If you haven’t tried tempeh before this recipe for lemon & garlic tempeh with pesto orzo is a great place to start!
It’s easy to make but has so much flavour and nutrition. It can be served warm or cold and easily boxed up for easy meal prep.
If you are in a hurry, you can use a store-bought pesto but I really love the taste and freshness of the homemade version. It’s so much better for you nutritionally, and it really doesn’t take too long to make.
What is tempeh and why is it good for you?
Who’s a tempeh lover? It’s a great source of vegan protein, with over 20g per 100g. This is much higher than tofu which has about 12-13g.
For those of you that haven’t used tempeh before, it’s a fermented soy product. The beans are pressed together, so you can see them much more clearly than you can in tofu. I also like the fact that it has a much firmer texture than tofu. When you griddle or fry it, the texture quite ‘meaty’. And because it’s fermented it’s pretty good for your gut too!
Because the beans are still quite intact, tempeh contains about 5-6 times the amount of fibre than tofu. It’s a great choice if you are monitoring your fibre intake. Remember, you should be aiming for at least 30g of fibre per day.
That doesn’t mean I don’t love tofu, because I do, but tempeh is definitely a great swap for tofu, if you want to change things up.
What ingredients do you need to make homemade pesto?
- Pine nuts
- Basil
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Nutritional yeast
- Olive oil
- Water
- Salt and pepper
The orzo also works well as a standalone dish without the tempeh. If leaving the tempeh out, I would add a jar of chickpeas or beans so that it’s more filling.
This is a great one to serve when you have a group of friends over. You can prepare in advance and have in the fridge ready to bring out when you need it.
Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below.
Storage & Shelf Life
Once cool, store in an airtight container in the fridge. It will store for about 3 days.
I don’t recommend freezing.
Recipe Tips
- If you are gluten-free, and don’t want to use orzo, you can use rice or quinoa instead.
- I used basil as my fresh herb in the pesto, but coriander would also work well.
- Add in any veggies you like to the salad. Here, I’ve used cucumber, beans, avocado and spinach. However, this is a very flexible dish, so you what you have available.
- If you don’t use all the dressing, it will keep in a sealed jar in the fridge for about 5 days.
If you enjoyed this Lemon & Garlic Tempeh with Pesto Orzo, why not try:
Lemon & Garlic Tempeh with Pesto Orzo
Ingredients
Salad ingredients:
- 250 g dry orzo (1 cup)
- ½ cucumber
- 1 medium avocado
- 200 g green French beans (7oz)
- Large handful of spinach
- Salt & pepper
Pesto ingredients:
- 70 g toasted pine nuts (½ cup)
- Large bunch of basil
- Juice of a lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp sea salt and some black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp water
Tempeh ingredients:
- 200 g block tempeh (7oz)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the orzo as per packet instructions, drain and then set aside. It should only take about 8-10 minutes.
- At the same time, cook the beans and run under cold water to cool. Add to a large serving bowl. Chop the cucumber, avocado and spinach into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Once the orzo is cooked add this too. Season well and toss to mix.
- Put all the pesto ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. If you want it slightly runnier, add more water.
- Slice the tempeh into thin triangles, season with lots of salt pepper and the garlic powder. Add the oil to a griddle pan and fry on each side for 3-4 mins. For the last minute of cooking drizzle over the lemon juice and maple syrup.
- Pour the pesto over the salad and mix well. Top with the tempeh.
Notes
- Tofu can be used in place of tempeh.
- If you are gluten-free, and don’t want to use orzo, you can use rice or quinoa instead.
- I used basil in the pesto, but coriander would also work well.
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