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Vegetarian, Meal soups and plant based

Ginger tempeh stir-fry with rice

Ginger tempeh stir-fry with rice is a plant based dish made with tempeh, carrots, bell pepper and zucchini, ready in 30 minutes for 4 people. It's easy to make and costs €2.40 per serving. The key to success is boiling the tempeh before stir-frying it, so it loses its natural bitterness and takes on the ginger and soy sauce flavors.

Let me introduce you to tempeh, stir-fried with ginger and soy sauce with vegetables, served over rice.

Ginger tempeh stir-fry with rice
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.40
Calories per person
670 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter

Tempeh has a firm, slightly grainy texture, quite different from tofu, and it easily soaks up whatever flavors it cooks in. Here, fresh ginger and garlic give it character, soy sauce wraps it in a salty, umami taste, and the vegetables cut into sticks and strips stay crisp. Plain rice on the side mellows everything out and turns it into a full meal.

This is the kind of recipe you make on a weeknight when you want to eat plant based without spending hours in the kitchen. It works well if you're discovering tempeh for the first time, or cooking for guests curious about new flavors. Mon Chou walks you through taming this still unfamiliar ingredient, step by step, with no unpleasant surprises.

The ingredients

4 people

Dairy

  • Tempeh 400 g

Pantry

  • Riceoften in the pantry 280 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Sunflower oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Red bell pepper 1
  • Carrots 2
  • Zucchini 1
  • Fresh ginger 20 g
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Allergens Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the tempeh into thin strips and boil it for five minutes, then drain it. 5 min

    If you don't have tempeh, firm tofu or seitan work just as well.

  2. Cook the rice in a large pot of salted water. 11 min

    Drain it as soon as it's tender so it doesn't clump together.

  3. Brown the tempeh strips in the oil over high heat. 6 min

    They're ready once they're nicely golden on both sides.

  4. Add the carrots cut into sticks, bell pepper in strips, zucchini, garlic and grated ginger, and stir-fry. 6 min

    Keep the vegetables a bit crisp, they soak up the sauce better that way.

  5. Pour in the soy sauce, add pepper and serve over the rice.

    A squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens up the dish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Slice the tempeh into thin, even strips, it will brown more evenly and crisp up nicely at the edges.
  • Prep all your vegetables before turning on the heat, stir-frying moves fast and you won't have time to chop as you go.
  • Use a pan or wok wide enough that the tempeh and vegetables actually brown instead of steaming in their own juices.

The variations

  • Swap the tempeh for firm tofu or seitan if you can't find any, the cooking stays the same.
  • Add bean sprouts or shiitake mushrooms for more texture in the stir-fry.
  • For a quicker version, use precooked rice and skip straight to cooking the tempeh.

What to serve it with

  • A squeeze of fresh lime
  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • A light green tea

Storage

This dish keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container, tempeh and rice together or separate. It freezes well, except for the rice, which loses texture once thawed. Reheat in a pan or microwave with a splash of water so it doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Why do you need to boil tempeh before cooking it?

Raw tempeh has a natural bitterness from the soy fermentation process. Five minutes of boiling noticeably softens that bitterness without fully cooking the tempeh through, before you brown it in the pan.

Can you prep this dish ahead of time?

You can chop the vegetables and boil the tempeh a day ahead, then keep them in the fridge. All that's left is stir-frying everything and cooking the rice right before serving.

Is tempeh good for kids?

Its firm texture and mild fermented taste don't always win kids over right away. You can cut back on the ginger and soy sauce to soften the flavor if you're cooking for the whole family.

Can you swap the zucchini or bell pepper for other vegetables?

Yes, broccoli, bok choy or snap peas all work well in this kind of stir-fry. Stick to vegetables that cook quickly and stay crisp.

How long does it take to make a ginger tempeh stir-fry with rice?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a ginger tempeh stir-fry with rice?

About 670 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a ginger tempeh stir-fry with rice cost?

About €2.40 per serving, or €9.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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