Tempeh is really the best of both worlds; it’s high in protein (like its sibling, which is made from soy milk: tofu) but also high in fibre because it’s made with the whole soybean (plus it’s fermented, so can be even more beneficial for health). It has quite a particular, slightly bitter note, so I like to pair it with a flavourful, punchy sauce so the final dish is delicious (even if you don’t usually like tempeh). This overall recipe contains around 15g of fibre and 30g of protein, let’s get into it…
INGREDIENTS
Main ingredients:
Brown rice
Edamame beans (I used frozen)
Tenderstem broccoli
Vegan kimchi
Tempeh
Mushrooms (I used a mixed pack including oyster and shiitake)
Sauce:
Gochujang paste
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder
Soy sauce (tamari or reduced sodium versions can be used, if that suits your dietary preferences / restrictions)
Toppings & everything else:
Toasted black sesame seeds (regular sesame seeds also work – if not pre-toasted, just gently heat them over a low temperature in a frying pan for a few minutes until fragrant)
Spring onions
Shallot (or half a small onion)
Dressing:
Lime juice
Miso paste (I used red, but any will do)
Tahini / sesame paste
TIPS & NOTES
If you aren’t familiar with cooking tempeh, this is a really easy option. I generally would recommend marinating the tempeh to allow it to absorb the flavours you want it to take on, but a really punchy sauce can bypass that need. We are essentially breaking it into bite-sized pieces to increase the surface area, shallow-frying it and then finishing it off with a sauce made of gochujang (a fermented Korean chilli paste), soy sauce (for a salty umami flavour) and some of the juice squeezed from the kimchi to add a tangy flavour. We aren’t cooking the kimchi because we don’t want to kill off the good bacteria from the fermentation process. Make sure you use raw, unpasteurised kimchi (not the shelf-stable jarred kind) to get these benefits.
Tempeh Bowl with Kimchi & Mushrooms
A healthy, flavourful rice bowl with mushrooms, kimchi and tempeh
Ingredients
- 50g of edamame beans (if using frozen, put them in a bowl with boiling water at the start of prep / cooking)
- 200g tempeh block (break apart by hand into bite-sized chunks)
- 200g of tenderstem broccoli (trim the ends)
- 250g of mixed mushrooms (pull apart by hand / slice)
- 100g of brown rice (rinsed)
- 100g of kimchi
- 1 shallot (halved, then sliced)
- 1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp of miso paste
- 1 tbsp of tahini
- Juice of 1/2 a lime
- 2 spring onions (sliced)
- 40g of gochujang
- 10g of soy sauce
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- A generous drizzle of sesame oil
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Directions
- Cook the rice with salt and pepper to taste in 180g of water (use a small, lidded non-stick saucepan or a rice cooker) – this should take around 30 minutes in total and a further 20g of water can be added towards the end, if needed
- Prepare the sauce by mixing together the gochujang, soy sauce, garlic powder, paprika and a couple of splashes of the kimchi liquid (gently squeeze the kimchi with a fork to release it)
- Combine the tahini, lime juice and miso paste with a 1 tbsp of very cold water and use a small whisk or fork to combine
- Heat a wide frying pan over a medium-high temperature and add a generous drizzle of sesame oil (to cover the surface area of the pan) and one it has heated up, add the tempeh – cook for around 10 minutes in total, using a pair of tongs to rotate the pieces until all sides are golden
- Either clean the same pan or use a second similar pan and put it over a medium-high heat – add the mushrooms (be careful not to pile them on top of each other) and cook without oil or salt for 7 minutes until the water evaporates out and they begin to pick up some colour, then season with salt and white pepper and add a small drizzle of sesame oil – add the shallot and continue to cook for a further couple of minutes
- Steam the broccoli for 7 minutes (using a steaming basket) until the broccoli can be pierced with a fork but it’s still fairly firm and vibrantly green, alternatively you can boil the broccoli for 5 minutes and blanch immediately afterwards in ice water
- Add the tempeh to the mushrooms and toss them together with the gochujang sauce and cook for a further couple of minutes on a low heat
- Once everything is ready, dish up – add the rice, edamame beans, kimchi, gochujang mushrooms and tempeh and broccoli to the plate, drizzle over the tahini miso lime dressing and sprinkle over the sesame seeds and spring onions
Let me know if you try this bowl!
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