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    Home » Recipes » entree

    by Kathy Patalsky · updated: Oct 19, 2023 · published: May 13, 2020 · About 4 minutes to read this article. 1 Comment

    BBQ Tempeh Kale Bowl

    Jump to Recipe
    bbq tempeh kale bowl

    I whipped up this BBQ Tempeh Kale Bowl for lunch the other day and it was so satisfying and yummy that I knew I wanted to share it here on the blog.

    Relatively fast and easy when you have the right prep in place, this bowl is perfect for a busy day lunch or dinner – or as we have been eating a lot of lately – linner! Anyone else into dinner super early lately?

    bbq tempeh kale bowl with hummus

    Protein-Rich

    This vegan, plant-based BBQ Tempeh-Kale Bowl is rich in protein – mostly from the tempeh – which is made of fermented soy beans. The hummus also contains beans and a nice amount of protein. And yup, kale contains protein too!

    Curious about plant-based protein sources? Check out this blogpost of mine.

    Flavor Town

    One of my fave ways of adding a lot of flavor – fast – is BBQ sauce! It goes so well on proteins like tofu, tempeh and even beans. Seitan and veggies too. I used the Memphis flavor of the 365 brand, since I still have some bottles left over from this review.

    BBQ sauce adds sweetness, spice and salt. All the components you need to bring your BBQ Tempeh-Kale Bowl up a few notches on flavor.

    What’s the best bottled BBQ Sauce? Here is one review from Delish

    bbq tempeh and kale bowl meal

    Bases for Bowls

    Usually people use a grain as a base for a bowl. Rice, quinoa… But greens are also an awesome base! These bowls actually used a giant bunch of kale, but wilted down quite a bit. That’s a lot of greens in one meal for not a lot of chewing power!

    I love using kale because it always keeps a lot of body even when wilted. Just don’t over-wilt it or you’ll end up with some soggy greens. Delicious, but not the best for building a bowl.

    For this BBQ Tempeh-Kale Bowl I went for lightly wilted. But even a fully wilted kale would be delicious. And if you are craving a more raw kale salad, toss your kale in some lemon juice and oil – maybe some avocado – mash to marinate and serve raw!

    plant power southern bbq tempeh kale bowl with carrots and corn bread

    Hummus or Grits…

    As I was plating this BBQ Tempeh-Kale Bowl, I was noticing how much the hummus looked like grits! And if for some reason you are out of hummus and/or cornbread, grits could totally sub for both in one component. Just top with the bbq tempeh and kale and done.

    For the hummus, you can DIY your own hummus or use store bought.

    For the corn bread – I like to keep some frozen in my freezer for meals like this. I just grabbed a slice and microwaved it until warm. I added some vegan butter on top to give it some extra-yumminess, and done.

    Here is one of my fave corn bread recipes.

    You could even use fresh corn with vegan butter if it is in season!

    Subs for Tempeh…

    • tofu
    • pinto or black beans
    • black-eyed peas
    • seitan
    • chickpeas

    A Few Other BBQ Kale Recipes I Love!..

    • BBQ Tempeh Sandwich with Slaw
    • Wrap with BBQ Chickpeas also work well!
    • BBQ Tempeh Avocado Sandwich

    BBQ Tempeh Kale Bowl

    This easy protein-rich plant-powered bowl will fill you up and satisfy your taste buds! KAle, tempeh, BBQ sauce, hummus and sweet cornbread. Crunchy carrots too.
    5 from 2 votes
    click the stars to rate
    Print Pin
    Prep: 5 minutes mins
    Cook: 15 minutes mins
    Total: 20 minutes mins
    Servings: 2 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 tsbp olive oil, extra virgin
    • 8 oz tempeh, cubed
    • ⅓ cup bbq, sauce
    • 5 cups kale, about 1 bunch, thick stems removed
    • ½ cup carrots, baby carrots or sticks
    • 2 slices vegan corn bread
    • 2 tablespoon vegan butter
    • ½ cup hummus
    • sliced radishes, optional

    Instructions

    • Warm a skillet over hight heat. Add the olive oil. When oil is hot, add in the tempeh cubes. Saute for 3-4 minutes to brown, flipping every few minutes.
    • Turn heat to low and slowly pour in the BBQ sauce. Toss the cubes in the sauce to coat.
    • Push the cubes to one side of the pan and add in the kale. Cover with a lid and turn off heat – the kale should lightly wilt and soak up some of the flavorful BBQ sauce too.
    • Using premade corn bread is the easiest method! I pull a slice from my freezer, warm in the microwave for a minute, then top with vegan butter.
    • Plate! Distribute the kale between two bowls. Then follow up with the tempeh. Add the carrots and cornbread and dollop your hummus on the side. Radishes are totally optional. Serve warm!

    Equipment

    • skillet
    recipe author: Kathy Patalsky

    Notes

    nutrition info does not include corn bread.

    nutrition estimate | per serving

    Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 806mg | Potassium: 1478mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 18839IU | Vitamin C: 163mg | Calcium: 377mg | Iron: 7mg
    Main Course
    American
    bbq, bowl, dinner, entree, kale, tempeh, vegan
    Did you make this?Snap a pic + tag me! @KathyPatalsky
    bbq tempeh bowl pin

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    About Kathy Patalsky

    Hey there! I'm Kathy, lover of kitty cats, weekend baking, 90's movies, travel, beach fog and foamy lattes. Since 2007, I have been sharing my vegan recipes and photos. My goal is to make your cooking life a little easier, delicious - and plant-loaded - while sharing some LIFE and conversation along the way.

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    Comments

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    1. Angelo Messina says

      May 21, 2020 at 7:30 pm

      Hello ! love your recipe they re so tasty and creative, i’ve been follow you for a while now , i can say i am new vegan cause its my second month of being vegan ! at the begin was hard also cause i used to love meat! but then i decide to change my lifestyle , follow your blog and reading your book was essential for me to be able to go trought all of this i also follow a ! Month Vegan Challenge https://bit.ly/3e8atnz that consist in 5 book that explain everything people must know about going vegan! and both your blog combined with this challeng make me achieve my goal ! thank you very much for what you do everyday inspiring lots of people.
      lets change the world GO VEGAN

      sincerely

      Angelo M

      Reply

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