After college I journeyed into the vegan-world! It was a lovely journey, full of new and flavorful food options. I felt great, with no sense of deprivation. However, as time went on, meals went on auto-pilot and often the diet felt unvaried. It became even more important for me to find recipes I loved to keep the diet interesting and enjoyable.
Years later, I no longer follow a vegan diet, but continue to eat a primarily plant-based diet. I often eat vegan or vegetarian meals and love coming up with creative recipes in the kitchen. Today, I created the Vegan Spiced Tempeh Wrap and am happy to share the wealth!
To Get Started…
First, have you ever had tempeh? What is tempeh? While many have heard of tofu, tempeh is slightly different and in my opinion a better vegan-protein option! Essentially, tempeh takes whole soybeans, soaks, cooks and ferments them. It is sometimes mixed with other grains or legumes, or can just contain soy so be sure to check the ingredients list carefully. Here’s a brief summary of the differences between tofu and tempeh.
I like using tempeh because a) it tastes flavorful, unlike incredibly bland tofu b) it is fermented soy and therefore the nutrients are better absorbed c) I don’t have to press the water out of it like tofu. Okay, enough about my tempeh obsession; let’s move on.
Slice the tempeh block in half as this recipe calls for 4oz and most blocks come in 8oz sizes. Next, slice the tempeh into 1-cm slices, almost appearing like thick slices of bacon.
Spiced Tempeh
Now comes the fun part. While your oil heats up in the pan, start making your spice blend. This includes smoked paprika, cumin, garlic salt, and black pepper. Rub the spice blend onto the tempeh slices until it is well coated with flavor. Place the tempeh on the hot pan and allow each side to brown. It typically takes about 4-minutes to cook each side.
Wrap It Up
While the tempeh is cooking, get your wrap ingredients together. Add some kind of leafy green or shredded cabbage to “bulk” up thewrap. Also, add something creamy for great texture like avocado, hummus, or vegan mayo. I used avocado slices, onion slices, and mixed greens in my wrap, but feel free to use whatever you have around the kitchen.
For the wrap, I rehydrated brown rice paper by soaking it in warm water for a few seconds. You may use other types of wraps that suit your preferences including seaweed paper or a corn or wheat tortilla.
Now, wrap up all of the ingredients, including the spiced tempeh and cut it in half diagonally. There you have it…a delicious vegan lunch in less than 15-minutes!
Nutrition Facts
This recipe makes 1 serving.
Per serving: 387 calories, 28g carb, 21g protein, 20g fat, 10g fiber
Ingredients
- 4-oz organic soy tempeh, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 sheets of brown rice paper
- Toppings: sliced onion, sliced avocado, mixed greens, etc.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Make spice blend by mixing together the smoked paprika, cumin, garlic salt and pepper. Rub the spice blend onto both sides of the tempeh slices.
- Add the spiced tempeh to the pan and cook for about 4-minutes on each side, or until slightly browned. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, rehydrate the brown rice paper in warm water on a large plate. Remove excess water. Add the wrap toppings to the paper including mixed greens, avocado and onion. Lastly, top the wrap with 4 slices of spiced tempeh. Wrap it up and then slice in half.
