For a vegetarian stir-fry redolent with bold Asian flavors, we decided on a combination of tempeh, carrots, and napa cabbage. First we perfected the tempeh, searing it in a hot skillet to give it a crisp brown crust. A simple marinade of orange juice, vinegar, and soy sauce made the seared tempeh even more flavorful. Carrots offered a crunchy, sweet element, and cranking the heat to high ensured good caramelization. Napa cabbage can go from crisp-tender 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 fullbodied orange sweet-and-sour sauce tamed the tempeh’s slight bitterness. And the sauce’s bright acidity complemented the sweet carrots and mild cabbage. Serve with rice.
Ingredients
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 12 ounces tempeh, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 4 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin on bias
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced on bias ¼ inch thick
- ½ head napa cabbage (about 1 pound), cored and cut into 1½-inch pieces
- Whisk 2 tablespoons orange juice, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and soy sauce together in bowl. Add tempeh and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- In separate bowl, whisk sugar, scallion whites, ketchup, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, pepper flakes, salt, remaining 6 tablespoons orange juice, and remaining 6 tablespoons vinegar together.
- Remove tempeh from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add tempeh and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to plate.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add carrots and cook until spotty brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in cabbage and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
- 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.
