Easy Vegan Sweet-and-Sour Tempeh

Easy Vegan Sweet-and-Sour Tempeh

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 3 servings
Yield: 3 servings

Sweet-and-sour dishes are always popular at Chinese restaurants, but they typically contain meat, poultry, or seafood and are out for vegetarians and vegans. This recipe is the perfect solution.

It's made with tempeh simmered with pineapples and peppers in an easy homemade sauce of tangy vinegar and sugar. Serve it on its own or over rice, Israeli couscous, or a  whole grain

This is just one recipe. There are so many more ways to use versatile tempeh—tacos, teriyaki, chili, gyros, barbecue—as a meat substitute, you'll never get bored.

Ingredients

For the Tempeh:

  • 1 (8 to 10-ounce) package tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 3/4 cup vegetable broth

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Sauce:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar, or white vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1 green or red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • Cooked rice, or couscous, for serving

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Tempeh

  1. Gather the tempeh ingredients.

    Easy Vegan Sweet-and-Sour Tempeh ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. In a skillet, braise the tempeh in vegetable broth and soy sauce for 10 minutes to soften it.

    braise the tempeh in vegetable broth and soy sauce in a skillet

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. Remove from pan and reserve the braising liquid for the sweet-and-sour sauce.

    tempeh in a bowl, sauce in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. In a separate skillet, saute the tempeh in olive oil over medium-high heat until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.

    tempeh cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Make the Sauce

  1. Gather the sauce ingredients.

    sauce ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. Combined the reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch with the reserved braising liquid in a saucepan, stirring to mix well. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.

    Combined the reserved pineapple juice, brown sugar, vinegar, and cornstarch

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. Add the peppers and onions to the sauce and continue to stir until the sauce has thickened.

    Add the peppers and onions to the sauce in the pot

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Reduce the heat, add the braised tempeh cubes, pineapple chunks, and simmer until heated through.

    add the braised tempeh cubes, pineapple chunks to the sauce in the pan

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Serve over rice, another whole grain, or couscous.

    Easy Vegan Sweet-and-Sour Tempeh in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

More About Tempeh

Tempeh is a soy food that is high in protein and is often used as a meat substitute. Although tempeh is made from soy, it has an entirely different taste than tofu. Tempeh has a nutty flavor before taking on the flavor of the dish it's used in, whereas tofu is typically tasteless before taking on other flavors. 

Tofu crumbles easily and tempeh has a firm texture. The soybeans in tempeh are kept whole and pressed together while those in tofu are ground. If you are avoiding soy, tempeh also can be found made with black beans or chickpeas.

Most tempeh brands have added grains, such as barley, and are therefore not gluten-free, so make sure you check the label or make your own tempeh.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
500 Calories
20g Fat
64g Carbs
23g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories 500
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 771mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 64g 23%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 88mg 441%
Calcium 143mg 11%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 784mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)