Tempeh
Tempeh is an Indonesian staple made by fermenting cooked soybeans with a mold culture until they bind into a firm, nutty cake. Unlike tofu, it keeps the whole bean intact, giving it an earthy flavor and a substantial bite that holds up well to bold marinades.
How to buy
Look for a block with a tight, even white mold coating over visible bean texture; a few dark or grayish-black spots are normal and harmless, but pervasive black, pink, or fuzzy blue-green mold, or a strong ammonia smell, means it has spoiled. Plain soybean tempeh is most common, though multigrain blends with brown rice or flax are increasingly available.
How to store
Keep sealed tempeh refrigerated and use by its date; once opened, wrap tightly and use within three to five days. It freezes well for a few months. Steaming or briefly boiling tempeh before marinating removes any bitterness and helps it take on seasoning more evenly.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Earthy, nutty, and faintly mushroom-like raw, with a mild bitterness that fades once cooked and seasoned. It readily absorbs marinades, turning sweet, salty, or spicy depending on what it's paired with.
- Texture
- Firm and dense with a coarse, grainy bite from the whole soybeans -- chewier and more substantial than tofu. Crisping the surface in oil or in the oven gives it a crackly exterior while the inside stays tender.
- Aroma
- A mild, earthy, slightly yeasty smell from the fermentation; any sharp ammonia odor signals it has gone bad.
How to prepare
- Steamed then marinated — Brief steaming mellows bitterness before the tempeh soaks up sauce.
- Crumbled — Broken into small pieces to mimic ground meat in fillings and chili.
- Pan-fried or crisped — Sliced thin and fried until the surface crackles and browns.
- Deep-fried — Cubed and fried for a crisp shell, a common Indonesian preparation.
Classic dishes
American
- Tempeh bacon — Thin-sliced tempeh marinated in smoky, maple seasoning and fried crisp as a bacon substitute.
- Tempeh chili — Crumbled tempeh simmered into a hearty vegetarian chili.
- Tempeh Reuben — Marinated, pan-fried tempeh layered with sauerkraut and Swiss on rye.
- Tempeh buddha bowl — Crisped tempeh served over grains and vegetables with a tahini or peanut dressing.
Mexican
- Tempeh tacos — Crumbled, spiced tempeh standing in for ground meat in tacos.
Chinese
- Tempeh stir-fry — Cubed tempeh stir-fried with vegetables in a soy-based sauce.
- Tempeh fried rice — Diced tempeh stir-fried into fried rice for protein and texture.
Japanese
- Tempeh teriyaki — Pan-fried tempeh glazed in a sweet soy teriyaki sauce.
Indian
- Tempeh curry — Cubed tempeh simmered in a spiced curry sauce.
Thai
- Tempeh orek — A sweet, soy-fried tempeh dish from the Indonesian tradition where tempeh originates.
- Sambal goreng tempeh — Tempeh stir-fried in a spicy Indonesian chile sambal.
- Tempeh satay — Skewered, marinated tempeh grilled and served with peanut sauce.
Greek
- Tempeh gyro — Tempeh seasoned with oregano and garlic, served in pita with tzatziki.
Korean
- Tempeh bulgogi — Thin-sliced tempeh marinated in a sweet soy-garlic bulgogi sauce and seared.
Vietnamese
- Tempeh banh mi — Marinated, fried tempeh in a baguette with pickled vegetables and herbs.
Middle Eastern
- Tempeh shawarma — Spiced, thin-sliced tempeh roasted and wrapped like shawarma.
Caribbean
- Jerk tempeh — Tempeh marinated in Jamaican jerk spice and grilled or baked.
Substitutions
- Seitan — Use in equal amounts for a meatier chew; seitan is smoother and less nutty, so it won't fully replicate tempeh's grainy bite.