Vegetable Tempeh Stir-Fry (Printable)

Nutty tempeh and crisp vegetables in savory Asian-inspired sauce

# Ingredient List:

→ 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
11 - 2 tablespoons water
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
14 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
15 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch

→ Cooking

16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

→ Garnish

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

# 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 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
03 - Add remaining oil to the wok. Stir-fry garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add bell peppers, carrot, sugar snap peas, and broccoli. Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
05 - Return tempeh to the wok. Stir sauce and pour over stir-fry. Toss everything together and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats ingredients.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in spring onions and garnish with sesame seeds and coriander if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice or noodles.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Tempeh gets this nutty, almost crispy exterior that changes your mind about plant-based proteins entirely.
  • The whole dish comes together faster than you'd think, making weeknight cooking feel less like an obligation and more like something you actually want to do.
  • It's genuinely versatile—swap vegetables based on what's in your crisper drawer, and it still tastes like dinner was meant to happen.
02 -
  • The cornstarch in the sauce is what creates that satisfying glaze—without it, the sauce just runs off the vegetables and pools at the bottom, which taught me to never skip this ingredient even if it seems small.
  • Cutting your vegetables relatively uniform in size is less about perfection and more about them finishing cooking at the same time; when they're all different sizes, some turn mushy while others stay hard.
03 -
  • Don't crowd your wok when you're browning the tempeh—if the pieces are touching, they steam instead of sear, and you lose that golden exterior that makes everything worth eating.
  • Prep every single vegetable before you start cooking, because once the pan gets hot, there's no time to chop—have everything waiting in separate piles so you can move through the steps without pausing.
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