Tempeh Bolognese on Zucchini Noodles

Before I even dive into the recipe, I should probably tell you a little about tempeh. Maybe you’ve seen it but have been intimidated to try it, or maybe you’ve never even heard of it before. Either way, tempeh is becoming more and more popular, but I wouldn’t say that it’s a mainstream staple yet. So what exactly is it? Tempeh is a plant-based protein. Like tofu, it’s made from soy beans, but the taste and texture is very different due to the way it’s prepared. Unlike tofu, tempeh is a fermented food. It’s a staple in Indonesia and it’s slowly making headway among vegans, vegetarians and flexiarians everywhere.

I enjoy cooking tempeh in many ways. I love cutting it into small cubes, marinating it in a peanut ginger sauce, and baking it in the oven. I also make a smokey tempeh “bacon” by coating the tempeh in a maple, tamari and smoked paprika marinade. It can also easily be incorporated into stir-fry or added as the protein in pasta sauces, stews, soups, curries, tacos, and more!

In this video collaboration with my friend Lynda you’ll learn more about tempeh and find out how I use it to make a tasty bolognese sauce. I served the sauce over zucchini noodles (to up the veg!) and topped it with plant-based cheese from Lynda’s company Fauxmagerie Zengarry. Watch our video below, or scroll down for the text version of the recipe.

TEMPEH BOLOGNESE ON ZUCCHINI NOODLES WITH CASHEW CHEESE

Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 package of tempeh
3 tablespoons, extra virgin olive oil
1 cup, red wine
1 onion, peeled and diced small
1 large carrot, diced small
2 ribs celery, diced small
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoons dry oregano (if fresh is available use 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoons dry basil (if fresh is available use 1 tablespoon)
1 jar (680 ml) strained tomatoes ("passata")
Black pepper to taste
Optional: sweetener such as maple syrup, to taste, if the sauce seems too acidic
1/2 round Fauxmagerie Zengarry Creamy Swiss cashew cheese, frozen & grated
2 - 4 medium zucchini, spiralized into noodles

Directions:

Grate the tempeh on the large teeth of a box grater or crumble it using your hands. Sauté the tempeh in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until browned. Add a few splashes of water if tempeh starts to stick.

Add the remaining olive oil and the onion, carrot and celery, with 1 teaspoon of salt, keep cooking until the vegetables have softened.

Add the garlic, oregano and basil, and cook for a few minutes longer (unless you are using fresh oregano and basil then add fresh ingredients near the end of the cooking time). Add 1 cup of red wine and simmer until almost dry.

Pour in the strained tomatoes and cook covered for 15-20 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper and sweetener (if needed). Serve the sauce over zucchini noodles (either raw or lightly warmed in a frying pan) and topped with grated Fauxmagerie Zengarry Creamy Swiss cashew cheese. Enjoy!

Notes:

-See Zengarry’s website to find retailers near you. If you cannot find Zengarry in your city or town, you can always swap in another plant-based cheese of your choice, either store bought or homemade. Alternatively you could top your dish with nutritional yeast flakes to add some cheesiness or enjoy the dish on its own!

If you enjoyed the recipe I shared above be sure to check out my Plant-Based Breakthrough program, which is a crash course in plant-based health, nutrition, and meal planning. For details about the program click here. You can also join the Plant-Based Breakthrough Community on Facebook where I share recipes, inspiration, and information on plant-based nutrition.