Soups & Stews Italian-inspired

Tempeh Cacciatora

Crisp cornstarch-coated tempeh braised in a carrot, onion and celery soffritto with red wine, black olives and tomato passata, finished with parsley.

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Total 1h
Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min
Marination 5 min
Servings 4
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

Tempeh

Soffritto

Sauce

To finish

Watch the video

Instructions

  1. Cut the tempeh into cubes of about 2 cm and put them in a bowl. Add the soy sauce and 2 tbsp of olive oil, toss until every cube is coated, then leave to rest for 5 minutes.

    Tempeh cubes being tossed in soy sauce and olive oil with a green spatula in a glass bowl

  2. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the tempeh and toss until every side of each cube is coated.

    Marinated tempeh cubes dusted with white cornstarch in a glass bowl, turned with a green spatula

  3. Grease a wide pot with a little oil, heat it and cook the tempeh until golden and crisp on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Add any marinade left in the bowl, then set the tempeh aside.

    Golden browned tempeh cubes spread out in a black non-stick pan, seen from above

  4. Meanwhile, finely chop the carrots, onion, celery and garlic. Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauté the vegetables with the garlic and the mixed herbs until soft.

    Diced carrot and chopped onion sautéing in olive oil in a dark pan
    Tip: In the video the carrot and onion go in first, then the herbs, then the celery.

  5. Pour in the red wine and let it evaporate. Add the black olives, the tomato passata and a glass (about 200 ml) of vegetable broth.

    Tomato passata poured over black olives, diced carrot, celery and onion in the pan

  6. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

    Tomato sauce with diced carrot, celery and whole black olives simmering in the pan

  7. Add the tempeh, cover and cook for another 20 minutes, adding a little more broth if the sauce dries out.

    Browned tempeh cubes being stirred into the tomato and vegetable sauce with a green spatula

  8. Take the pan off the heat and serve with 1 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley on each plate.

    A hand scattering chopped fresh parsley over the tempeh stew in the pan, seen from above

FAQ

Why coat the tempeh in cornstarch?

The marinated cubes are damp. A light cornstarch coating dries the surface so the tempeh browns and crisps in the oil before it goes into the sauce.

Is red wine always vegan?

Not always. Some wines are clarified with animal-derived agents such as gelatin, isinglass, egg white or casein. Choose a wine labelled vegan.

Does the nutrition estimate include the oil for browning, the broth and the salt?

It includes the 4 tbsp of olive oil for the marinade and the soffritto and a glass of salted vegetable broth. It leaves out the little oil used to grease the pan, the salt and pepper, the parsley and the teaspoon of mixed herbs, which have no measured amount. A low-sodium broth lowers the sodium noticeably.

How long does tempeh cacciatora keep?

Up to 3 days in the fridge in a closed container.

Interactive Nutrition Map

Recipe ingredients

  • tempeh400 g
  • soy sauce2 tbsp
  • extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp
  • cornstarch2 tbsp
  • carrots2 medium
  • onion1 medium
  • celery2 stalks
  • garlic2 cloves
  • extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp
  • red wine50 g
  • black olives3 tbsp
  • tomato passata350 g
  • vegetable broth200 ml

Per serving

415kcalCalories
23.5gProtein
26gCarbs
25.4gFat
9gFiber
Sodium725 mg32% DV
Potassium966 mg21% DV
Calcium165 mg13% DV
Iron4.3 mg24% DV
Magnesium108 mg26% DV
Vitamin C17.2 mg19% DV
Vitamin A361 µg40% DV
Vitamin K23.5 µg20% DV
Folate56 µg14% DV
Vitamin B120 µg0% DV

Estimated per serving from ingredients with nutrition data. Ingredients excluded from calculation are not represented. Missing data may understate values. Daily Values (DV) are based on 2,000 calories.

The Story Behind This Dish

Cacciatora means hunter’s style. In Italian home cooking it is a braise, traditionally of chicken or rabbit, cooked with wine and herbs and often with tomato.

This version uses tempeh. The cubes are marinated in soy sauce and olive oil, coated in cornstarch and browned in a lightly greased pan until crisp, then braised for 20 minutes in a soffritto of carrot, onion and celery with red wine, black olives and tomato passata. Fresh parsley goes on at the end.

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