I love stir fries. They are relatively easy and you can use up lots of veggies in the process. They can also be a little dull. This ginger-lime veggie stir fry with tempeh is anything but dull.
Tempeh can be tricky to work with, but it stir fries well, especially if you chop it into thin strips. Size does matter, sometimes.
You can actually swap out some of the veggies for others. I happened to use what we had in the house which was snow peas, zucchini, broccoli, and collards. Other veggies that would work well would be green beans, asparagus, and red peppers.
I serve it over quinoa because I think quinoa works best with stir fries, but that’s a personal preference.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to know what you think about the flavors!
Ginger-Lime Veggie Stir Fry with Tempeh
Serves 4
Ingredients~
1 cup quinoa, plus water to cook
1 package of tempeh, sliced very thinly. Think matchstick size!
Veggies:
2 cups cabbage, sliced thinly
1 cup snow peas, rinsed with ends trimmed off
1 small zucchini, sliced in half moons
1 head of broccoli, floreted (you could use the stalks too, if you peel them)
2 cups collards, sliced into thin ribbons
1 cup spring onions, white and green parts sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
1 Tbs sesame or coconut oil (more if needed)
2 Tbs pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
salt and pepper to taste
juice of one lime, squeezed over stir fry at the end
Directions~
Cook your quinoa in just enough water to cover it — this should take about 15 minutes. Once the quinoa is done, set it aside to cool, covered.
While your quinoa is cooking and cooling, take care of the stir fry. Put your oil in a large pan over medium heat. Start with the tempeh first. Cook it evenly on both sides, coating with oil. Add in the onions, garlic, and ginger, cooking only for about a minute because they’ll burn quickly if you let them sit too long!
Then add in the cabbage and zucchini. Stir well, cooking until the cabbage has started to soften and the zucchini has gotten a little golden. Then add the broccoli and snow peas, cooking until bright green, but still firm. Finally, add the collards and the pepitas. You can add a little water or oil if things get sticky.
Make sure not to overcook the veggies. They should all be tender, but not soggy. Use salt/pepper to bring out the flavor. Add a little soy sauce for extra flavor, if need be.
Squeeze the lime directly on top of the stir fry. Mix well, then divide into 4 servings over the quinoa.
Enjoy!
