It’s only been two days since the Vegetarian Challenge ended, but my stomach is already like, “Whoa girl, take it easy. I thought I told you before not to change things up so suddenly!” Fair enough, stomach. Here is some high-fiber bean-filled goodness to make it up to you. I saw that tempeh was on sale today, so I took the opportunity to make this recipe for Sesame Tempeh Bowls that I’ve had waiting in the wings.
This is basically the same recipe as my Easy Sesame Chicken, but it’s even easier because I didn’t bother coating the tempeh in any sort of egg wash. Just a quick simmer in water to plump it up, then the sauce goes in, and you’re DONE. If you’re looking for the easiest of easy meal preps, this is it.
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What is Tempeh?
Tempeh is a compressed cake of fermented soy beans. It sounds a little weird, but I promise it’s awesome. It has a fairly neutral taste (a slight bitterness, if anything) and it absorbs the flavor of whatever sauce you pour over top. It’s a fantastic source of plant-based protein, fiber, and other nutrients, and has a much more firm texture than tofu. Because it is more firm, I find it works better than tofu for stir fry.
Frozen Broccoli is My Friend
I used frozen broccoli florets for these bowls because they’re just so easy. I simply let them thaw and add them to the bowls. Frozen broccoli is blanched before freezing, so they’re already partially cooked. They’ll finish cooking when I reheat my meal prep. If you prefer to use fresh, simply steam or boil them for a few minutes, or just until al dente.
Meal Prep It!
I packed my Tempeh Sesame Bowls into individual containers so I could eat them over the next few days. The bowls will stay good in your refrigerator for about four days.
Sesame Tempeh Bowls
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce ($0.24)
- 2 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil ($0.33)
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.12)
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar ($0.12)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds ($0.08)
- 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.2)
- 8 oz. tempeh ($2.50)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.11)
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice* ($0.70)
- 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets ($2.26)
Instructions
- Begin by mixing together the sesame sauce. In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, 2 Tbsp water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, grated ginger, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Set the sauce aside.
- Cut the brick of tempeh into 8 squares, then cut each square diagonally into a triangle. Turn each triangle on its side and slice it in half so you have two thinner triangles. To achieve the proper tempeh to sauce ratio, you don’t want thick pieces.
- Place the tempeh in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup water. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and let the tempeh simmer until all of the water evaporates (about 5-8 minutes). Flip the tempeh a couple times as it simmers.
- Once the water has evaporated, turn the heat down to medium and pour in the sesame sauce. The skillet will still be quite hot, so the sauce may begin to thicken immediately. Stir the tempeh in the sauce until the sauce has thickened (1-2 minutes), then remove it from the heat immediately to prevent further evaporation and thickening.
- To build the bowls, place one cup of rice in each dish, top with 1/4 of the sesame tempeh, 1/4 of the broccoli florets, and a sprinkle of green onion.
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Equipment
- Chef’s Knife
- White Cutting Boards
- Nonstick Fry Pans
- Pyrex Glass Meal Prep
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Sesame Tempeh Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Begin by making the sesame sauce. In a medium bowl stir together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, about 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 2 cloves of garlic (minced), 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, and 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch. Stir them together until the cornstarch is dissolved, then set the sauce aside.
Cut the brick of tempeh into 8 squares, then cut each square diagonally into triangles…
Then turn each triangle on its side and slice it in half to make two thinner triangles. You want thin pieces to get the sauce to tempeh ratio right.
Place the tempeh in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup water. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and let the tempeh simmer until all of the water is evaporated (about 5-8 minutes). Flip the tempeh a couple of times as it simmers. Simmering the tempeh makes it a bit more tender.
Once the tempeh has simmered and all of the water has evaporated, turn the heat down to medium and add the sesame sauce.
The sesame sauce will begin to thicken as it heats, so stir the tempeh in the sauce for 1-2 minutes, or just until thickened. Remove the skillet from the heat as soon as it has thickened or else the water will continue to evaporate and the sauce will become too thick.
Now you have delicious sesame tempeh that only took about 10 minutes!
To build the bowls place one cup cooked rice in each dish and top with 1/4 of the sesame tempeh and the sauce. Add 1/4 of the broccoli florets on the side, and sprinkle a few sliced green onions over top. Finished!
I packed mine up in meal prep containers for the week! You can find these Pyrex 3-cup Rectangle Glass Meal Prep Containers in my Amazon Shop.
I made this recipe twice and I love how easy and delicious it is. Here in the Netherlands you can buy 400 gram packages of tempeh (14 ounces) and I just use the whole package in this recipe. I often find things too salty and this works perfectly for me. Goes well with kale, too!
This recipe was pretty good! The sauce is really tasty but I think I would like it better on firm tofu rather than tempeh. The ginger in the sauce really ties everything together. I was expecting this to be super tasty based on the reviews I saw but I was a tiny bit let down. Again, it was pretty good but something about the flavors on the tempeh was a little bit “meh” to me. This is something I’ll make again if I’m hungry but lazy.
Loved this recipe, so easy. Subbed brown rice and quinoa for the white rice and also added edamame beans! Definitely making again!
I made this tonight and it was awesome!!! I used dried ginger & garlic cuz I was lazy and probably cut the sugar a little bit. I tasted the sauce before it went in and I was like “meh okay” but once the tempeh simmers, it is SO good! I made it with your cucumber salad- SO GOOD! my first time on your page, will be back :) – one happy vegan :)
Really good, easy dinner! I steamed my frozen broccoli, doubled the sauce, and threw the steamed broccoli in the pan with the tempeh and slightly reduced sauce. This coated the broccoli with sauce, too, and was delicious. We like things kind saucy. Served over instant brown rice. Would definitely make again!
super easy and delicious!
I have made a lot of tempeh. This by far is one of the best! The process is simple and the outcome delicious. The tempeh comes out moist and the sauce complements the broccoli making this one of my favorite!
This was my first time making tempeh and I was like “there’s no way this little block will make four servings” lol. Anyway, it does and it’s delicious. I used one fresh head of broccoli instead of frozen.
I tried this recipe and realized that your first two ingredients were mixed up for amounts. I did use 1/4 cup of soy sauce the first time, but VERY salty. Next time I used 1/4 cup of water and 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce and it was perfect! I used apple cider vinegar both times. Thank you for this recipe…I’ll be eating tempeh more often!
I’ve made a lot of Asian dishes, and 1/4 c of soy sauce is typical for a sauce like this. Most people recommend using low sodium soy sauce or adding more water (as you did) if it’s too salty for your tastes. Don’t knock the recipe for that, though! It isn’t out of the ordinary for a sauce of this sort.
I didn’t have tempeh or broccoli so I substituted 1/2 head of cauliflower and 8oz of mushrooms and served with rice. It was so yummy! Thank you for the recipe, I’ll use it again sometime soon :)
I gave tempeh another chance because I saw this recipe (and it was on sale) now it’s growing on me. Tasty and satisfying..
Easy and delicious – good introduction to cooking with Tempeh!
Vegan, filling, delicious — great for people and the planet and your wallet! I used only one Tbsp maple sugar (instead of three Tbsp brown sugar), skipped the cornstarch, used local organic farmers market bok choy instead of broccoli and served it over organic white sushi rice. Fantasic rice bowl meal, thanks for posting the recipe!
This was super-easy and my family members loved it! I was surprised at how good it was for how simple it was to prepare; sometimes tempeh can be a pain to prepare. Thank you! (I got the recipe from the vegan meal plan.)
Great meal! I used 2 tablespoons of sugar and will use salt reduced soy next time. Brown rice made it more filling. Great taste, great value. Definitely a keeper!!