennel, radish, and/or cucumber
- Make the slaw
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, definitely double the tempeh recipe and skip the eggs.
- If you can’t find tempeh, tofu would work here too. Note that tofu usually comes in 14 oz packs, so I would double the sauce recipe so that you can add more sauce if needed.
- You can substitute cornstarch with arrowroot starch (I think tapioca starch would work as well). You could leave the cornstarch out, but the sauce won’t thicken/cling as nicely.
- Add kimchi for a bibimbap-style bowl (this could replace the slaw or just be added).
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Tempeh: up to 6 days in the fridge
- Rice: up to 6 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months
- Slaw: up to 7 days in the fridge
- Boiled eggs: up to 7 days in the fridge
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover rice and tempeh. Add slaw, egg, and any other toppings.
- Leftover tempeh crumbles can be added to bowls and salads for protein.
- Make fried rice with leftover rice/tempeh and any veggies you want to use up.
- Turn it into a tempeh taco!
