Tempeh Bolognese

Many of us switched our diet to be plant-based for different reasons. Creating familiar flavors from the past using plant-based ingredients is not that hard, especially now that it has become more and more accessible everywhere.

One of the staple ingredients that I always keep in my fridge is tempeh for 3 main reasons: 1) I love the texture, 2) it is so versatile and can adapt to any flavor in a recipe, and 3) It is loaded with protein—one of the highest amounts of plant-based protein.

I had no clue what tempeh was before going vegan…I remember that the first time I tried it was at a vegan restaurant and it was so good! I loved the texture and the flavor. In this recipe, I used the tempeh instead of a ground meat, and the tempeh really soaks up all the sauce flavors and tastes amazing! Seriously, if you miss meat texture or flavor, I think you are going to like this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil (and more for later)

1 onion, chopped

4 celery stalks, thinly chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, chopped, (optional)

1 package of tempeh, 8oz / 227g, broken with your hands into small pieces

1 can of tomato sauce, 17.63oz / 500g

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon paprika 

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 bunch of fresh basil leaves, chopped

Salt

Pepper

Garnish Suggestion:

Fresh basil and fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a wide, nonstick pan on medium heat, add olive oil, onion, celery, salt and pepper, and sauté for a couple of minutes. Then, add garlic, jalapeño, and tempeh. Add a little more olive oil, turmeric, paprika, and old bay seasoning. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the tomato sauce and reduce heat to low. Add basil and let it cook until all the flavors combine.

Garnish with parsley and basil leaves, sprinkle some vegan parmesan, and a bit more olive before serving.

Serve over spaghetti or your favorite pasta.