This is an easy recipe for tempeh if you've never cooked with it before. We start with delicious caramelized onions, and then add some cooking wine and red grapes for a little sweetness. We finish off this easy Sautéed Tempeh recipe with fresh rosemary. The slight piney and citrus notes play off the sweetness in a way that screams Fall.
This recipe is absolutely made for the Fall. But thankfully these ingredients are easily available just about anywhere all year round! It's high in protein, fiber, potassium, magnesium, and iron, and a great source of heart healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats!
This easy sautéed tempeh is inspired by similar pork chop recipes that use fruit; often either apples or grapes, and bake in the oven. Tempeh works as a great stand-in for pork in this dish. The flavors taste like it took hours, when this recipe takes only about 45 minutes. Perfect comfort food! The tempeh dish pairs perfectly with my Stuffed Honeynut Squash.
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Ingredients
This roasted tempeh recipe is minimalist in nature. You only need a few simple ingredients.
- Tempeh
- Olive oil
- Red onion
- Red cooking wine
- Homemade vegetable broth
- Fresh rosemary
- Red grapes
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
While the process for how to prepare tempeh isn't difficult, it does take a little (optional) prep before it's ready to cook.
Cut the tempeh, place it in a steamer pan, and steam for 15 minutes.
While the tempeh steams, slice the red onion, and add it to a skillet with hot oil in it.
Sauté the onions until they are well caramelized.
Remove the onions, and add the tempeh to the pan.
Turn the tempeh pieces after about 5 minutes, and sauté another 5 minutes.
Remove the tempeh, and add the broth, cooking wine, onions, grapes, and rosemary to the pan.
Simmer for about 5 minutes before adding the tempeh back in.
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Hint: steaming the tempeh and caramelizing the onions take about the same time. Do these two tasks at the same time to save a lot of time.
Substitutions
Sautéed tempeh is easily modifiable, depending on the ingredients you have.
- Tempeh - use extra firm tofu if you're not a tempeh fan
- Grapes - use apple slices
- Red cooking wine - use extra vegetable broth instead
Note that tempeh isn't always gluten free. Sometimes brands mix whole grains with the soybeans, as in the variety I'm using from Trader Joe's. This version has barley in it, which may be contaminated with gluten. If you need to follow a gluten free diet, make sure your tempeh is actually gluten free.
Variations
You might like to try dressing up your roasted tempeh recipe for other seasons. Try these:
- Spring - try using strawberries (fresh or frozen) instead of grapes, and season with fresh basil after the cooking is done, instead of rosemary
- Summer - use stone fruit, like peaches and nectarines, instead of grapes, and use a mix of fresh tarragon and thyme instead of rosemary (omit the cooking wine and use equal amount vegetable broth)
Find more Healthy Fall Recipes here!
Storage
Store the finished recipe in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Good for about 5 days. In fact, it's even tastier the next day!
Top tip
Find tempeh in most grocery stores where you also find tofu. It may be near the fresh produce or near animal meats. It will be refrigerated.
FAQ
Tempeh is a high-protein fermented soybean product. It's made by using natural culturing to ferment cooked soybeans and sometimes a type of whole grain, and pressing it together into a dense cake. Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian food, and a mainstay of vegan and vegetarian diets, though not as well known as tofu. It has a nutty, sometimes slightly cheesy flavor.
Technically, no. If you want to skip that step, do it. Some people find tempeh to be a little bitter. Steaming helps make the tempeh softer and less bitter. If that doesn't bother you, by all means, save yourself some time and dishes!
Related
Looking for other recipes featuring meat alternatives? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Sautéed Tempeh:
📖 Recipe
Easy Sautéed Tempeh with Caramelized Onions and Grapes
An easy and quick autumn-inspired dish that only tastes complicated!
Ingredients
- 16 oz Tempeh
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced
- ½ cup red cooking wine
- ½ cup Homemade vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoon chopped, fresh rosemary
- 2 cups red grapes
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Remove tempeh from packaging, and cut each block in half, to make square “steaks”. Place in a steamer basket, and steam the tempeh for 15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy, oven-proof skillet, and sauté onions until caramelized, about 20-30 minutes.
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Remove onions from skillet. Add a little more oil if needed.
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Add the tempeh to the skillet, and sauté about 5 minutes on each side, until browned.
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Remove tempeh from skillet. Pour in cooking wine and broth, and return the onions, along with the grapes and chopped rosemary to the skillet. Simmer about 5 minutes. The grapes will begin to swell and burst.
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Nestle the tempeh back into the skillet, turning once to coat both sides. Bake in the oven 15-20 minutes, until grapes begin to shrivel and the liquid is mostly gone from the pan.
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Garnish with fresh rosemary.
Food safety
Remember to always practice safe cooking and food handling procedures!
- Wash hands before and after food prep, as well as whenever they are dirty
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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