Tempeh is made from cooked and slightly fermented soybeans which bind into a cake form. I first discovered tempeh at Veggie Grill, a casual place in Irvine which serves great sandwiches, burgers, and salads. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend going and getting their special wrap with tempeh and avocado.
Tempeh alone is similar to tofu but better textured. And if marinated, flavored, and paired right, it can make for a savory dish. This was my first attempt to make something with tempeh, and going from my last experience at veggie grill, I decided to try and make my own wrap which consisted of tempeh marinated and seared with my Thai Peanut Sauce, a recipe which I learned from my trip to Thailand. The end result tasted great and was very filling!
For the gluten-free option you can buy gluten-free tortilla. Or, if you’re not a huge wrap fan, you can mix the greens with the tempeh and add some peanut sauce for a great salad.
Seared Tempeh Wraps with Thai Peanut Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 8 oz. tempeh
- 2 servings Thai peanut sauce , homemade or your favorite store-bought brand
- 4 tortillas
For the Salad Filling:
- cabbage , shredded
- carrots , shredded
- bell pepper , sliced thinly
- spinach , leaves or chopped
- avocado , sliced thinly (optional)
- add any additional vegetables you wish to include
INSTRUCTIONS
To Make Tempeh:
- Take the tempeh out of the storage package, rinse with water, and dry. Thinly slice the tempeh into 1/4" thick strips about 2" long. Place all the cut pieces in a bowl.
- Pour the peanut sauce over the cut tempeh and toss. Be sure to pour enough such that all the tempeh is evenly coated (note: leave about 1/2 for the wrap assembly).
- Marinate tempeh for ~20 minutes and toss a few times in between. You can prepare the salad filling while waiting.
- Once done marinating, heat a small amount of oil in a nonstick pan. Add the tempeh and cook, turning the pieces of tempeh several times until all the tempeh is grilled and browned on both sides (5-10min).
To Make Mixed Greens/Veggies:
- Chop all the veggies for the salad filling and toss in a separate bowl.
To Assemble Wrap:
- Warm the tortilla and lay flat on a plate. Add chopped salad, and top with peanut sauce. Add the tempeh mixture, and again top with peanut sauce. Add avocado (optional).
- Roll the tortilla into a wrap, cut in half, and serve!
NOTES
- use your favorite gluten-free tortilla
- use corn tortilla and make a taco version of this wrap
- make a great salad by mixing the greens, veggies, tempeh, and top with additional peanut sauce.
Maria Rose
Yum, looks delicious!
Kavita Rao
I never really tried making anything with tempeh before, but I loved this quick and simple recipe!! The peanut sauce is really yummy too. Anjali-I always check out this blogsite and love trying your recipes! =)
betsy shipley
I just made some peanut sauce the other day for our grilled tempeh so this recipe comes in very handy. We produced Betsy’s Tempeh in Mich. for 9 1/2 years and our website shows our easy method for making tempeh at home. We recently filed a patent for a tempeh incubator that could be used in restaurants and small shops making artisan tempeh for the local community. We found a group that is taking our idea to the next level and you can check them out on their website:TempehSure which gives you a brief history of the project and the people involved.
Happy eating
betsy shipley
Port Hueneme CA
anjali
Hi Betsy, that is awesome that you guys are making your own tempeh. I will definitely check out your site. And yes, this is one of my favorite uses of tempeh, marinated in peanut sauce (this and using it in some vegetarian chili). Thanks again for the comment and hope you liked the wrap! Good luck with implementing your process at restaurants!
Amy Dalal
Made this yesterday and loved it! I have to say the key is marinating the tempeh. I use my own recipe for peanut sauce and it turned out perfect. I switched some veggies too but I’ll definitely me making this again. Thanks!!
anjali
Awesome thanks for trying Amy! Yeah i’ve found when I’m short on time and don’t marinate, the tempeh doesn’t absorb all the flavors quite right. Try my Tempeh Sandwich! If you don’t want sandwich form, just make the tempeh…it’s sooo good! You can even add in some corn starch and grill the tempeh on a pan instead of baking to make it coat and sticky! I made it twice in the past 2 weeks =)
Amy Dalal
Hi Anjali-
I’m sure I will at some point! But thanks again 🙂