Tempeh & Mushroom Stew on a Mashed Potato Base
Submitted by pw
Vegan tempeh and mushroom stew served over mashed potatoes made with soy milk. Simmered tempeh, sauteed mushrooms, tomato, and soy sauce piled on a creamy potato base.
YIELD
1 servingPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minThis vegan tempeh and mushroom stew served over mashed potatoes is pure plant-based comfort food. Simmered tempeh gets diced and sauteed with sliced mushrooms, tomato, onion, and garlic in a soy sauce broth, then piled onto a bed of creamy mashed potatoes.
Simmering the tempeh in soy sauce and water before adding it to the stew is the step that makes all the difference. Raw tempeh can taste bitter and dense. That 20-minute simmer mellows its flavor and lets it absorb the salty, savory soy sauce so it tastes seasoned all the way through.
The mushrooms bring an earthy, meaty quality that pairs naturally with the nutty tempeh. A chopped tomato adds acidity and moisture to the quick saute. It’s a stew that comes together fast after the tempeh is prepped.
Kitchen Tips
- Flip the tempeh halfway through simmering so both sides absorb the soy sauce evenly.
- Slice the mushrooms thick. They shrink during cooking, and thin slices disappear entirely.
- Mash the potatoes with soy milk and vegan margarine while the stew finishes cooking so everything comes together hot at the same time.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving. It’s done its job and it’s not pleasant to bite into.
Variations
- Use smoked tempeh for an instant depth of flavor without the simmering step.
- Add a splash of red wine to the stew for a richer, more complex sauce.
- Swap the mashed potato base for cooked polenta or rice.
Ingredients
Directions
Bring the water and first amount of soy sauce to the boil in a small pan, place tempeh (defrosted if frozen) in it, lower heat, cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes; turn the tempeh over and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
Drain and set aside.
Chop the onion and garlic and sauté in the oil for a minute or two.
Slice the mushrooms, add them to the pan and cook for another minute or two.
Dice the tempeh.
Chop the tomato. Add them to the pan, along with the bay leaf and remaining amount of soy sauce. Cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Heat and mash the cooked potatoes with soy milk, margarine and seasoning to taste (or alternately use a packet of vegan instant mashed potatoes). Make a mashed potato base, remove the bay leaf from the tempeh mixture, and pile it onto the base.
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