Vegetable Tempeh Stir-Fry (Printable)

Nutty tempeh and crisp vegetables in a savory Asian-style sauce, ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein

01 - 8.8 oz tempeh, cut into 0.4 inch cubes

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
05 - 3.5 oz sugar snap peas, trimmed
06 - 3.5 oz broccoli florets
07 - 2 spring onions, sliced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 0.75 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

→ Sauce

10 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
11 - 2 tablespoons water
12 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
13 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
14 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
15 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch

→ Cooking

16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as sunflower or canola

→ Garnish

17 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
18 - Fresh coriander or cilantro leaves

# How to Make It:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and cornstarch until well combined. Set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add tempeh cubes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
03 - Add remaining oil to the wok. Stir-fry garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add bell peppers, carrot, sugar snap peas, and broccoli. Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.
05 - Return tempeh to the wok. Stir the sauce and pour over the stir-fry. Toss to combine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats all ingredients.
06 - Remove from heat. Stir in spring onions and garnish with sesame seeds and coriander if desired. Serve hot with steamed rice or noodles.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Tempeh gets properly golden and absorbs flavor like nothing else, turning skeptics into believers.
  • Everything cooks in one pan, which means your cleanup is almost as quick as your dinner.
  • It's naturally high-protein and satisfying enough to feel like proper food, not a sacrifice meal.
  • The sauce is balanced and forgiving—it comes together in seconds and tastes like you spent way more time thinking about it.
02 -
  • Tempeh needs that initial high heat and patience to get properly golden; rushing it or constantly stirring defeats the purpose and leaves you with bland, pale cubes.
  • Don't add the sauce until the vegetables are already cooked to your liking, because once it hits the pan, everything tightens up and keeps cooking.
  • The cornstarch is your friend only if you whisk it in smoothly before adding—lumpy sauce is fixable with a splash of water and aggressive stirring, but it's better to prevent it.
03 -
  • If your sauce seems too thin after cooking, mix a tiny bit of cornstarch with cold water and add it back to the pan for 30 seconds of gentle heat until it reaches the consistency you want.
  • Prep all your vegetables before you turn on the heat; stir-frying is fast, and scrambling for ingredients halfway through breaks your rhythm and makes things cook unevenly.
  • The wok or pan needs to be genuinely hot before anything goes in—if the tempeh doesn't sizzle immediately, give the pan another minute and let it preheat properly.
Return