Meatless Monday: Seared Tempeh with Rosemary Fig Sauce from The Purple Carrot

Tempeh is an excellent source of vegan protein, so I have always wanted to incorporate

it into my plant-based diet more often.

Although I have eaten a few tempeh dishes in local vegan restaurants, I have never been

a big tempeh fan.

And I have never cooked tempeh at home.

So I was delighted when The Purple Carrot, a plant-based meal delivery service,

created a simple and aromatic tempeh recipe and shipped the fresh ingredients right

to my door.

It was so convenient in view of my busy lifestyle–everything I needed was in the box!

Chef Miyoko Schinner’s recipe for Seared Tempeh with Rosemary Fig Sauce

resulted in tempeh with a firm texture that was juicy on the inside and

crisp on the outside.

Of course, the star of the recipe was the fresh rosemary fig sauce!

The thick, sweet and pungent rosemary fig sauce masked the distinct tempeh

taste that sometimes overwhelms my tastebuds and affects my enjoyment of some

tempeh dishes.

In this case, however, I was more than satisfied by the delectable blend of flavors.

The Purple Carrot’s healthy and efficient, whole food, plant-based meal delivery service

allowed me to prepare tempeh in a new and very satisfying way.

Clearly, cooking with fresh figs was a culinary adventure for me!

I hope you enjoy making this tempeh recipe as well.

It’s truly a gourmet delight.

Seared Tempeh with Rosemary Fig Sauce

Prep Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound tempeh
1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup red wine
3 cups vegetable broth, used in two steps
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 pound figs
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
10 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 onion
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt (not included)
2 tablespoons olive oil (not included)
2 cups water (not included)

Directions

STEP 1

Making the tempeh:

Cut the tempeh into 2×3 rectangles and then split in half to make them thinner.

Add the tempeh, 2/3 of vegetable broth (2 cups), red wine, fennel seeds, peppercorns,

bay leaf and ½ teaspoon salt to your saucepan.

Cover and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

STEP 2

Making the sauce:

Peel and chop the onion and dice the figs.

Heat the olive oil in another saucepan and sauté the onions, covered, until translucent.

Add the figs, vinegar, sugar and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.

Turn down the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and continue to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add remaining 1 cup vegetable stock and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Add the rosemary and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

The sauce should be thick.

STEP 3

Making the quinoa:

Add the quinoa and 2 cups of water to a pot.

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer until water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

Uncover and fluff with a fork.

STEP 4

Remove the tempeh from the saucepan and add to a hot skillet coated with oil.

Brown the tempeh.

Be sure not to flip until the first side is brown, taking a few minutes on each side.

Note: Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet.

STEP 5

To serve:

Place the browned tempeh over the quinoa and top with rosemary fig sauce.

You can round out your meal with a vegetable of your choice.

I added some sauteed kale to my plate, in this case.

Enjoy!

Note: I also prepared a delicious Agave Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry recipe

from The Purple Carrot.

You can visit ThePurpleCarrot.com to see more delicious plant-based recipes.

Nutritional Benefits of Tempeh:

Tempeh is a fermented soy food that originated on the island of Java in Indonesia

and is fermented with the mold Rhizopus oligosporus.

Nutritional research studies indicate that we could increase our intake of folate,

vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, iron and fiber if we replaced our meat and dairy

intake with whole soy foods, including tempeh.

Replacing meat and dairy with tempeh and other soy products could also

lower our total cholesterol intake by about 125 milligrams per day and

our saturated fat by about 2.4 grams per day.

These nutritional changes could lower our risk of several chronic diseases

including cardiovascular diseases.

Key nutrients in 4 oz of cooked tempeh include:

Manganese-73% (DV)

Copper-68%

Fiber-48%

Protein-41%

Phosphorus-41%

Vitamin B2-31%

Magnesium-22%

Soy foods typically contain a wide variety of important phytonutrients.

In the case of fermented soy foods like tempeh these phytonutrients can

become more concentrated and more bioavailable as well.

Some health professionals recommend that we choose whole food soybeans

whenever possible, rather than highly processed versions like soy

protein isolates and soy protein concentrates.

Forms of soy that are more whole food-based like tempeh will do a

better job of lowering our phytate exposure than highly processed

forms of soy like soy protein concentrates or isolates.

 

Have you ever cooked tempeh?

Share your favorite recipes, thoughts and comments with us.

 

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