Less known than tofu, tempeh is a concentrate of plant proteins, rich in fiber, that gastroenterologists recommend for the good health of our microbiota. Explanation.
It must be admitted, visually, tempeh is hardly appetizing! This compact block composed of cooked and fermented soybeans, in which the soybeans are still visible, is surprising, and remains less attractive than tofu.
However, this vegan food is full of qualities: gluten-free, rich in proteins, fibers and nutrients, it is recommended by the gastroenterologist @theguthealthmd (his nickname on social networks) which claims that tempeh is one of the best friends of our microbiota.
“An incredible food for the intestine”
“Tempeh is an absolutely incredible food for our gut. Not only because it is fermented, but also because for the same number of calories, it contains more protein than beef ((17.6 g per 100 g). It is also rich in fiber ((6.2 g per 100 g): you need tempeh in your life” he explains in a video.
To make it, the soybeans are cooked, hulled, seeded with a fungus, then fermented for around 24 hours at 30°C. This fermentation contributes to the production of enzymes good for digestion.
How to cook tempeh?
Tempeh can be enjoyed cooked (in strips, cubes, chopped, etc.) as well as raw, marinated in soy sauce, lemon juice, etc.
You can for example, enjoy it in nuggets : mix 40 g of flour (wheat or rice, gluten-free version) with 3 to 4 cl of water and 1 pinch of salt. Coarsely grind 50 g of unsweetened cornflakes. Slice 300 g of tempeh into 1 cm strips, dip them quickly in the batter, then in the cornflakes. Then brown them in olive oil.
Another option: use tempeh as a vegetable alternative to ground meat in recipes for chili, stuffed tomatoes, lasagna… To do this, simply crumble it and include it in your recipes instead of tempeh. beef.