Vegan Tempeh Fish – Packed With Protein

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To me, tempeh is the ultimate muscle-building food. I went into detail about it here , but here's the short version: Tempeh is made by traditionally fermenting soybeans, a process that can make its protein and other nutrients, like iron and calcium, easier for your body to absorb. During fermentation, some of the carbohydrates get "eaten up," too, and the protein becomes more digestible. Basically, it's a nutritional powerhouse—and I haven't even gotten to its prebiotic content yet.

To take that powerhouse into seriously delicious territory, I wrapped the tempeh in nori. This seaweed provides iodine, an essential mineral you might not be getting enough of if you're vegan and don't eat seafood or eggs, both sources of iodine. The nori also gives the dish that "fresh from the sea" flavor, which is why I'm calling it vegan fish. Don't love the name? Call it whatever you want. I promise I won't take it personally. 🙂

I buy my tempeh from Holy Tempeh (an Israeli tempeh maker), and it's the best tempeh you'll ever eat. That's because Nethanel (the maker behind Holy Tempeh) makes it at home with so much love. You can order online, or head to Shuk HaNamal (Tel Aviv's port market) on Friday mornings and hope it hasn't sold out. It goes fast.

A Little About This Vegan Tempeh Fish

Yes, it tastes like fish. No, you can't get rid of that flavor while keeping the seaweed—that's where the flavor comes from. Yes, you can leave out the seaweed, but then you're left with tempeh wrapped in rice paper. A little boring, don't you think?

For a pleasantly crispy texture that also soaks up all that flavor, I wrapped the nori-covered tempeh in rice paper, then pan-fried it in a little oil.

The sauce is a simple Asian-style mix: soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and a little Tabasco or chili.

Nutrition Facts:

One of the 2 servings, containing 5 pieces of vegan tempeh fish, provides:

• 533 calories
• 32 g protein
• 46.5 g carbohydrates
• 22.5 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat)

Vegan Tempeh Fish

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Yield 2 servings

Calories 533 kcal

Ingredients

• 300 g (10.6 oz) tempeh
• 5 sheets nori
• 10 sheets rice paper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

For the Sauce

• 3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

Instructions

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a deep bowl. Stir in 1/4 cup water to thin the sauce.

2. Cut the tempeh into 10 slices.

3. Add the tempeh slices to the bowl of sauce and marinate for 30 minutes, turning the slices occasionally.

4. Remove the tempeh, reserving the marinade.

5. Use scissors to cut each nori sheet into 2 halves.

6. Roll a slice of tempeh in a half sheet of nori (see the video).

7. Dip a sheet of rice paper in water for 2–3 seconds, then lay it on a wet work surface.

8. Roll the nori-wrapped tempeh in the rice paper (see the video). Repeat with the remaining slices.

9. Cut each tempeh roll into 2 halves.

10. Heat the oil in a skillet. Pan-fry the halved tempeh rolls until the rice paper is browned and crisp.

11. Add the reserved marinade to the skillet and toss well until the sauce is absorbed.

12. Transfer to a plate and garnish with sesame seeds.

Wondering how tempeh and tofu compare nutritionally? Read the complete guide to tofu vs. tempeh.