Stir-fried tempeh, carrots, snap peas, mushrooms, garlic and ginger are tossed in a delicious, yet easy-to-prepare sauce.
Steps
1
Preparing the Tempeh
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
1 - 2 inch piece of ginger
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1 (1 - inch) pieces of kombu* (optional)
3 cups water
1-8 oz package of tempeh
To start, slice the garlic and thinly slice about 8 pieces of ginger.
In a large pot, combine the tamari, garlic, ginger, kombu (if using) and water and bring to a simmer.
*Note: kombu is a sea vegetable. It can be found in most health food stores or Asian markets.
To prepare the tempeh, cut into smaller bite-sized pieces. Add the tempeh to the pot and continue to gently simmer for at least 1 hour.
Once the tempeh is ready, drain onto a tray lined with a cooling rack—or something that will allow the tempeh to dry as it cools.
2
Preparing Your Mise en Place
Ingredients
1 cup carrots
1 cup onions
1 cup snap peas
1 cup shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup green onions
1 1/2 tsp garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger (about 1/2" - inch piece)
To prepare your mise en place, slice the onions. Slice the mushrooms into 1/4" -inch thick slices. Peel and slice the carrots on the bias. Trim the stem end off of the snap peas and remove the string, if desired. Thinly slice the green onions on the bias. Mince the garlic and ginger. Set aside.
3
Preparing the Sauce
Ingredients
3 tbsp mushroom flavored oyster sauce*
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp sugar
1 tsp sambal oelek
To prepare the sauce, simply mix the ingredients together and set aside.
*Note: Mushroom flavored oyster sauce is typically plant-based or vegan-friendly, but be sure to check the label.
4
Stir-Frying the Dish
Ingredients
1 to 2 tbsp peanut or grapeseed oil
1/4 cup nuts (optional)
To stir-fry the dish, line the ingredients up in the proper cooking order. Heat a wok over high heat. Once hot, cook the stir-fry according to the basic steps in the lesson. Keep in mind that vegetables should be added in the correct order so that they are all done at the same time.
Stir-fry tempeh - remove. Stir-fry the onions -- mushrooms -- carrots -- snap peas -- add garlic & ginger -- return tempeh to wok -- add sauce -- finish with green onions. Feel free to add a touch more oil during the stir-frying process, if needed. If desired, add 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, cashews or almonds. Serve immediately.
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Hi Rhonda. You can order it online but you can also just skip it. If you leave it out, you can add a tiny bit more sesame oil and tamari. Another option is to add a TB of liquid aminos, either coconut or Brag's, as a replacement. The umami nature of liquid aminos can mimic the mushroom flavored oyster sauce. Enjoy. Lauren
Hi Vineeta. Glad to hear that you enjoyed this. To reduce salt you can either reduce the amount of tamari/ soy sauce in the poaching liquid (step 1) or you can cut back on the soy sauce in the sauce (step 3). Generally if you want to reduce saltiness you can look at a recipe and notice where there is salt. Tamari, miso, soy sauce, sea salt, Umeboshi, olives, sauerkraut and capers are all salty ingredients that you can look for when wanting to dial back salt a bit. Lauren
Being plant based and trying to cook without oil. Is there an effective way to cook in the wok without using oil? If so, how do you achieve the caramelized texture on the food?
Hi Spencer, Though it is a bit more challenging, you can follow the same procedure as a no-oil sauté but apply it to a stir-fry. Just remember to have some liquid on hand to deglaze quickly if needed. It will take practice and a watchful eye, but I believe in you! Cheers, Sandy
I appreciated the clarity of this recipe and the specificity of the steps. I followed them to a ‘T’ and found I made a very nice meal. This ‘stir fry’ technic is much different from my previous habits of emptying bits from the fridge into a wok. The mis en place and preparing (blanching) has really upped my cooking game. It’s ruining my lazy cooking habits.
Hi Jane: thanks for writing. The mise en place is the game changer in any kitchen, it sets the tone for an organized and fun experience. Thanks so much for writing, keep us apprised of any other cooking adventures. Cheers, Char
I just finished making this dish. It came out perfect! I was concerned since I have a very small non-stick wok. Everything fit but I had to move it around a lot and up the sides. But that’s one of the things I learned in the stir-fry method. I never ate tempeh before and it’s quite delicious. I see why simmering in the flavored broth for an hour is important. The ginger, kombu, tamari, and garlic gave it flavor. I omitted the soy sauce in the finishing sauce ingredients because I felt it might be too salty. I used grape seed oil and coconut sugar. Included a red bell pepper and tossed the dish with soba noodles. This stir fry method took me to a whole new level of stir-frying. BTW - I did not blanch my vegetables beforehand. They came out just right at about 10 mins. total cook time. Cooked inside with a nice crunch on the outside. Amazing!
Rhonda B •Hi - what is a good substitute for the mushroom flavored 'oyster sauce'? Unable to find a vegan one in town. Thanks!
Lauren L •Hi Rhonda. You can order it online but you can also just skip it. If you leave it out, you can add a tiny bit more sesame oil and tamari. Another option is to add a TB of liquid aminos, either coconut or Brag's, as a replacement. The umami nature of liquid aminos can mimic the mushroom flavored oyster sauce. Enjoy. Lauren
Vineeta G •hi there, This is a divine recipe. The stir fry was delish .The only thing it was way too salty for me. how can i reduce the salt?
Arti S •This is a great recipe. A perfect sauce for stir- fries ! The oyster sauce adds lots of umami flavor to this recipe.
Spencer Y •Being plant based and trying to cook without oil. Is there an effective way to cook in the wok without using oil? If so, how do you achieve the caramelized texture on the food?
Sandy S •Hi Spencer, Though it is a bit more challenging, you can follow the same procedure as a no-oil sauté but apply it to a stir-fry. Just remember to have some liquid on hand to deglaze quickly if needed. It will take practice and a watchful eye, but I believe in you! Cheers, Sandy
Jane S •I appreciated the clarity of this recipe and the specificity of the steps. I followed them to a ‘T’ and found I made a very nice meal. This ‘stir fry’ technic is much different from my previous habits of emptying bits from the fridge into a wok. The mis en place and preparing (blanching) has really upped my cooking game. It’s ruining my lazy cooking habits.
Char N • Rouxbe Staff •Hi Jane: thanks for writing. The mise en place is the game changer in any kitchen, it sets the tone for an organized and fun experience. Thanks so much for writing, keep us apprised of any other cooking adventures. Cheers, Char
Samantha F •In a recipe like this should I be blanching the carrots? They seem like a much harder vegetable than the rest.
Betty N •I found a brand called Lucky Foods organic oyster flavored vegan sauce at Whole Foods. Quite delicious. I’m making this dish as we speak. Stay tuned.