Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Serves: 4
Ingredients:
• 8 oz package of tempeh
• Tempeh marinade (see below)
• 4 cups cooked barley
• 2 cups cooked spinach, or 1-2 pounds of fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (if using pre-cooked mushrooms, use the oil for the tempeh instead)
• 2 cups cooked shiitake mushrooms, or 1 pound raw shiitake mushrooms cut into ½-inch slices
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• 1 cup bean sprouts
Other optional toppings:
• Kimchi
• Cucumbers
• Avocado
• Sesame seeds
• Green onion
Tempeh Marinade/Bowl Sauce:
• 3-4 tablespoons Korean chili paste (Gochujang), or sriracha sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or coconut liquid aminos
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
Instructions:
1. If your barley is not already cooked, begin cooking first and prepare the rest of the bowl ingredients as the barley cooks.
2. For the marinade/sauce, whisk together chili sauce, sesame oil, sweetener, soy sauce and vinegar. Set aside.
3. In a medium sauce pan, bring enough water to cover the bottom of the pan to a simmer over medium heat. Add the spinach and steam until wilted (5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove and set aside on a large plate.
4. Drain the water and let pan dry out over flame. Now add two tablespoons of olive oil to pan and let heat up. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are caramelized. Add to vegetable plate.
5. Crumble the tempeh into bite-sized pieces.
6. Heat the pan over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the crumbled tempeh to the skillet and stir. Sauté the tempeh until the pieces are lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Pour half of the marinade into the pan and stir, making sure to scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking the tempeh until the sauce has caramelized slightly and turned deeper brown, about 6-7 minutes. Turn the heat off.
7. Build the bowls by first adding 1 cup cooked barley to each bowl, followed by evenly distributed portions of the spinach, mushrooms, tempeh, carrots, cabbage and bean sprouts. You can also top the bowls with some of the other suggested toppings. Use the other half of the marinade as a sauce for the bowls and enjoy!
Notes:
1. If you are concerned about the bitterness of the tempeh, steam the tempeh before cooking in the marinade.
2. Fresh is always best, but if you’re really short on time, you can use pre-packaged shredded cabbage and carrots. You can also find spinach and mushrooms in the frozen foods section.