Name: Vegan Stir-Fried Tempeh, Napa Cabbage, and Carrots
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar; 6 tablespoons orange juice; 6 tablespoons organic sugar; 3 tablespoons ketchup; 1 teaspoon cornstarch; 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 4 scallions , white and green parts separated and sliced thin on bias; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoons grated fresh ginger; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 12 ounces tempeh , cut into ½-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 3 carrots , peeled and sliced on bias ¼ inch thick; ½ head napa cabbage (about 1 pound), cored and cut into 1½-inch pieces

Why This Recipe Works

Unfortunately, when we dreamed up a tempeh and napa cabbage stir-fry, we initially produced pale, unappealing chunks of tempeh amidst soggy, mushy greens—not exactly our vision of golden-brown tempeh and crisp, fresh cabbage in a lustrous, tangy-sweet sauce. First we perfected the tempeh, searing it in a hot skillet with soy sauce to give it a flavor boost and a crisp brown crust. We decided to add carrots for a sweet element and crunch, cranking the heat to high for good caramelization. Napa cabbage can go from tender-crisp to limp and watery in a matter of seconds, so we cooked it just until it achieved a little browning and was heated through. Pairing these ingredients with the right sauce took some experimentation. While we knew we wanted the sauce to have an orange flavor, many orange stir-fry sauces were too light to stand up to the heartiness of the tempeh. Full-flavored and full-bodied orange sweet-and-sour sauce tamed the tempeh's slight bitterness. And the sauce's bright acidity complemented the sweet carrots and mild cabbage.

Before You Begin

Serve over rice.

Instructions

for the sauce

Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.

for the stir-fry

Combine 1 teaspoon oil, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add tempeh and soy sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to plate.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until spotty brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in cabbage and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Push vegetables to sides of skillet. Add garlic mixture to center and cook, mashing mixture into pan, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir garlic mixture into vegetables. Add browned tempeh and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter, sprinkle with scallion greens, and serve.