Author Notes
The basic idea of this vegan salad is chunks of crumbled tempeh with spices mixed with lime juice, corn, peppers, and avocado. I've added jicama in this version, but you could also use finely chopped celery, zucchini, tomatoes, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Jicama adds some crunch and a little sweetness, but make sure you use fresh jicama because old jicama is very starchy. Likewise, adding beans or fresh herbs would also be nice. Basil, mint, or cilantro would all work well here. If you are serving lacto-ovo vegetarians or meat eaters, consider adding cheese, pancetta, or both. However, this dish is just fine without any cheese, herbs, or meat too. I find that using spice blends commonly used on meats with soy produces evokes the memory of that meat and adds a certain heartiness to the flavor. Here, I've used poultry seasoning with tempeh. In other recipes, I've used steak seasoning blends (such as McCormick's) or Old Bay seasoning. I boil the tempeh in this recipe before crumbling it and sauteeing it because some people find tempeh bitter unless it is steamed or boiled. —clintonhillbilly
Ingredients
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1
ear corn
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1
yellow bell pepper, chopped
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1/2 to 1
jalapeno, minced
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1 cup
jicama, chopped (optional)
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1
lime
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1-2 tablespoons
chili powder
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1 teaspoon
poultry seasoning
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2 tablespoons
canola oil
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1/2 cup
chopped red onion, or 1 cup chopped scallions
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1/2 cup
fresh herbs (optional)
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1
8 oz. package of tempeh
Directions
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In a saucepan, bring a couple of cups of water to boil (enough to cover tempeh). Add tempeh to water when it starts to boil. Boil for two minutes, then drain.
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In the same saucepan (no need to dirty another dish here), heat canola oil. When oil is hot, use your hands to crumble tempeh into pan. You can crumble it into whatever size chunks you prefer (I like some of them to be larger for texture). Sautee about two minutes over medium-high heat, then add corn, chili powder, and poultry seasoning. Toss so that seasonings are mixed throughout and continue to sautee.
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Turn off the heat on the tempeh and corn, and squeeze one half of a lime over tempeh-corn mixture, stirring to combine. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, jicama, avocado, and onion, and squeeze over the other half of the lime.
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Toss tempeh and corn with chopped vegetables and taste. If you wish, add more lime, salt, or a little good olive oil. Serve warm.
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