Orange Glazed Tempeh Recipe

Name: Orange Glazed Tempeh Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 4 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 4-ounce package tempeh, cut into 3/4-inch cubes; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 4 cups cooked mixed wild and brown rice; 2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 35 mins

Servings: 4 servings

8 ratings

Write a Review

Add a comment

Like the orange chicken you get at Chinese restaurants? Want to try a vegetarian version at home? One of the secrets which many vegetarians and vegans know is that replicating most meals has very little to do with the meat itself. After all, the most important thing about Chinese restaurant-style orange chicken really isn't the chicken - it's the sweet and tangy orange glaze that makes the dish.

So, this recipe combines all the ingredients of the orange glaze and puts it on a great vegetarian meat substitute - tempeh - instead of chicken. The recipe calls for fresh orange juice (it really needs to be fresh for this recipe - don't use concentrate or frozen!), maple syrup for sweetness, soy sauce for saltiness, and a few other spices as well.

You can serve this orange tempeh over rice or just about any other whole grain, or, if you'd like more a rounder meal, you can double the glaze ingredients and add in some steamed veggies as well - try snow peas, baby corn and bell peppers to keep it Asian-themed, or even broccoli or bok choy, or just about anything, really. Cauliflower might be nice too.

2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 4-ounce package tempeh, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups cooked mixed wild and brown rice
2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

Gather the ingredients.

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
In a bowl, whisk together orange juice, maple syrup, soy sauce, coriander, and ginger. Set aside.

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
Simmer carrots in lightly salted water about 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Set aside.

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
In another pot, boil tempeh in unsalted water 10 minutes.

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
Drain tempeh and pat dry.

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add tempeh and brown on all sides.

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar
Add carrots and orange juice mixture and simmer until liquid is a syrupy glaze. To serve, spoon tempeh and glaze over rice; sprinkle with cilantro.

The Spruce Eats / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Tips

Need it to be gluten-free? Tempeh is often - but not always - gluten-free, so be sure to select a tempeh which is entirely gluten-free, if needed, and swap out the regular soy sauce for a gluten-free tamari, or, you could even use coconut aminos or Bragg's liquid aminos. The remaining ingredients are all gluten-free.
Need it to be a full vegetarian meal? Serve your Chinese-inspired tempeh "chicken" with Chinese scallion pancakes or the perfect white rice.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Lightlife Foods.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
679	Calories
11g	Fat
130g	Carbs
17g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	679
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g	14%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 370mg	16%
Total Carbohydrate 130g	47%
Dietary Fiber 7g	25%
Protein 17g
Calcium 138mg	11%
*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.