Sweet soy tempeh with green beans (tempe kecap)
20 min · 32 g protein · 433 cals / serving
Indonesia's sticky, sweet-salty tempeh: thin batons fried crisp, then glazed with shallots, garlic, chili and ginger in a quick homemade sweet soy sauce made from tamari and coconut sugar. Crisp green beans and a handful of bean sprouts go into the same pan, so the whole dinner comes from one skillet.
Ingredients
- 8 oz package tempeh, in thin batons
- 1 1/2 tsp canola oil, divided
- 5 cups green beans, pre-trimmed fresh or frozen cut green beans
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1–2 red chili pepper, sliced
- 2 tsp ginger, minced (or galangal)
Sweet soy glaze
- 2 3/4 tsp tamari
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut sugar, or palm or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
- 2 tsp lime juice
Steps
- Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the tempeh in one layer, turning, for 5–6 minutes until golden and crisp. Tip onto a plate.
- Add the green beans and 2 tablespoons of water to the pan, cover and steam-fry 3–4 minutes (4–5 from frozen) until bright and just tender. Push them aside.
- Add the last 1/2 teaspoon of oil with the shallots, garlic, chili and ginger and stir for 1–2 minutes until soft and golden.
- Stir the tamari, coconut sugar and water together, pour into the pan and bubble for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until syrupy. Return the tempeh with the bean sprouts and toss for a minute, until every piece is glazed and sticky and the sprouts are hot but still crunchy.
- Take off the heat, squeeze over the lime and serve.
Good to know
Does tempeh need steaming first?
Some brands taste a little bitter. If yours does, simmer the batons in water for 5 minutes before frying; it adds time but softens the flavour.
Have a bottle of kecap manis?
Use 3 tablespoons of it in place of the tamari and coconut sugar, with the 2 tablespoons of water.
Per
- Calories
- 93
- Protein
- (30%)
- 7 g
- Fat
- (34%)
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- (37%)
- 10 g
- of which sugar
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 102 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 866 kcal goes into the pot and 1036 g of ingredients comes out as about 935 g of food: 93 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.