Veggie Tempeh Bolognese

This is one of my favorite “end of the week“ recipes – Tempeh Bolognese! To save time, I try to food shop only once a week. I use the vegetables with a shorter shelf life first. By the “end of the week“, I use ingredients (tempeh, tofu, plant based meats), that hold well in the refrigerator for over a week. Add in a few vegetables and you have Veggie Tempeh Bolognese!

Vegetables that last the longest

• potatoes
• beets
• carrots
• squash
• brussels sprouts
• peppers
• kale, swiss chard
• cauliflower
• celery
• cabbage

Tempeh happens to be one of the most versatile, vegan protein sources. It can hold in the refrigerator for many weeks. It can be sliced, diced and crumbled for use in recipes. And like tofu, it takes on the flavors of the spices and herbs you use. For many recipes, I recommend to marinade the tempeh first.

An easy marinade: 3 tablespoons tamari ( or shoyu), 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup), 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (or less) and a few grinds of pepper. Slice tempeh, stir ingredients together and pour over tempeh to marinade for 1 – 2 hours. You can then bake, fry or grill it. Use it on sandwiches, salads, kebabs, sautés, and wraps.

How to make Veggie Tempeh Bolognese

HOW TO CRUMBLE TEMPEH – Simply add the tempeh to a food processor & pulse a few times. Or, you can crumble tempeh with your hands or a handheld grater.

Sauté all the ingredients in one pan – easy peasy!

In a separate pot, heat salted water to boiling and cook the pasta according to directions. Serve over pasta – ta dah!!

I am not a big pasta eater but there are some great newcomers to the market that are made with a variety of grains, beans and vegetables that are worth a try. One of my recent favorites is Organic Mung Bean Rotini made by Explore Cuisine. You can actually taste the bean in the pasta as it compliments the dish!

I also support companies that operate their businesses hand-in-hand with other communities.

Excerpt from Explore Cuisine on Mung Bean Rotini:

Through our Food to Thrive Foundation we contributed mung bean seeds to local farmers in poor regions of North East Thailand, which not only improved the efficiency of their crops during draught season, but also allowed the farmers a second harvest which gave them more income. Combined with the brown rice from the same farmers, this new formula provides better taste and texture.

Veggie Tempeh Bolognese Recipe

• Author: Chef Cindy
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Sauté
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Tempeh Bolognese is a vegan version of a traditional Italian “meat” sauce. The veggies are an optional additional to the bolognese sauce.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 ounce package tempeh

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 zucchini, quartered & diced

½ yellow pepper, cubed

¾ cup red wine

3 ¼ cup tomato puree, (28 oz can or jar)

1 cup swiss chard, chopped

1 tablespoon brown rice syrup (or maple syrup, agave, honey)

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped 

salt & pepper

1 pound Mung Bean Pasta (or pasta of your choice)

parmesan cheese (vegan)

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Instructions

1. Prep all the ingredients.
2. Pulse tempeh in food processor to make small chunks (or break apart with hands)
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil, add tempeh and chopped onion. Cook until onions are translucent and tempeh is slightly browned. Add salt, garlic, oregano, zucchini and cook until tender, 10 minutes. Heat water for pasta and cook according to directions.
4. Pour wine in pan to deglaze. Stir in tomato puree and brown rice syrup. Heat through to blend flavors. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add chopped swiss chard, and cook until wilted. Add up to ¼ cup water if  thinner sauce is desired.
5. Serve over pasta. Top with parmesan and fresh basil. 

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Notes

• Most of the time, I prepare tempeh bolognese with the vegetables served on the side instead of added into the sauce. Just reduce the amount of oil used in the recipe.
• I also like to add in crushed tomatoes (or roasted cherry tomatoes)  to make a thicker, chunkier sauce. 
• This dish pairs really well with steamed & spiced asparagus, crusty french bread (with side of dipping olive oil with crushed garlic), and a glass of red wine!

Keywords: vegan bolognese, tempeh healthy recipe, how to crumble tempeh