How to cook tempeh: BBQ, stirfry, salads and more

Are you looking for some new and inventive ways to cook tempeh? Or perhaps you are a tempeh newbie and want to learn more about it? Here is a everything you need to know about how to cook tempeh.

What is tempeh?

Tempeh is a delicious vegan protein, that is versatile and nutritious. It has a nutty flavour and is firm enough to slice and barbecue. Tempeh is made by fermenting beans and/or nuts, and it is surprisingly easy to do at home (you can find the culture online). Traditionally tempeh is made from soy. However, you can make homemade tempeh form sunflower seeds, chickpeas and more.

How to cook tempeh

Barbecued

One of my favourite ways to cook tempeh is to marinate it and throw it on the barbecue. Really, you can use any barbecue sauce for delicious barbecued tempeh. Thinly slice the tempeh and slather on the barbecue sauce. Tempeh doesn’t need to be cooked, so heat it until the sauce is nicely bubbling and the the tempeh is warmed through.

If you are looking for a specific recipe, check out this one from Feeding Your Beauty.

Stir fry

Tempeh is a quick and easy protein to throw into your favourite stir fry. Add it to everything from Sezchuan stir fry to pad Thai. Just fry it up separately then add on top with a bit of extra sauce. Alternatively, try this sesame ginger stir fry from Food with Feeling.

Baked

Baked tempeh is probably the simplest way to prepare it. Simply slice the tempeh, slather on your favourite sauce (barbecue, stir fry sauce, pasta sauce) and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. The goal is to heat the tempeh, not dry it out. Here is a spicy and sweet peanut baked tempeh from Minimalist Baker.

Salad

You can add tempeh to all sorts of salad. Simply dice tempeh into cubes, then fry for 2-3 minutes and toss them into your favourite salad!

Caeser salad
COBB salad
Pear walnut and tempeh salad
Tempeh noodle salad

Pasta

Tempeh is a great source of protein for pasta recipes. I particularly recommend trying homemade lentil tempeh, as the rich earthy flavours really work well with tomato sauce. To add tempeh to lasagna, slice it into thin layers and simply sandwich it into the sauce layer. Cubed tempeh can be sauteed and tossed on top of pasta like meatballs. Or you could try this pasta bolognese recipe from One Green Planet.