Tempeh Stir Fry | Sweet and Sour

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This Sweet and Sour Tempeh Stir Fry is a quick and easy recipe that will be ready in less than 30 minutes. It’s a savory dish that is delicious served over rice or your favorite grain.

Tempeh Stir Fry | Sweet and Sour

We like this tempeh stir-fry because it’s…

  • Fast
  • Veggie-packed
  • Satisfying
  • Easy to make
  • Full of flavor

Made with fresh or frozen vegetables like carrots, red bell peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, and tempeh, this recipe is loaded with phytonutrients and antioxidants that promote health.

diced vegetables on brown cutting board
Use any vegetables you like. I went with onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, and celery.

I am often asked which knives I use personally, and I have to say that it is Victorinox. They are the same company that makes Swiss Army Knives and the quality is excellent.

Are frozen vegetables healthy?

tempeh recipes. frozen vegetables
Frozen veggies are a great option for stir-fries.

In some cases, frozen vegetables may be more nutritious than fresh ones that have been shipped over long distances. The latter is typically picked before ripening, which means that no matter how good the vegetables look, they’re likely to short-change you nutritionally.

The advantage of frozen fruits and vegetables is that they usually are picked when they’re ripe, and then blanched in hot water to kill bacteria and stop enzyme activity that can spoil food.

Then they’re flash frozen, which tends to preserve nutrients. If you can afford it, buy frozen fruits and vegetables stamped USDA “U.S. Fancy,” the highest standard and the one most likely to deliver the most nutrients.Weil

Sweet and sour sauce ingredients

The sweet and sour sauce for this recipe is so simple with only 7 ingredients needed:

As you can see in the picture, I used pineapple chunks. However, crushed pineapple would be a better option for this sauce. It helps blend with the other vegetables much better.

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

Tempeh is high in protein

Tempeh is found in most grocery stores in the produce section. It’s a traditional soy product from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form and has a nutty, mushroom, meaty flavor.

Add tempeh to your diet to boost your protein intake. Each 1-cup serving of tempeh contains 31 grams of protein, which is 55 percent of the recommended daily intake for men and 67 percent for women, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Tempeh contains high-quality complete protein and provides all the amino acids you must obtain from your diet. Its protein content helps you maintain muscle tissue, and also make enzymes your cells need to function. —LiveStrong

Sliced tempeh on wooden board with cup of marinade in background

I hear people say that time is a big issue with eating healthy. This sweet and sour dish is a great recipe that demonstrates how fast eating healthy can be, and it’s so good!

Recipe adapted from Breaking the Food Seduction by Dr. Neal Barnard.

Other great tempeh recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

Tempeh Sweet and Sour
4.80 from 5 votes

Tempeh Stir Fry | Sweet and Sour

This is a quick and easy recipe that will be ready in less than 30 minutes. It's a savory dish that is delicious served over rice or your favorite grain.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons veggie broth
  • 8 oz tempeh
  • 1/2 cup onions diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup carrots grated
  • 1/2 cup celery sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper sliced into strips
  • 1 cup mushrooms diced
  • 15 oz crushed pineapple packed in juice not syrup
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sweetener of your choice (sucanat, maple syrup, agave)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger ground
  • 1/2 cup scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

  • Slice tempeh into small cubes.
  • Dice and slice all other vegetables.
  • In a medium sized bowl, combine crushed pineapple, vinegar, water, sweetener, cornstarch, and ground ginger and whisk well. Set to the side.
  • In wok or large skillet, add veggie broth, onions, garlic, and tempeh. Allow to cook until browned, stirring frequently. This takes about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add carrots, peppers, celery, and mushrooms. Stir fry until tender, approximately 3-4 minutes.
  • Quickly re-stir the sauce, then add to pan. Heat until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
  • Serve over rice or other grain and top with scallions.

Video

Notes

Tempeh is found in most grocery stores in the produce section. It’s a traditional soy product from Indonesia. It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form and has a nutty, mushroom, meaty flavor.
Recipe adapted from Breaking the Food Seduction by Dr. Neal Barnard.

Nutrition

Calories: 2.18kcal | Carbohydrates: 31.3g | Protein: 13.8g | Fat: 6.5g | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 15g

Disclaimer

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Terri Edwards

Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy.  I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…

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9 Comments

    1. Amy, no need to steam the tempeh first. I used to steam mine before use in everything, but have noticed that it no longer taste bitter right out of the package. Not sure if companies are steaming it before packaging now or what, but it eliminates a step when cooking. Thanks for the heads-up on when to add the tempeh. Typo! It should be added with the onions and garlic at the beginning. I have fixed that in the recipe. Enjoy!

  1. I made this. It was amazing. The texture of the tempeh worked so well. I’d never had it before. The leftovers tasted even better the next day. I struggled a bit to cook it all in two tbsp of broth though. I just added more.

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