Tempeh and pumpkin stir-fry with mango salsa
I can hardly believe it, but I've been vegan for 15 years now. And although many people think that you miss out on a lot of things because of it, I actually feel that I've only just discovered many ingredients because of it: tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, kala namak, liquid smoke, soy granules, aquafaba, tofu, and yes, even tempeh.
- For the baked pumpkin and tempeh:
- 500g Hokkaido pumpkin
- 370 g tempeh (e.g. 2 packs of mountain lentil tempeh from tempehmanufaktur)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt
- Pfeffer
- For the spicy creamed spinach:
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 10 g parsley
- 300g chopped frozen spinach
- 150g vegan sour cream
- 2 El Tahin
- 1 tbsp yeast flakes
- 1 lemon
- Salt
- Pfeffer
- Nutmeg
- Vegetable oil for frying
- For the mango salsa and the topping:
- 50 g pine nuts
- 1 Mango
- 1 small red onion
- 10 g parsley
- 1 TL Sumach
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
- Lemon juice
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F). First, chop the pumpkin and tempeh into small pieces, for example, the pumpkin into wedges and the tempeh into triangles. Spread both on a baking sheet, drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil (to prevent the tempeh from drying out) and maple syrup, and season with cumin, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Bake in the oven for approximately 20–25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, for the flavorful creamed spinach, peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Finely chop the parsley and set aside. Heat vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the chopped frozen spinach and heat until completely thawed and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and let cool. Mix in the vegan sour cream, tahini, nutritional yeast, and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon zest and juice.
- Toast the pine nuts in a fat-free pan until golden brown and set aside.
- Dice the mango and red onion for the salsa. Finely chop the parsley. Combine in a bowl with sumac, chili flakes, and olive oil, and season with salt and lemon juice.
- To serve, spread the creamed spinach on a large plate. Distribute the roasted pumpkin and tempeh on top and garnish with the mango salsa and toasted pine nuts.
What exactly is tempeh and what do you do with it?
Tempeh originates from Indonesian cuisine and consists of fermented legumes. Traditionally, these are soybeans, but it can also be made from lentils or other beans. The legumes are first cooked and then fermented with a special mold. Through fermentation, the beans or lentils bind together to form a solid block that retains the legume's natural flavor while also developing a characteristic, slightly nutty taste. When cooking, it can be used in almost any way: chopped, left whole, or crumbled. It can be stir-fried, baked, or breaded and deep-fried. Many see it as an alternative to tofu and even prefer tempeh because it has a more robust flavor, a firmer texture, and a higher protein content. One hundred grams of tempeh contain approximately 20 grams of protein – for comparison, tofu, lentils, and chickpeas contain about half that amount.
We really like using the tempeh from tempehmanufaktur, who produce their organic tempeh by hand. And not just plain tempeh, but also varieties like Black Bean Tempeh Tamari, Lupin Tempeh Wild Herbs and Sweet Chili, Soy Tempeh BBQ, Teriyaki and Curry, and a mountain lentil tempeh, which we also used in today's recipe. You can find their tempeh in many organic markets, larger supermarkets, with food delivery services, and of course, in the tempehmanufaktur online shop.
And what are we cooking with it today?
But enough of the tempeh theory, let's get cooking! On our blog you can already find recipes for vegan burritos with marinated, fried tempeh, a vegan breakfast sandwich with tempeh bacon, and lime rice with tempeh in a nut sauce. On Instagram, we recently showed you a warm soba noodle salad with black bean tempeh.
Today's dish is autumnal, hearty, and fruity – we're bringing all textures and flavors to the plate. Alongside the tempeh, pumpkin goes on the baking sheet and into the oven. Meanwhile, we prepare a creamy spinach base, and everything is topped with a mango and onion salsa and toasted pine nuts. It sounds unusual, tastes comforting yet fresh, and apart from the baking time, you only need 30 minutes for preparation.
