This Quinoa Tempeh Bowl with Roasted Cauliflower recipe is extremely versatile and comes together quickly if you’re up for a little multitasking. It’s also just as good at room temperature as it is warm, so feel free to make it ahead of time. You can also substitute any grain for the quinoa, when I updates the photos I used Israeli Couscous. If you really want to cut carbs you could even use cauliflower rice, but then I would recommend swapping the roasted cauliflower for broccoli and/or carrots.
Kitchen tip: Some folks have trouble making quinoa. Yes, I know you have indeed followed the package direction, but alas it was too mushy wet. The directions on the side of the box are not all that helpful. This is what you do: rinse your quinoa well. Then put it in a small to medium size sauce pan, cover with about an inch of water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. After about 10 minutes or the edges of the quinoa have become translucent, drain. Just like pasta. Put it in a large bowl to cool, maybe toss with a little olive oil.
If you’re looking to keep it gluten-free, make sure your tempeh and soy sauce are of the GF variety.
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This recipe is easy to prepare with any vegetables or grains you have on-hand.
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa (or other grain)
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
8 oz. tempeh
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
ยผ cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. maple syrup or agave
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Toss cauliflower in a tablespoon of the oil, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and bake until golden on the edges, about 30-40 minutes.
- While your cauliflower is roasting, start cooking your quinoa and steaming your tempeh.
- Rinse quinoa well and place in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain, toss with 1 teaspoon oil and set aside to cool.
- To prepare tempeh, bring a pot of water to a boil and fit it with a steamer basket. Slice the tempeh into 1-inch strips and steam, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce (or tamari), sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and maple syrup (or agave) in a Ziplock bag or Tupperware. Add the steamed tempeh to the container and shake to coat. Allow the tempeh to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium heat and once the oil is hot, add your crumbled tempeh and bell pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally, but not too often because you want it to brown and get a little crispy but definitely not burnt.
- Combine the quinoa, tempeh mixture and cauliflower in a large bowl. Mix in the scallions, cilantro. Drizzle with any remaining tempeh marinade to taste and serve.
It took me a couple of bites to start appreciating the Oriental and complex flavour of this salad. But then I loved it! Today (second time I made it) I threw in some avocado and it added a very nice creaminess and sweetness.
@Stella – Agreed, at first you don’t appreciate the complexity of this seemingly simple recipe, but it’s a winner! SO glad you’re enjoying it ๐
Hi ! I noticed that this recipe says to include scallions at the end, but they’re not included in the ingredients list. How many do you recommend adding? Thanks!
Oopppss! 1-2 should do the trick, but it’s good either way!