The first time you taste tempeh it might not be a pleasant experience…It takes a while to get used to its texture and taste until your ready to add it into your recipes. Tasting it in Indonesia, where tempeh originates from, certainly helps.
Indonesian tempeh, or tempeh made in the traditional unpasteurised method, is not comparable to pasteurised versions.
Here tempeh really shines and brings life to this simple green salad. Thinly cut and fried in salty tamari helps the introduction to be gentle and eases the new initiate in gracefully!
Traditional tempeh is far superior in its health benefits: excellent protein content, high levels of essential fatty acids, numerous vitamins and minerals and fibre. Soybeans are regarded as equal in protein quality to animal foods. Tempeh is high in riboflavin, a co-factor in the regeneration of one of the liver’s most important detoxification enzymes, glutathione. It also has a generous amount of magnesium, nature’s blood vessel relaxant.
Ingredients
Makes 6 as side dish
1. A large salad bowl full of fresh, crisp lettuce. (Any combination will do, I personally love the mix of gentle bitterness of black elk and sweet cos lettuce)
2. 2–3 medium sun-ripened tomatoes, diced
3. 1 medium purple onion, finely sliced
4. 2 medium Lebanese cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced in half moons
5. 1 avocado, diced
6. 375g pkt unpasteurised tempeh (if available), thinly sliced into squares
7. A little coconut oil for frying
8. Tamari, splash of
Directions
Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Add avocado, which gives a nice creamy texture to the crunchy and salty fried flavours. Shallow fry the tempeh chips in a little coconut oil until lightly golden on each side.
Add a splash of tamari and watch it sizzle and evaporate, turning each chip to evenly coat with the soy sauce to form a salty crispy outer edge. Allow it to cool slightly before adding to the salad. Scatter on top on the salad and serve.
Tip You want enough tamari to lightly coat each chip in tamari but not too much so it’s too salty.
Recipe from Passion:Vegan Recipes to Live For by Anthea Amore (RRP $39.95)
