Cold Noodles with Tempeh

pneumatic_sally's Note:

From the Vegetarian Times Magazine april 2000. Really great recipe, exotic taste but without exotic ingredients.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

Tempeh Croutons

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 (8 ounce) package tempeh
• chili powder
• 8 ounces soba noodles or 8 ounces udon noodles or 8 ounces linguine
• ½ cup natural-style peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar or 2 tablespoons sucanat
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon cayenne , to taste
• ¼ cup hot water
• 8 ounces mung bean sprouts
• 3 scallions , white and light green parts thinly sliced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or ¼ cup parsley
• 2 -3 tablespoons finely chopped peanuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Make croutons: In a large skillet, heat oil and 1 tbs soy sauce over medium heat.
2. Break tempeh into small cubes and add to skillet.
3. Cook, stirring often, until nicely browned and crisp.
4. Sprinkly lightly with chili powder to taste and remove pan from heat.
5. Drain on paper if you prefer.
6. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
7. Add noodles, stirring to prevent sticking.
8. Cook according to package directions, until al dente.
9. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, sugar, pepper flakes,, 2 tbs soy sauce, and water.
10. Set aside.
11. Drain noodles, rinse under cold water and drain again.
12. In a large bowl, combine noodles, bean sprouts, tempeh, scallions, cilantro, and peanuts.
13. Whisk dressing and pour over salad; toss to coat.
14. Serve at room temp.
15. Makes lovely leftovers.
16. ***note:this peanut sauce recipe is excellent.
17. If you don’t have the tempeh, just eat it with noodles, or vice versa.
18. If you can’t get mung bean sprouts just skip them.
19. You could add cucumber or sliced carrots.
20. I eat the peanut sauce over a broccoli stir fry, it is so easy to whip up.

Reviews

[lashannamasala]

This was my first time cooking and eating tempeh. The recipe was very easy for me to follow and the meal came out delicious. I chose it because it sounded a bit similar to one of my favorite foods, my boyfriend's pad thai. I think this sauce was even better though...it is so creamy from using the peanut butter. And the leftovers were great the next day after the tempeh really had time to absorb the flavor of the sauce.

[Chef SuzyABC]

This was absolutely fabulous! I've never used tempeh before, but I'll definitely be trying it again. (For those who are first-timers as well, I found tempeh to be very mushroom-y.) As is mentioned in the recipe, the sauce alone is a great and would be put to good use in other recipes, as well.

[ddveggielover]

This recipe was pretty good, even better the next day. I added thinly sliced celery and carrot sticks to add some crunch.