Tempeh and broccoli stir-fry
Nutty, golden tempeh and bright green broccoli in a glossy ginger soy sauce over rice, the stir-fry to make the first time you bring home tempeh.
- 45 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $3.39 a serving
- 810 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 package tempeh
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
From your pantry
- 2½ cups water, divided
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
Each serving has about 810 calories, 37 g protein, 105 g carbs and 30 g fat, and costs about $3.39 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No broccoli? Frozen broccoli works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice and bring it in a small with 1½ cups water and the salt over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Stir once, cover, and cook on low for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave the lid on.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Meanwhile, cut the tempeh into about ¼ inch thick, then cut each slice in half.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Put the tempeh in a large nonstick with ½ cup water, cover, and over medium heat about 5 minutes, until the water is gone.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: This quick steam takes away tempeh’s slightly bitter edge and helps it soak up the sauce.While it steams, the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil and ¼ cup water in a small bowl.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Uncover the pan, add 1 tablespoon oil, and turn the heat to medium-high.
Medium-high heat
Cook the tempeh, turning once, until on both sides, about 6 minutes.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Medium-high heatTimer: 6 min
Move it to a plate.
Add the rest of the oil, the broccoli and ¼ cup water. 3 to 4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and .
Stir-fry. Stir-frying means cooking small pieces fast over high heat in a little oil, stirring almost constantly. It moves quickly, so have everything chopped and ready before the pan gets hot.
How you’ll know: It sizzles loudly the whole time, and the vegetables turn bright and tender-crisp in minutes.
Tender-crisp. Tender-crisp means vegetables cooked until just tender but still with a little snap. They keep their bright color and crunch instead of going soft and dull.
How you’ll know: A fork goes in with slight resistance, and the color is bright, not olive or gray.
Medium-high heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Add the garlic and ginger and stir 30 seconds, .
Fragrant. Fragrant means cooking until you can clearly smell it, usually garlic or spices, often in about 30 seconds. That’s the moment the flavor is ready, just before it can burn.
How you’ll know: You can smell it from a step back, and garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Medium-high heat
Return the tempeh, stir the sauce, and pour it in. about 1 minute, until it bubbles and turns glossy.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Medium-high heatTimer: 1 min
Spoon over the rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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