Name: Korean Barbecue Tempeh Wraps
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: KoreanAsia
Ingredients: 3/4 cup sugar; 6 tablespoons soy sauce; 6 tablespoons water; 5 garlic cloves , minced; 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 1 1/2 teaspoons sriracha; 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 pound tempeh , cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick strips; 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas; 2 heads baby bok choy (4 ounces each), sliced thin crosswise; 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves; 3 radishes , trimmed, halved, and sliced thin; 2 scallions , sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

With bold flavors and sweet, sticky sauce, barbecue chicken wraps are always a hit. We decided to translate those winning flavors into a vegetarian wrap. For the protein, we chose tempeh, which has a great firm, chewy texture that stood out from the vegetables in the wrap. To give the tempeh a flavorful browned crust, we seared it in a skillet before tossing it with the barbecue sauce. Store-bought barbecue sauces are often too sweet and one-note, so we decided to make our own. To balance the flavor of the tempeh with both sweetness and a little heat, we chose a Korean-style barbecue sauce. A combination of soy sauce, sugar, and spicy sriracha paired perfectly with the flavor of the tempeh. Adding some cornstarch and simmering the sauce for 5 minutes gave it a thick, luscious consistency that clung nicely to the tempeh. We tossed half of the barbecue sauce with the tempeh, then we drizzled the other half over the vegetables so the wrap would have great flavors throughout. Thinly sliced baby bok choy, whole cilantro leaves, sliced radishes, and scallions lent bright flavor and freshness.

Instructions

Whisk sugar, soy sauce, water, garlic, rice vinegar, sriracha, and cornstarch together in bowl; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of tempeh and cook until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and remaining tempeh.

Add sugar-soy mixture to now-empty skillet and bring to simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Transfer tempeh to bowl, add half of sauce, and toss to coat. Lay tortillas on counter, then divide tempeh evenly among tortillas. Top evenly with bok choy, cilantro, radishes, and scallions, then drizzle each wrap with 1 tablespoon sauce. Fold sides of tortilla over filling, fold bottom of tortilla over sides and filling, and roll tightly. Slice in half and serve, passing remaining sauce separately.