Vegan Tempeh Egg Roll Bowls
Vegan Tempeh Egg Roll Bowls- Made with mostly pantry ingredients, this easy and nutritious meal comes together in just 20 minutes! (gluten-free)
I’m on a mission to open everyone’s mind to the wonderful world of tempeh. Whether you follow a plant-based diet or not, it is by far one of the healthiest and most versatile options available for protein. The fermentation process unlocks all of the beneficial nutrients making it much easier to digest than tofu and there are plenty of soy-free options if for some reason you’re averse to eating soy. It also absorbs flavor much better than tofu and can be served in a variety of dishes that often call for animal protein.
Like these Egg Roll Bowls, for example. You’ll find many variations of this recipe on the internet and most all of them call for ground meat. Tempeh makes a great substitution in this case because it can be crumbled into a texture that somewhat resembles ground meat and giving it a quick steam prior to crumbling allows it to absorb the tangy asian-inspired marinade beautifully. Paired with crunchy slaw, it makes for a light and simple meal that’s perfect for whipping up on a busy weeknight!
What You Need To Make the Bowls
The main reason I’m such a big fan of this recipe, besides the fact that it’s healthy of course, is that it is incredibly simple to make. If you have a well stocked pantry then you only need to buy a few ingredients and it comes together in just 20 minutes from start to finish. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Tempeh- The most common brand of tempeh sold in grocery stores is Lightlife which makes a great organic soy option. It’s my favorite for crumbling, however any variety of tempeh will work. If you’re looking for a soy-free alternative I love Hempé which is made with chickpeas, hemp and chia seeds for a boost of omega 3s.
- Tamari- If you’re not familiar with tamari, it’s basically just soy-sauce that’s made without gluten. You are free to use regular soy sauce or coconut aminos for a soy-free option. I like to use reduced sodium to keep the salt in check.
- Rice Wine Vinegar- This will give the marinade a delicious tangy flavor so please don’t skip it!
- Sriracha- We’ll use this to add a hint of spice. Feel free to leave it out or add more to suit your preferences.
- Coconut Sugar- Just a hint of sweetness helps round out the flavor of the marinade. Maple syrup or honey would also work well if you don’t have coconut sugar.
- Ground Garlic and Ginger- I like to use garlic powder and ground ginger to minimize chopping for this recipe but you are welcome to mince them fresh if you want!
- Sesame Oil- We’re using sesame oil to sauté the vegetables but really, any oil without an overpowering flavor will work, such as avocado or olive oil. If you have toasted sesame oil then you may want to start with just a teaspoon and sauté the vegetables in a bit of water or other oil as the flavor of toasted sesame oil can be very strong.
- Onion- Sautéed fresh onion creates a nice flavor base and is the only vegetable you’ll have to chop!
- Vegetable Slaw- Using packaged vegetable slaw is what makes this recipe so easy. All you have to do is dump it in the pot.
- Green Onion and Sesame Seeds- Technically these toppings aren’t vital to the recipe but they do add a little something extra that helps round everything out. It’s up to you if you want to include them though!
How to Make Them
- Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes while you whisk the marinade together in a large bowl.
- Once the tempeh is cool enough to handle, crumble it with your fingers in the bowl. Stir and allow to sit while you prep the onion.
- Cook the onion in a large pot. Add the tempeh and cabbage slaw then cook just until soft. Top with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve!
If you haven’t come around to tempeh yet then I hope you’ll give this recipe a try! It’s healthy, flavorful and simple to make. What’s not to love?!
WANT MORE TEMPEH RECIPES?
Check out these favorites:
- Easy Peanut Tempeh
- Sheet Pan Cabbage Tempeh with Mustard Tahini Vinaigrette
- Peanut Sauce Tempeh Lettuce Wraps
- BBQ Tempeh Sandwiches with Tangy Apple Slaw
- How to Make Tempeh Bacon
- Easy Tempeh Bacon Bits
- Garlic Herb Baked Tempeh
- Balsamic Dijon Tempeh Buddha Bowls
- Smoky Maple Tempeh Hash with Brussel Sprouts
Vegan Egg Roll Tempeh Bowls
Ingredients
- 12 ounces tempeh
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari, or coconut aminos for soy-free option
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, or pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, see notes
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 10 ounces vegetable slaw
- 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for topping
Instructions
- Fill the bottom of a large skillet with about a 1/2-inch of water and bring to a low boil. Turn off heat, add the block of tempeh, cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the marinade. In a large bowl whisk together the tamari, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, coconut sugar, garlic powder and ginger. Set aside.
- Once the tempeh is done steaming, transfer to a cutting board to cool. Using your fingers, crumble the tempeh into the bowl with the marinade. Stir until the tempeh absorbs all of the marinade.
- In the large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons sesame oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the tempeh to the skillet and stir to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- To the skillet, add the entire package of slaw. Stir as it cooks, for about 5 minutes. You can cook it shorter or longer depending on how crisp or soft you prefer the vegetables.
- Serve warm topped with green onion and sesame seeds, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I’m with you, I’ve become a tempeh fan! I used to get tempeh dishes out but rarely make them at home – but as of late I’ve been cooking with it myself. This dish sounds great! I have some leftover red cabbage from a Thai dish I made last week, so I may make this & whip up my own veg slaw.
Super easy, went together really quickly and even my meat eating husband liked it! It was so delicious and I will certainly be making this again!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Donna! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it! :)
I’ve wanted to try Tempeh, so I’m glad you posted this recipe. Flavorful with a great texture and came together so easily!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the review!
We enjoyed this dish and it was a great introduction to tempeh. I felt like it needed a little extra oomph so I added about 2T of soy sauce and the juice of a lime after adding the veggies. I also threw in some shitake mushrooms at the same time as the onions. I am excited to eat the leftovers tomorrow!!
Sounds like delicious additions!
Thanks for the recipe! I actually had everything in hand (for once). We added chopped fresh spinach for color pop. Delicious!
This recipe came together so quickly! Your website convinced me to steam tempeh before adding a marinade, and I can never go back now! I can’t believe the difference in taste and texture that such an easy, quick step makes. The flavors are excellent in this dish. It had just enough heat, and I added a little extra maple syrup. I used bragg’s liquid aminos. I also topped with wonton strips for some crunch. Next time I would make drizzle a little sweet and sour sauce on top.
LOVE the idea to add wonton strips for crunch! Thanks for the review, Dana!
This was shockingly good! My husband and I are omnivores but I always meal prep vegetarian lunches that I hope will be not-boring and last us both through the week. I really wanted to make this with the tempeh, but my store was out so I subbed a bag of Gardein’s fake beef crumbles. I added a ton more cabbage and kale and fried up triangles of egg roll wrappers to eat on the side. This will stay in our lunch-bowl rotation for sure and I can’t wait to try it with the tempeh. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Pingback: Gallery Chef
Made this tonight and it was great! I loved that it was super quick to make and while I love fresh garlic and ginger, the suggestion to use spices for this def cut down on some time! I’ve never steamed tempeh before and was so pleased with how it turned out. Flavor was great and I will def make again! Off to pick out my next one of your recipes to try!
Thank you so much for the review, Jana!
This was tasty! What is the purpose behind steaming the tempeh first?
It opens the pores to allow it to absorb the marinade! :)
Hi! Can I use Kimchi in place of slaw?
I’m afraid that won’t work the same since the slaw is raw and the cabbage in the kimchi is saturated. You could still swap it out but the texture will be much different.
Should the slaw just be shredded veggies, or should it be dressed, like with mayo?
Just shredded veggies! :)
So easy peasy and very delish! I followed the recipe exactly and I have always been somewhat hit or miss with tempeh. This recipe blew me away! Sometimes it’s just the simple recipes that really make for the best dinner meals. Will for sure use again. Thx!
Pingback: 30 Tempeh Recipes That Are Insanely Tasty | The Green Loot