Monday I posted a picture of my blue-green morning smoothie on Facebook.
Coconut milk, romaine lettuce, hemp seed, banana, and blueberries.
Someone asked if I added a another blue-green – spirulina. To which I confessed that I cannot stand spirulina. I felt like I had made a major confession and decided I’d drag my Facebook friends into the mix by asking “How about a true confessions game? Tell us one (two, or three, or more!) things that people assume vegans love but you don’t. I’ll start in the comments…” Over 70 people shared their “vegan dislikes” (you can read them here). Oh what fun to read!
One of my dislikes is tempeh. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it but I sure don’t like it. So, of course, I pulled some tempeh out of the freezer to thaw because I just can’t stop trying to love the stuff.
It thawed quickly (within a couple of hours). I steamed it for ten minutes and then diced and marinated it in sesame oil, dulse flakes, garlic, onion and ume plum vinegar for about six hours in the refrigerator. I decided to use my huge cast iron skillet; I sautéed carrot and onion in veggie broth. I added the tempeh and onions; a few minutes later I tossed in a handful of green beans. Shortly after I tossed in some mushrooms before adding the final veggie, about three cups of kale, with a splash of low-sodium soy sauce. This all cooked up in about 12 minutes.
I served the very veggie and tempeh stir-fry over brown rice.
Not long ago I learned that steaming tempeh before cooking is essential – it helps in the absorption of marinade. I think cooking it on high, but with plenty of liquid (veggie broth) in the cast iron made it even more palatable. In fact I loved this dish.
Even better, so did my omnivore husband.
And speaking of him, yesterday on VeganForHer.com I wrote this piece: Living in a “multivore” home: How I use umami to bridge the vegan-omni gap. The umami in this tempeh dish – mushrooms, ume plum vinegar, soy sauce – was probably the draw for both of us and it was practically braised in the cast iron, which certainly helped. Hmm. Maybe adding lots of umami ingredients to tempeh is the key?
Also yesterday on VeganForHer.com Ginny wrote Cut Cravings with Vegan Umami-Rich Foods (and our friend Jesse O wrote a piece on Dressing Vegan).
Umami. Do you think about it when cooking?
18 thoughts on “Tempeh and Umami – a perfect match?”
Comments are closed.
Aside from the homemade tempeh thing I mentioned on your FB page- I find making the first cooking step to cook it in the microwave in the marinade and then transfer it to the pan makes a huge difference with the store bought stuff. If you’re avoiding the microwave, I would imagine that steaming it with the marinade would accomplish the same thing.
Steaming is definitely the critical step for me – I use an electric steam so using marinade in that isn’t an option – but maybe I’ll try it next time stovetop or microwave. Thanks for the suggest, @pickyvegan:disqus!
I used to not like tempeh that much, but now I love it. I simmer the frozen block of tempeh in vegetable broth for about 20 minutes. It gets nice and warm and soft and salty. Then I bake it in strips in a marinade or fry it in a pan.
Also, I though I loved spirulina, but then I tried a different brand and it was inedible. Seems there is a difference from brand to brand.
Great tips, @pomegranateseed:disqus!
Yum! I love tempeh and can eat raw straight out of the package. But for most people’s palettes, steaming first is the way to go! 🙂 P.S. my dislikes — arugula, anise seed, and fennel.
Wow, you’re tough, @a2da25b31bb18ec3b56b64a7de22d4cc:disqus!
Once upon a time I thought you could eat tempeh raw and just put it in a salad (pathetically, this was a recipe I was following). I had an upset stomach for 2 days and didn’t like tempeh all that much after that experience. Now I love it – because we actually cook it!
Ack! I cannot imagine eating it raw, @jesseanneoh:disqus!
Have you tried steamed tempeh in “tuna-less” salad? Just steam, cool and crumble in a bowl with your choice of chopped veggies and veganaise. I made it with chopped celery, red onions, dill pickles, carrots, and a little salt/pepper to taste. Great on toasted whole grain bread with lettuce & tomato. I got the recipe from Christina Pirello on her show “Christina Cooks”.
Mmm, that sounds good, @388e80a172e07256cb7b079e912338d4:disqus! Does it need to chill for a bit in the fridge for all of the flavors to mingle well?
Yes, chilling it does help.
P.S. Your stir fry looks amazing. Will have to try it!
i usually brown it up a bit in oil and then cook in water, spices or whatever i am using for the marinade on stove top. i dint like tempeh when i started off because of the taste and texture.i dont like certain brands or types of tempeh that take really long to get soft and also dont absorb the marinade well. i like the 3 grain tempeh, it cooks quicker.
Three-grain is my favorite, too, @veganricha:disqus!
I can relate. My preferred tempeh brand is WestSoy. Its flavor is mild, I like the texture, and it crumbles nicely (tiny pieces are key for me). On a side note, spirulina doesn’t sit well with me either. It literally gives me a headache. I was trying to get through a bag and could only add 1/4 tsp. (if that) to my smoothies. Strong stuff! My biggest dislike is nori. 🙁
I haven’t tried WestSoy, @disqus_6g50DKcvNB:disqus, and I need to try the Tofurky brand, too. I had no idea you didn’t like nori! I’m on the fence on that one.
I’m new to plant based eating so I don’t have a lot of things that I don’t like yet. I’m still trying lots of new foods. This dish looks amazing!
Congrats on your move to plant-based eating, @TamiNutmegNotebook:disqus! So happy to see you here!