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?
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
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!
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 Kale Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tsbp olive oil, extra virgin
- 8 oz tempeh, cubed
- 1/3 cup bbq, sauce
- 5 cups kale, about 1 bunch, thick stems removed
- 1/2 cup carrots, baby carrots or sticks
- 2 slices vegan corn bread
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/2 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
Notes
nutrition estimate | per serving
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