honey ginger tempeh and broccoli noodles

What fresh hell is this tempeh shit?

To be honest, folks, I don’t cook with tempeh enough. I really like it, yet I never think of recipes using a block probably because it looks rather knubby and weird straight out of the package.

Wait, lady, back it up. So what is tempeh?

In short, tempeh is a form of fermented soybean. It’s considerably less processed than tofu and contains a lot of protein, usually 15-20 grams per serving depending on the brand. The B12 content and fiber are also a bonus, especially for vegans who often lack the former.

When you behold tempeh, it’s not really appetizing. Usually it comes in a thin pillar, and the texture is quite chunky and sometimes speckled with black. Not really cute. However, tempeh soaks up marinades beautifully and sears like a dream – both of those methods I incorporate here.

These Honey Ginger Tempeh and Broccoli Noodles were one dish I prepped for our evacuation days, and in hopes that it’d be good enough to share with ya’ll here while I’m kitchenless in a hotel room. Guys, these are good. J slurped his first portion up happily. The sauce is wonderful, laced with a salty-sweet profile, and helps mellow the inane bitterness of raw tempeh before cooking. A perfect recipe to have on hand for rushed evenings and if you need to, you know, evacuate a hurricane.

Tempeh Tempo

Tempeh, like I said, tends to be rather bitter on its own. I’d never suggest eating it raw. A few methods exist to soften the intense flavor, and one of them is soaking pieces in marinade. So, the sauce becomes a multifunctioning weapon for your tastebuds.

Before I touch the tempeh, I like to get the water going for the noodles so it’s ready for the invasion of the noods.

Whisk up soy sauce, orange juice, honey, peanut butter, sesame oil, and ginger. Cube the tempeh and pour half of the marinade overtop. Let it soak for 10-15 minutes. The cool thing here is because tempeh isn’t meat, you can reuse the marinade later for the noodles. Hooray, no waste!

Heat up some sesame oil (or olive/avocado if you prefer) and drop the tempeh cubes into the pan. Sear until browned all over, then scoop them onto a plate. They should be nicely golden and slightly caramelized all over.

Broc Your World

Throw in some broccoli in the same pan. You can add a touch more oil and cook the veg that way, but I love to steam-saute with water since it gives the broccoli a healthy crunch without using too much unnecessary fat. Simply pour in a couple tablespoons of water, enjoy the brief sizzle, and cover the pan with a lid for a couple minutes.

Saute some garlic and green onions into the broccoli, then add the tempeh back into the pan and pour in the sauce, both what you used for the marinade and what you reserved. Bring to a simmer. At this point I like to cook up the noodles, which usually only takes 2-3 minutes, so you can let the sauce thicken up a bit with the broc and tempeh while you wait for the ramen.

Drain the noodles and slap them into the pan with the sauce and toss everything around to coat. Dish out the noodles with some extra green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Simple, simple.

I’m never upset about eating ramen variations. There’s so much you can do with a pack of cheap noodles that doesn’t involve the overly-salted seasoning they often come with. If you like rice ramen, use that, or even switch it up and try this out with udon or regular spaghetti. I really don’t give a shit so long as you enjoy the dish overall!

Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

More ramen cravings?

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honey ginger tempeh and broccoli noodles

Ramen made healthy, cooked quickly, and eaten with a smile.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Marinating Time 10 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Main Course

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 block tempeh, cubed
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 green onions, diced, plus more for serving
• 8 oz ramen noodles

Instructions

 

• In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, orange juice, honey, peanut butter, sesame oil, and ginger.
• Place the tempeh in a shallow bowl or dish. Pour half of the marinade over the tempeh. Let sit 10 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the ramen noodles according to package directions. Drain.
• Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a skillet over medium. Brown the tempeh for 10 minutes, turning every couple minutes to crisp up all sides. Move to a plate.
• Add the broccoli to the skillet along with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and steam-saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and green onions for one minute. Add the tempeh back to the pan and pour in the sauce (including what you used to marinate the tempeh). Bring to a simmer.
• Drop the cooked noodles into the skillet and toss until the sauce coats the noodles. Divide noodles into bowls and top with green onions and sesame seeds, as desired.

Notes

*To reheat: Add 1-2 tablespoons of water or broth to the noodles and microwave until warm, about 1-2 minutes. Stir to loosen the sauce.

*Ramen noodles: I honestly just use good ole $1 supermarket noodles (discard the seasoning packet), but when I have them around I love Ocean’s Halo.

Keyword asian, broccoli, noodles, ramen, tempeh, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight dinner