Tempeh Bolognese

Everyone needs a Bolognese recipe that always tastes great and tempeh Bolognese is that and more. Savory, deep flavor with just a few simple ingredients and simmered, flavorful tempeh crumbles make this much more than just your average red sauce.

Preparing tempeh – my method

If you’ve cooked tempeh with me before, then I can safely tell you that nothing has changed in my approach to cooking tempeh. If you aren’t familiar, this is my tried and true approach and while this is an extra step and involves extra time for preparation, it is worth it.

What is tempeh - the quick version

Tempeh, is a wonderful alternative to tofu or other meat substitutes. It has a stronger flavor (a bit nutty) and firmer texture than tofu. It’s important to note that although tofu and tempeh are both soy based, and both are completely free of animal products, when it comes to preparing and cooking, they behave differently.

The substantive texture of tempeh comes from its main ingredient which is whole soybeans that are soaked, then cooked and slightly fermented and formed into blocks or cakes. Cooking gives it substance; fermenting gives it flavor.

Is tempeh organic?

The short answer to this question is maybe. Like anything, read the label. Ideally, you want tempeh that is made with non-GMO soybeans. You should also be aware that tempeh is not always made with just with soybeans. Sometimes tempeh is made with a combination of soybean and grains including brown rice, barley or millet. Even seeds can be used. And about that soybean part? Turns our that tempeh can be made with any kind of bean such as black beans, black-eyed peas and even chickpeas.

How to prepare tempeh crumbles

When I first tried tempeh, I was less than impressed. I found it to have a strong and bitter taste with an impenetrable texture, resistant to marinades. Refusing to admit defeat, I took tempeh head on and I discovered that simmer tempeh in a simple, flavorful liquid does wonders. First, simmering tempeh for at least 30 minutes softens it so that sauces, seasonings or marinades will hold onto to. Also, the process of simmering, draining and pressing tofu to get the moisture out will release the bitter taste. All this means that your tempeh will be tastier and softer. I hesitate to say more ‘meat like’ because that isn’t always the point. Let’s say the texture will be less chewy and the taste not so bitter.

Tempeh Bolognese – a simple, slow simmer

One thing I love about this recipe is how amazingly simple it is. Once you have your tempeh crumbles ready, the initial cooking process is super-fast. I add ½ cup shredded carrot to the onions, garlic and tomatoes which are the base. Carrots are naturally sweet and give your tempeh Bolognese even more depth. Don’t worry, your carrot-haters won’t know unless you tell them that there are a few carrots hiding amongst the pasta.

Tinned (canned) tomatoes

When I make red sauces, I always try to look for the best canned tomatoes I can find (and afford). I know about all the hype around San Marzano tomatoes and I’ll leave that decision to you.    

Quality does matter though and for tomato-based sauces as well as thing like one-pot zucchini chili, I am particularly fond of cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes have a sweeter flavor and you just need to add them to the pan, carefully mush them a bit with a wooden spoon and let them simmer. Look for canned cherry tomatoes that are only tomatoes and preferable, no added salt. Between the carrots and good tomatoes, we’ll just add 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar and that will sweeten up your sauce and bring out the tomato-rosemary flavor which is the tradition for at least my Bolognese sauce.

Simple ingredients, complex flavor

It’s amazing how a few simple ingredients and just one spice, fresh rosemary creates the rich, complex flavor that, after simmering evolves into a rich, tempting tempeh Bolognese. I am a big fan of using fresh rosemary in this recipe, but because I only use 1 teaspoon, I can understand if you decide to use dried. If you take that option, cut the amount to ½ because dried spices are usually more potent than dried.

Add tempeh and simmer

The final step in our sauce process, is simply adding the tempeh. Because you start by crumbling and simmering the tempeh, you’ll start that process in advance – even the day before. I usually get it simmering and then prep the rest of the sauce ingredients and start making the sauce while the tempeh drains and dries a bit. The first time I made tempeh Bolognese, I decided to add the tempeh right at the end, but it ended up tasting more like a filler than a part of the rich sauce. For this reason, I advise that you add your prepared tempeh and simmer it along with the rest of the sauce.

Make your tempeh crumbles early

I’ve had great success preparing tempeh ahead of time and either storing it in the fridge or even freezing it. You can take tempeh to the point of simmering and draining it before adding it to sauces or tempeh stew. I’ve also had great success preparing tempeh and combining it with all the spices and extra ingredients to make tempeh breakfast sausage and then storing it in the fridge until I’m ready to make the patties. Then, all you need to do is preheat the oven, mix the tempeh with seitan, make patties and bake. This is a quick time saver if you are considering a holiday morning of biscuits and gravy.

Back to the slow simmer

No matter how you get there, once you add the tempeh, you’ll want to turn down the heat to very low, cover the pan and simmer your sauce. I suggest 45 minutes as that allows the sauce to reduce while bringing out all the richness of just those few simple ingredients. When it comes to making red sauces, reduction is the key and that takes time. As the sauce reduces, it will get thicker and richer the more that time goes on. You don’t need tomato paste for this one, time will do it.

The simmering time also allows you to cook your spaghetti, tagliatelle or whatever pasta you plan to use. You might use it to toss together a simple salad or bake up some hemp seed parmesan to add to your finished tempeh Bolognese.

Final thoughts

Time. We kill it, we save it, we get robbed of it, we lose it and sometimes we have all the time in the world.  The one constant about time is that it’s finite. And while the amount of time in a day never changes, our perceptions can. If we’re constantly adding so much to our daily plates that we can’t ever clear them, we can stop feeling any satisfaction of moving forward or a sense of accomplishment and convince ourselves we are stalled. Or worse, we start feeling lost and a bit hopeless.

When time becomes the enemy, the only way to get back on track is to take time back to reassess. To put a finer point on it – if we want to move forward, sometimes we need to step back. Decide what’s important and what is possible and reasonable. It isn’t always about the amount we do, but the quality of doing what we can and knowing that our time goes to something worthy. Peace.

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