These nutrient-rich vegan power bowls have maple tamari tempeh, rainbow vegetables, soba noodles, almonds, and lemon tahini sauce!

I’m a big fan of tempeh, but I didn’t taste it for the first time until my senior year of high school, when I was starting trying to expand my plant protein horizons. I get the feeling that most of us are familiar with tofu by now, and have probably prepared at least a few tofu recipes. But if you haven’t yet delved into cooking with tempeh, allow this recipe for maple tamari tempeh soba noodle bowls to be your introduction!

These bowls are bursting with flavour, colour, and nutrients! On top of the maple tamari tempeh, there’s maple tamari almonds (yes, we’re getting a double dose of maple tamari goodness here), soba noodles, raw veggies (whatever is in season or on hand), avocado, and lemon tahini sauce. This meal is packed with protein, fibre, healthy fat (monounsaturated fat from avocado, almonds, and tahini), vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

WHAT IS TEMPEH + WHAT ARE ITS HEALTH BENEFITS?

With Indonesian origins, tempeh is a soybean product made by inoculating soybeans with a starter culture called rhizopus oligosporus. It is a form of fungi, like mushrooms, that delivers gut health benefits. This fungi breaks down soybeans’ protein during fermentation, making tempeh easy to digest.

Tempeh does not have a strong flavour, so it readily absorbs any marinades and sauces that you add to it. It’s highly versatile: it can be added to chili, made into burgers, vegan “bacon,” or marinated and then baked, as in this recipe. It is an excellent source of protein, with 15 grams per 3-oz serving, as well as fibre and iron.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR THESE BOWLS

FOR THE MAPLE TAMARI TEMPEH: Tempeh, balsamic vinegar, tamari, pure maple syrup, olive oil, and garlic.
FOR THE MAPLE TAMARI ALMONDS: Raw almonds, maple syrup, tamari, olive oil, and cayenne.
FOR THE LEMON TAHINI SAUCE: Tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, tamari, hot sauce or cayenne, maple syrup, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and water.
FOR THE BOWLS: Soba noodles (or grain of choice), avocado, and a selection of finely chopped or sliced raw vegetables–I used tomatoes, spinach, red peppers, and radishes.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE THE MAPLE TAMARI TEMPEH: Steaming the tempeh first is optional, but recommended to open up the tempeh and allow it to more readily absorb the marinade. Simply place the tempeh in a steaming basket over a pot of boiling water, cover, and steam for two minutes. Carefully remove from the steamer and let it cool until you can safely handle it.
Chop the tempeh into cubes just a bit larger than ½ an inch. Arrange in a square baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, tamari, maple syrup, olive oil, and garlic. Pour over the tempeh and set aside for at least 30 minutes to marinate. For longer marinating–up to 8 hours–cover and refrigerate. I recommend covering the dish with plastic-free food wrap, such as Abeego or Beeswrap.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake tempeh for 25 minutes.
PREPARE THE MAPLE TAMARI ALMONDS: While the tempeh is baking, make the maple tamari almonds. Whisk together the maple syrup, tamari, olive oil, and cayenne in a bowl. Add the almonds and toss to coat. Spread out over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 8-10 minutes, or until almonds are nice and fragrant.
MAKE THE LEMON TAHINI SAUCE: Place the tahini, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, tamari, hot sauce or cayenne, maple syrup, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer into a jar or container until ready to serve.
Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the package. Slice the vegetables and avocado.
ASSEMBLE THE BOWLS: Divide the soba noodles between four bowls, followed by the tempeh, avocado, vegetables, lemon tahini sauce, and a sprinkle of the almonds.

I hope you love these maple tamari tempeh and soba noodle bowls! They’re a great option for weeknight dinners, as well as meal prep lunches. The sauce makes more than you’ll need for one meal, but it keeps for well over a week in the fridge and doubles as an incredible salad dressing or burger sauce!

Let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below the post! And if you share a photo to Instagram, tag @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen, too!

Enjoy!