2009/11/10

Tempeh Salad

Mmmmmmmm, Tempeh. It is one of those hit or miss ingredients. I loved it from the first time I tried back in the mid-90’s. But it seems a lot of people just can’t seem to tolerate the taste. Tempeh tends to have a slightly bitter after taste if not prepared correctly. I think I found the secret for the skeptics…just a touch of sweetness and that “bitterness” disappears. So, no matter what side of the fence your on, you’ll really enjoyed this Tempeh preparation.

I am partial to the Lightlife brand of tempeh and in particular the Garden Veggie version. You’ll need two packages for this recipe.

Into a medium to large mixing bowl, crumble the two packages of tempeh and add:
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small pablano pepper, diced
3 green onions, diced

Gets your hands in there and mix well.

To this we are adding:

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
1/8 teaspoon coriander powder

Next add:
1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid amino
1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup

The maple syrup is the key to the whole dish. This little dash of sweetness transforms the entire taste of the Tempeh Salad. If you don’t have maple syrup, don’t bother making the dish…it’s that important.