What Is Tempeh (and How to Cook It)

Ingredients

• 2 8 oz packages tempeh
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons avocado or olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons low sodium tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon avocado or olive oil, for cooking

Instructions 

1. Remove tempeh from package and chop into small triangles by cutting the tempeh in half width-wise. Cut each half in a star pattern to get 16 mini triangles per package of tempeh, 32 triangles total.
2. In a small bowl combine maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, tamari, 2 teaspoons oil and minced garlic. Add tempeh triangles into a shallow dish with a large surface area, pour maple balsamic marinade over the tempeh, toss to coat and let tempeh marinate in the fridge for 1 – 24 hours. Stir the mixture a couple times while marinating, if possible.
3. Pan-glaze the tempeh by heating 1 Tablespoon avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the tempeh (without pouring the marinade in) and cook until golden brown on each side, allowing 4-5 minutes per side. Pour the maple balsamic marinade into the pan with the tempeh and simmer another 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced creating a glaze on the tempeh. Toss the tempeh a couple times during this process.
4. Once the sauce has thickened and all tempeh pieces are coated, the tempeh is ready to be served. I recommend serving it over rice, cauliflower rice or another grain and a veggie side.