These Thai Red Curry Tempeh Buddha Bowls are comprised of tempeh baked in red curry sauce, quinoa, kale mango slaw, and salty-sweet cashew butter sauce.
With spring well on its way here in central/eastern Canada, and probably in full swing in other parts of the world, raw veggies suddenly start to sound good again! It’s certainly a challenging time to shop for local and fresh food, given that we are in the midst of a global pandemic, and going out to the store (or the now non-existent farmer’s market) to shop for ingredients is certainly not the same experience that it was even three weeks ago. That being said, it is easy to stock up on lots of hardy greens like kale at once, given that they keep in the fridge for many days.
You can also sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) to fill the void that cancelled farmer’s markets have left. You pay a given amount upfront, and every week throughout the growing season, you are rewarded with a box of fresh local, usually organic produce. It’s a great way to support your local farmers while enjoying the bounty of your region!
Whew! That was a ramble, but hopefully you feel inspired to look into CSAs in your community now. 🙂 The recipe I’m sharing with you today is Thai red curry tempeh buddha bowls, which make good use of that hardy green I mentioned, kale, as well as mango, red pepper, and red onion. Tempeh baked in a red curry sauce, quinoa, and a salty-sweet cashew sauce round out the bowls. They’re fresh tasting, satisfying, and packed with protein. I have to say, tempeh is fast becoming one of my favourite vegan protein sources. It’s easy to digest and I find it to be very energizing. I also found out recently that tempeh has a respectable iron content, with 100 grams providing 15 percent of the recommended daily amount. Want to learn more about tempeh? Check out this post.
These bowls have a few components, but they’re easy to throw together on any given weeknight.
to make these thai red curry tempeh buddha bowls, you’ll:
- Marinate the tempeh in a mix of Thai red curry paste, lime juice, garlic, tamari, and olive oil for 30 minutes.
- Bake the tempeh.
- While the tempeh is in the oven, cook some quinoa, whip up the kale and mango slaw, as well as the cashew butter sauce.
I mean, they’re that simple!
I hope that you love these Thai red curry tempeh buddha bowls! If you make them, leave a comment and rating below the recipe, and if you take a photo of your buddha bowl, post it to Instagram and tag me @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen! I love seeing your delicious recreations.
Enjoy!
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Thai Red Curry Tempeh Buddha Bowls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Thai red curry tempeh buddha bowls are full of colour, protein, and flavour. They’re easy to whip up, making them the perfect weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Thai Red Curry Tempeh
- 1 block (250 g) organic tempeh
- 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Cashew Butter Sauce
- 1/3 cup cashew butter (any nut or seed butter works)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp water, plus more as needed to thin
Kale and Mango Slaw
- 1 large or 2 small bunches kale, tough stems removed and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
- 1/2 a medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup raw or toasted cashews (your choice)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp each fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the Thai red curry tempeh: Chop the tempeh into cubes. You can chop them into smaller cubes or larger cubes; it’s entirely up to you. Place in a square glass baking dish.
- In a bowl, whisk together the Thai red curry paste, lime juice, tamari, olive oil, and garlic. Pour over the tempeh cubes and marinate for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes are up, bake the tempeh at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, depending on how big your tempeh cubes are.
- While the tempeh is in the oven, prepare everything else. To cook the quinoa, place the quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Make the cashew butter sauce: Place the cashew butter, lime juice, sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, and water in an upright blender and blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to achieve a pourable sauce. Just don’t make it too thin! Taste, and add a pinch of salt, if desired.
- Make the kale mango slaw: Place the kale in a large bowl. Mix up the dressing by placing the oil, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, Dijon, garlic, salt, and pepper in a jar, secure the lid, and shake vigorously to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and massage it in with your hands. This tenderizes the kale, and is also quite therapeutic. 🙂 Add the remaining ingredients- red pepper, mango, red onion, and cashews- to the salad and toss.
- To serve, place a quarter of the tempeh, a quarter of the quinoa, and some salad in four bowls. Pour desired amount of sauce, garnish with cilantro, and dig in!
- Category: Supper, Bowls
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: buddha bowl, tempeh buddha bowl
Cindy
I am a big fan of bowls, and this recipe is so good. Just the right balance of flavour and nutrition. Thanks for this one.
★★★★★
Rhonda
Finally a vegan Thai dish that’s delicious and easy to make. I’ll make this one often.
★★★★★