Vegetable Tempeh Stir-Fry (Printable)

Nutty tempeh and crisp vegetables in savory sauce for a quick, healthy meal.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 8.8 oz tempeh, cut into 0.4 inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
05 - 3.5 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed
06 - 3.5 oz broccoli florets
07 - 2 spring onions, sliced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 0.75 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

→ Sauce

10 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
11 - 2 tablespoons water
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
14 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
15 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch

→ Cooking

16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (sunflower or canola)

→ Garnish

17 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
18 - Fresh coriander or cilantro leaves (optional)

# Directions:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and cornstarch until combined. Set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add tempeh cubes and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
03 - Add remaining oil to the wok. Stir-fry minced garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add bell peppers, carrot, sugar snap peas, and broccoli florets to the wok. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
05 - Return seared tempeh to the wok. Stir the sauce and pour over the stir-fry. Toss everything together and cook for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats ingredients evenly.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in sliced spring onions and garnish with sesame seeds and coriander if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice or noodles.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Tempeh transforms into something genuinely crave-worthy when it gets golden and crispy, not the rubbery disappointment some people fear.
  • Everything cooks in under twenty minutes, which means you can have a colorful, satisfying dinner on nights when cooking feels like a luxury.
  • The sauce is balanced and savory without being heavy, tasting more like restaurant-quality than what you'd expect from your own kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't skip searing the tempeh—that golden crust is the difference between tempeh that tastes like tempeh and tempeh that tastes genuinely delicious, and it takes less than five minutes.
  • Have everything prepped and within arm's reach before you turn on the heat, because the cooking itself moves quickly and there's no time to be chopping vegetables mid-stir-fry.
03 -
  • Don't add the vegetables until the garlic and ginger have bloomed in the hot oil—those thirty seconds completely change the depth of flavor in the final dish.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after cooking, it means your cornstarch didn't activate properly, usually because the pan wasn't hot enough when you added it; use that as a reminder to taste the sauce for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if needed.
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