Tempeh Chorizo Patties

This tempeh chorizo is guaranteed to please vegans and omnivores alike! It’s intensely flavourful and can stand in for the “real thing” on pizza, breakfast burritos and sandwiches, quesadillas, salads, and more! Rich in complete protein and without a single processed ingredient, I can’t think of a healthier (or more delicious!) faux meat! 

I have been sitting on this recipe for nearly a week and I think it’s about time that I share it with the world!

So many of my recipes are inspired by fabulous restaurant dishes that I have enjoyed at plant-based restaurants both on the west coast of Canada and in Ontario. Case in point: this tempeh chorizo.

I have eaten some very delicious vegan chorizo at a number of plant-based eateries- you know, for important research purposes- most recently, at Virtuous Pie in Vancouver. While I have never eaten the pork-based variety (the texture of sausage was a turn-off for me, even before I was vegetarian), I have a feeling that my tempeh version will please omnivores and vegans alike! It’s ‘meaty,’ spicy, and entirely crave-worthy. It’s also incredibly versatile, and could be used on pizza, breakfast sandwiches/burritos, quesadillas, or salads.

I’m confused. Can’t I just buy vegan ‘meat’ from the grocery store? 

There is an increasing number of plant-based meat substitutes on grocery store shelves, but the ingredient lists don’t sit well with me. They tend to be full of HEAVILY processed ingredients, including GMO soy, wheat, and flavourings. I sometimes wonder how ethical they really are, from an ecosystem and farmer health perspective, if they involve soy and wheat grown with heavy doses of pesticides and herbicides. For this reason, I steer clear of the store-bought faux meats in favour of homemade varieties made with organic, non-GMO soy, legumes, and grains. It’s easy, it’s fun, and I sleep better knowing that I am supporting an agricultural system that cares about ecosystem and farmer health. 🙂

Tempeh Chorizo 

Servings: 4
Time: 30 minutes
Cuisine: Vegan, Plant-based

Ingredients:

• 1 (8-ounce/250g) package organic tempeh
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp Spanish paprika
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp hot sauce or harissa (Middle Eastern chili paste)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt or pink Himalayan salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, for cooking

Instructions:

1. Cube the tempeh and place in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until the mixture begins to pull together but is not completely smooth (you want it to retain some ‘meaty’ texture).
3. Pour into a bowl and form mixture into six evenly sized patties.
4. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet (preferably cast iron).
5. Once oil is glistening, add patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned and crispy around the edges.
6. Remove from heat and cool on a wire rack until ready to use.