Vegetable Tempeh Stir-Fry (Printer Friendly)

Nutty tempeh and crisp vegetables tossed in savory Asian-inspired sauce for quick weeknight dining.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 8.8 oz tempeh, cut into 0.4 inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
05 - 3.5 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed
06 - 3.5 oz broccoli florets
07 - 2 spring onions, sliced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 0.75 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

→ Sauce

10 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
11 - 2 tablespoons water
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
14 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
15 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch

→ Cooking

16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as sunflower or canola

→ Garnish

17 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
18 - Fresh coriander or cilantro leaves

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and cornstarch until well combined. Set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add tempeh cubes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides. Transfer tempeh to a plate.
03 - Add remaining oil to the wok. Stir-fry garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add bell peppers, carrot, sugar snap peas, and broccoli to the wok. Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are tender yet retain their crispness.
05 - Return tempeh to the wok. Stir the sauce mixture and pour it over the stir-fry. Toss everything together and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and coats all ingredients evenly.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in spring onions and garnish with sesame seeds and coriander if desired. Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles.

# Pro Advice:

01 -
  • The tempeh gets crispy and golden in minutes, tasting nothing like what you might remember from a bad vegetarian meal years ago.
  • You can use whatever vegetables are hanging around your crisper drawer without changing a thing about how good this turns out.
  • One pan, fifteen minutes of actual cooking, and somehow you end up with something restaurant-quality sitting in front of you.
02 -
  • If your sauce looks too thin when it hits the hot wok, don't panic—give it another thirty seconds because the cornstarch needs heat to thicken, not just time.
  • The secret to vegetables that are crisp instead of soggy is not stirring constantly but also not ignoring the pan; medium-high heat and movement every few seconds keeps everything at the perfect tender-crisp stage.
03 -
  • Tempeh has a slightly beany taste if it's raw, so don't skip browning it—that golden crust is where the magic is, and it takes away any flavor you might have been worried about.
  • Prep all your vegetables before you start cooking because once the wok is hot and the tempeh is in, there's no pausing to chop—mise en place saves you from scrambled pans and burnt things.
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