Smoky Tempeh
OK, I’m not going to lie – this recipe is actually for tempeh bacon. But since we don’t support foods that pretend to be something they’re not (especially when they pretend to be meat), here is a recipe for tempeh that tastes…smoky. And a little like bacon. But it’s still not bacon. It’s tempeh.
It all started with a BLT. I’ve never had a real one, since I used to hate tomatoes and now I’ve cut out most meat. But the other day I was craving one. Tempeh came to the rescue.
It was great on the sandwich, and actually tasted quite similar to bacon (though it’s not…bacon. I said that, right?). I’ve heard of people making it for breakfast with eggs, and it’s pretty good plain, too!
The recipe is fairly simple, except for the process of cutting the tempeh into thin strips. After a few attempts, we found it was easiest with WestSoy brand tempeh.
Smoky Tempeh
Inspired by BLTs and a Google search
What You Need
8 oz. package of tempeh
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
3 teaspoons liquid smoke
1 1/4 teaspoons thick black pepper (not fresh ground)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 pinches of cayenne
What To Do
1 Cut the tempeh into thin strips, about 1/8 to 1/4 inches thick.
2 In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 1/2 tablespoons tamari, 3 teaspoons liquid smoke, 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin and 2 pinches of cayenne.
3 Place the tempeh in a shallow dish and pour on the marinade. Turn the tempeh several times to make sure it is fully coated. Leave to marinate for around 10 minutes (as long as you’d like; I’ve heard you can leave it overnight or several days to intensify the flavor).
4 Heat a griddle or skillet. Add some olive oil and pan fry the tempeh on each side until browned (or until a bit charred, if you like it crispy!).
5 Remove to a plate to cool. If desired, season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Tags: Recipe, Tempeh, Vegan, Vegetarian
2 Comments
Heather @ Whisk Flip Stir
04 Sep 2010 08:09 pm
I love bacon-like tempeh. Amazing on sandwiches and, of course, great with breakfast. Looks delicious.
judy
26 Sep 2010 09:09 pm
tempeh is highly nutritious because of the fermentation of the soy. it’s similar to the Japanese and their version called natto. the latter has been purported to be the key ingredient to immortality, or if not, basically curing cancer (the Japanese take their natto very seriously). where we are, tempeh is always found in Malay stalls,and usually fried to a crisp and cooked in a thick, savoury chilli sauce, and served with rice. tempeh’s a great ingredient and it’s fun to see so many more people coming out to embrace it in so many different ways!
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