Right now’s recipe is a riff one among my favorites from Andrea Nguyen’s most up-to-date e-book, Vietnamese Meals Any Day. It is a caramelized tempeh crumble, the type of factor that instantly turns into the very best part in your rice bowl. When you’re on the fence about tempeh, that is the place to begin.
What’s Tempeh?
Tempeh is a fermented entire meals, soy-based, and far liked in conventional Indonesian tradition. To make tempeh, soybeans are soaked, partially cooked, mixed with a starter, after which unfold right into a layer to permit fermentation to happen. Lots goes on at this stage, and you may learn a extra detailed play-by-play about tempeh manufacturing right here. Soybean tempeh is commonest, however different variations are additionally out there. You additionally would possibly see tempeh mixed with different energy components like flax, or different grains.
Andrea acknowledges that tempeh is not a conventional Viet ingredient, however she makes use of it in banh mi, pho, and crumbles like this one to imitate meat, “when crumbled into small items…tempeh absorbs the seasonings properly and fries up properly.” 
Why Tempeh is such a Energy Meals
Tempeh is extensively thought of a powerhouse ingredient as a result of it’s wealthy in a superb vary of vitamins. It additionally weighs in properly on fiber, antioxidant, and protein fronts. Add to that the fermentation issue (principally, the fermentation helps with nutrient absorption, and digestibility) and you’ve got a meals that’s working for you, not in opposition to. Lots of people prefer to substitute tempeh rather than one thing meaty. For instance, this tempeh crumble would possibly take the place of a pork crumble. Here is the place you could find extra tempeh recipes, and I additionally like this record of tempeh advantages on McKel’s Vitamin Stripped Web site. Extra tempeh in 2020!
The Tempeh Crumble recipe
In Andrea’s model she makes use of 1/2 cup of chopped lemongrass. The lemongrass provides fantastically aromatic citrus notes, and is one among my favourite flavors. That mentioned, the occasions I used to be in a rush to make dinner, I discovered myself skipping out on the 1/2 cup of chopped lemongrass (the lemongrass in my yard is loopy robust) and repeatedly making this shortcut model. It makes use of serrano chiles and additional inexperienced onions – nonetheless actually tasty, simply faster to throw collectively.
Methods to Use the Tempeh Crumble
Right here (above) you see the tempeh crumble as a part in a rice bowl. The fundamental elements are rice and the tempeh crumble plus what ever is on simple and available within the fridge or pantry. I grabbed peanuts, some backyard lettuces, cucumber, pickled carrots, and avocado. A dollop of guacamole would not be unwelcome. The crumble would even be nice on these Vegan Nachos, in these Garlic Lime Lettuce Wraps, or rather than the tempeh on this Taco Salad.
Extra Tempeh Recipes
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