Recipe: Tempeh Deli Salad

Need a new lunch idea for school days (or still at work days)? You know the usual brown bag suspects — tuna, egg, chicken salad, pb and js — well this tempeh deli salad might be just the dish to shake up your mid-day meal.

Tossed into a pita, scooped atop leafy greens or plopped onto a piece of whole-wheat toast for an open faced sandwich, this tempeh deli salad is vegan and healthful, but most important — it's delicious and fresh.

What is tempeh exactly? This fermented soybean cake originated in Indonesia and is still used in a variety of dishes within the country's cuisine — think of it as a nutty, hearty, blank canvas that needs sassing up. This recipe may be the easiest way of eating the protein-packed bean cake. In fact, it requires no cooking and can be assembled in about 5 minutes, so it's perfect for the too-hot days of summer when just looking at the oven can induce wiping sweat off the brow.

Deli-Style Tempeh Salad
serves 4

For the dressing:
3 tablespoons Veganaise (or other non-dairy mayo you prefer)
2 tablespoons mustard (I like French's here, but dijon will work)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

For the salad:
16 ounces tempeh, chopped into small cubes
One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (or navy/pinto beans would work as well), rinsed under cold water
1 large carrot, shredded
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs such as Italian parsley, dill or basil (whichever you prefer)

Whisk together all dressing ingredients until combined. Place garbanzo beans, tempeh, carrot, and sunflower seeds into a medium-sized bowl, and toss with the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, stir in fresh herbs, reserving a few for the very top of the salad.

The tempeh is very good right away and keeps well for a few days in the fridge.

Related:
• Megan's Tempeh Reubens
• Sweet Potato and Tempeh Stew

(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)

Comments (17)

I find that uncooked tempeh can be bitter - cutting it into cubes and boiling in salted water for about ten minutes fixes that.

making this for my lunch tomorrow. it sounds so fresh and delightful!

I turned the oven on this weekend and immediately wished I hadn't! Thanks for the quick and tasty salad idea.

beautiful photos - an inspiring vegan lunch!

I am not a Vegan, nor a vegetarian.....But this looks a lot better than a burger.....unless it's the perfect burger, with grilled onions....

This looks 'scrumpdilyicious!' Superb photos too! I will try this for lunch tomorrow.....thank you!

delish! A tip for using chickpeas in sandwiches- pulse them in a processor once or twice or mash them a bit. That way the round little balls don't fall out of the bread as easily.

Most veg chefs and cookbooks recommend cooking tempeh -- or at least steaming it -- before eating. Not sure if it's just a taste thing or if there's another reason.

You need to cook tempeh. Just pop it in the microwave for two minutes to steam it. Especially if you are coating it in an oil based dressing.

Great looking salad. I've never heard of Tempeh, but it looks hearty and delicious. thanks.

You don't "need" to cook tempeh. It even says on the package that you can eat it as is. Maybe cooking it makes it taste better for some but I think it tastes great either way.

this might just push me to finally try tempeh. i always thought it was scary, but this makes it look easy!

My husband made this for me for dinner after reading your recipe. It was delicious!

tempeh should be cooked- it can be steamed as already suggested, or pan-fried with olive oil and soy sauce.

I agree- I usually fry tempeh in a little oil before adding it to whatever recipe I feel like.

You can check out Lightlife's line of tempeh here: http://www.lightlife.com/tempeh.jsp

Eating it raw isn't very sanitary (or tastes very good, lol) , seeing as the tempeh is actually fermented soybeans. Usually what I like to do is to broil tempeh cubes/slices in some paprika powder, coarse salt and throw in a few curry leaves for aroma.

It comes out wonderfully warm, crisp on the outside and yet chewy on the inside too :)

Wow, so many arguments on whether or not to cook tempeh. Depending on what kind you buy, you may not "need" to cook it. However, it does taste less bitter if you at least steam it in a shallow pan of water; I imagine microwaving it with some water would yield the same effect.