Tempeh Stir-Fry With Spicy Coconut Sauce
This Easy Tempeh Stir-Fry Recipe is made with tons of veggies (broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, and snow peas), quinoa, and a spicy coconut milk sauce. It’s a savoury, vegan, and gluten-free tempeh recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or a make-ahead meal prep option.
Tempeh is easily one of my favourite sources of plant-based protein, and it works perfectly as the protein component of an easy weeknight stir-fry. Have you guys tried tempeh before? If it’s your first time, I hope you enjoy this delicious way of preparing it!
This tempeh stir-fry is packed with tons of colourful vegetables, like broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, and snow peas. That said, feel free to use any other veggies as you see fit! I’ve also paired the dish with quinoa, but you can always use a different whole grain if you’d prefer. The spicy coconut sauce was inspired by my Roasted Butternut Squash with Kale & Spicy Coconut Cream recipe, and it worked great on this dish too.
If you like to meal prep for the week, this recipe is a great option to add to your collection. It stores well, is easy to reheat, and makes about 4 full servings.
How To Make Tempeh Stir-Fry
To make this tempeh stir-fry with spicy coconut sauce, start by cooking the quinoa. I have a whole blog post on How To Cook Quinoa if you want more detailed instructions!
Next, chop all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Slice the tempeh lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips, then cut those strips into thirds (to get bite-sized pieces of tempeh).
Heat 2 large skillets over medium heat and add a little coconut oil to both. In one pan, cook the vegetables. In the other pan, cook the tempeh with a little bit of tamari or soy sauce. The tempeh needs to be cooked for about 1-2 minutes on each side to allow it to brown. Once cooked, you can transfer the tempeh to the pan with the vegetables and continue cooking.
While the veggies and tempeh are cooking, you’ll also want to make the spicy coconut milk sauce. To do this, simply add coconut milk into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cornstarch (to thicken) and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook and reduce the coconut milk for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken. Note – if you don’t like things spicy, feel free to omit the red pepper flakes.
Once all ingredients are ready, toss vegetables, tempeh, and quinoa altogether and drizzle with coconut sauce. Mix everything together well and enjoy!
How To Store & Reheat Recipe
As I mentioned, this recipe lends itself perfectly to meal prep and is great for “intentional leftovers.” Simply store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Because the sauce is made with coconut milk, it will harden slightly in the fridge. Don’t worry though – as soon as it’s reheated it’ll melt! I find that this stir-fry reheats easily in the microwave, without compromising texture. If you’d prefer, you can also reheat on the stove.
Recipe Nutrition Notes
Tempeh Nutrition Facts. Tempeh is a fermented soy product that packs in 19 grams of complete plant-based protein into a 100 gram serving. It’s also a great source of micronutrients like iron, calcium, vitamin B6, phosphorus, and magnesium.
Quinoa Nutrition Facts. Quinoa is a “pseudocereal” – it’s actually a seed, but we treat it like a whole grain from a culinary standpoint. It’s unique to many grains in that it’s a complete protein – 1 cup cooked provides 8 grams. It’s also an excellent source of other micronutrients like magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, folate, copper, iron, zinc, and some B-vitamins. Quinoa is rich in dietary fibre and is naturally gluten-free.
Broccoli Nutrition Facts. This cruciferous veggie is a great source of micronutrients like vitamin C (one cup provides 135% of your daily needs), vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. It’s also rich in dietary fibre, with one cup providing about 9% of your daily needs.
Carrot Nutrition Facts. This root vegetable is one of the best sources of beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A (1 cup of chopped carrots provides 428% of your daily vitamin A needs). In addition to vitamin A, carrots are a great source of vitamin K, B6, C, folate, and potassium. Their high beta-carotene content means they’re also rich in antioxidants like lutein and lycopene. In addition, one cup of chopped carrots provides about 14% of your daily fibre needs!
Bell Pepper Nutrition Facts. Like broccoli, bell peppers are one of the best sources of vitamin C – one pepper meets 180% of your daily needs! Bell peppers are a source of other micronutrients, too, like vitamin B6, E, A, K, folate, and potassium. They are also rich in carotenoids, which are plant compounds with antioxidant properties.
Snow Pea Nutrition Facts. Snow peas are a great source of micronutrients like vitamin C, A, K, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese. They’re also a source of dietary fibre and antioxidants, which provide a multitude of health benefits!
Coconut Milk Nutrition Facts. Coconut milk is a source of micronutrients like potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, selenium, manganese, folate, and vitamin C. From a macronutrient standpoint, coconut milk is rich in fats, including a type of saturated fat called medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Fat can help your body better absorb fat-soluble micronutrients and other plant compounds from your food. It also helps to keep you feeling satiated!
While the research on saturated fats and heart health is conflicted, some studies have found that coconut can actually increase levels of HDL, which is a type of lipoprotein that ushers cholesterol out of the body (you may hear it referred to as “good cholesterol”). A moderate amount of coconut milk is totally fine to include in a balanced diet.
More Easy Vegetarian Dinner Ideas:
- Tempeh Stir-Fry With Creamy Miso-Peanut Sauce
- Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Vegan Noodle Bowl With Spicy Peanut Sauce
- Healthy Homemade Miso Ramen Noodle Soup
- Cold Soba Noodle Salad With Tamari Lime Dressing
If you give this Tempeh Stir-Fry With Spicy Coconut Sauce recipe a try, let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below! Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more simple, healthy recipe ideas.
Get the Recipe: Tempeh Stir-Fry With Spicy Coconut Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, dry
- 400 grams tempeh (2 packs)
- 1 crown broccoli
- 1 large bell pepper
- 2 large carrots
- 2 cups snap or snow peas
- Approx. 2 Tbsp coconut oil (for cooking)
- 2 Tbsp tamari (for tempeh)
- Salt + pepper, to taste
Coconut sauce:
- 1.5 cups coconut milk, full-fat (or 1 full can)
- 0.5-1 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to desired spice level)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Start by cooking the quinoa. Rinse quinoa in a sieve + add to pot with 1.75 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover + let cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat + keep lid on to let steam. I have a blog post on How To Cook Quinoa if you want more detailed instructions!
- Next, chop all the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Slice the tempeh lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips, then cut those strips into thirds (to get bite-sized pieces of tempeh).
- Heat 2 large skillets over medium heat and add a small amount of coconut oil to both. In one pan, cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes. In the other pan, cook the tempeh with tamari or soy sauce, for 1-2 minute on each side to brown. Once cooked, transfer the tempeh to the pan with the vegetables and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.
- While the veggies and tempeh are cooking, start making the spicy coconut milk sauce. Add coconut milk into a small saucepan + bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cornstarch + red pepper flakes. Continue to cook the coconut milk for about 10-15 minutes until it starts to thicken. Note - if you don't like things spicy, feel free to omit the red pepper flakes.
- Once all ingredients are ready, toss vegetables, tempeh, and quinoa altogether + drizzle with coconut sauce. Mix everything together well + enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
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