Tempeh Cooking 101
It’s the question we get more than anything. What on earth do I do with it?! The short answer is: just about anything. For the long answer, and a deep dive into prepping, marinating and cooking tempeh, please read on.
Quick note: this guide focuses on how to cook with fresh frozen unpasteurized tempeh (seeing as that is what we make here in Bristol). If you have a pack of one of the pasteurised supermarket brands from the megafactory in the Netherlands, you will need to adapt accordingly!
Defrosting
I should state that the best and safest way of defrosting tempeh, like any frozen food, is to leave it in the fridge overnight or until it has fully defrosted. However:
a. If you are like me, you are often not that well prepared, and need the tempeh NOW.
b. This isn’t raw chicken.
So what should you do for the quick defrost? Here are some thoughts:
- Defrost in the microwave: very quick, but you may end up with a funny texture and some of it cooking
- Defrost at room temperature: much slower than the microwave but I find you should have a sliceable tempeh in no more than 2 hours. I tend to prefer this method.
Chop chop
Whilst our dear friend tofu can be a little bit more fiddly (and not just the silken stuff, even extra firm has its issues), the great thing about tempeh is its firmness. Here are some ways you can prep your tempeh:
- Sliced: you should be able to get pretty thin with tempeh (especially our Extra Firm tempeh), if you are after a bacon alternative for your breakfast, a sandwich filling, some delicious slices for your buddha bowl, or just fried or baked with a dip
- Pieces: Sounds a bit weird, but pieces can be cubes, they can be chunks and they can be whatever size you want. Great in curries, on salads, in a soup (bye bye, croutons) or in a stir fry
- Minced: It’s very easy to mince tempeh. Use your hands, or my preference is just to chop into big pieces and throw into the food processor. But don’t overdo it! Pulse in the food processor until you have the desired size “mince” but before it starts sticking to everything. Works wonders in a Bolognese, a burrito or anywhere else you might use mince!
- Whole: I’ve not had much luck cooking blocks whole. Marinating tempeh whole will offer much less marinade absorption. Cooking it whole will usually leave the middle (and often, the whole block) pretty dry. The only thing I would do for whole tempeh is steam it, which is up next.
To steam, or not to steam
Some people swear by it, others would rather skip it. Why would you steam tempeh if you’re going to cook it anyway? Well, some people find tempeh to have a bitter taste and steaming for 10 minutes removes that. Steaming has also been known to improve marinade absorption.
Having cooked my fair share of tempeh, I have also noted that any kind of cooking prior to adding flavour can help remove bitterness (if the tempeh tastes bitter at all which can be subjective and dependent on many factors such as fermentation time, storage time etc), and have additional benefits, so here are your options:
- Steaming: great because you can steam the whole block and it helps the marinade absorption
- Boiling: same as above but you can also add seasoning to the boiling water (soy sauce, herbs, spices, aromatics etc)
- Baking: great for a crunchier texture, best to slice the block first and then bake, 5-8 minutes before flipping each slice (so 10-16 minutes total)
- Fry: Deep or shallow, just don’t skimp on the oil. This is obviously the least healthy option but also the most delicious. Fry until crispy. Pat off excess oil. Then flavour!
Flavour to savour
Tempeh, as you may know, isn’t hugely flavourful on it’s own. Sometimes we say it tastes nutty, perhaps a bit mushroomy, but without a doubt its best enjoyed when it isn’t plain. So what are the different ways you can flavour tempeh:
- Marinade: Tempeh is incredibly good at absorbing marinades and this is one of the most common ways of flavouring tempeh. Here are our top tips:
o We recommend sticking to a rule of 3 parts fat (e.g. olive oil, sesame oil), 1 part acid (e.g. vinegar, lemon juice), 1 part seasoning (e.g. soy sauce, herbs, spices, salt, pepper). An example would be 60ml olive oil, 20ml apple cider vinegar and 20ml soy sauce.
o Time: 4 hours should do the trick, but overnight and even up to 24 hours seems to be best. Having tested marinade absorption on whole blocks, there doesn’t appear to be more liquid drawn into a whole block of tempeh at 24 hours vs 4 hours so I’m not sure what’s at play but a marinade time of 24 hours seems to let the flavours really sink in.
o Cook: After marinating, fry or bake, and if you’re like me, pour the leftover marinade over the tempeh once it’s cooking. Or, if you’re cooking a stir-fry, pour over once all ingredients are cooked.
- Glaze: Sticky and sweet, we simply love glazed tempeh:
o Make sure there’s plenty of sugar, maple syrup or agave (or sweet ingredient of your choice) in the glaze
o Works great with deep fried, shallow fried or baked tempeh
o Simply add already cooked tempeh to a pan, get the pan hot, then mix in glaze to coat tempeh and allow to thicken
o This one is delicious on its own
- Salt & spices
o Go big on salt and your choice of spices
o Works great with deep fried or shallow fried tempeh
o Add cooked tempeh to a bowl, salt liberally and enjoy
o This is incredible with a dip
- No marinade: here’s where we find no marinade is necessary:
o Curry: Big on flavour, chuck in tempeh pieces early and they will take on all those delicious spices
o Any dish with minced tempeh: hopefully you will be cooking that Bolognese for a while and the tempeh will absorb the flavours beautifully
o Stir fries: Sometimes your choice of sauce is going to pack enough of a punch that you don’t need the additional flavour (or time) of marinating. Just fry the tempeh pieces at the start.
So never fear that block of tempeh taking up space in your freezer: there are so many ways of cooking tempeh and it really works in just about any dish. For inspiration, check out our recipes. And to skip most of the above, check out our delicious range of flavoured tempeh.