Easy High-Protein Pineapple and Tempeh Stir-Fry

This Easy High-Protein Pineapple and Tempeh Stir-Fry recipe will spice up your weekly routine. Ready in just 30 minutes and packed full of flavour, you are going to have this one on repeat. Whenever we feel like having a take-out style of meal, chances are we will end up making this exact recipe. The sweet and sour sauce hits the spot every time and the gochujang and pineapple are truly best friends in this recipe. So let’s get cracking and show you how to make this incredibly Easy High-Protein Pineapple and Tempeh Stir-fry.

You should be able to tell it’s going to taste good just by looking at it. Unless you hate cilantro. Which is totally understandable, we haven’t always been the biggest cilantro fans either. Not a problem though, as you can just choose to omit the cilantro or even use mint instead. We know there’s also people out there who don’t like it when there’s fruit in a dinner recipe. All we have to say to that is: just wait until you’ve tried it. Fruit can also be a healthy and delicious way to add a sweet touch to a recipe without having to add refined sugar. I don’t know about you, but that is always a win in our book. And as if using cilantro and pineapple in this recipe wasn’t enough controversy, it also features tempeh as the main source of protein. We know tempeh is not for everyone, and there’s a lot of vegans and vegetarians out there who just don’t like the way it tastes and the texture of tempeh. If you really can’t stand tempeh but still want to make this recipe, we’ve got you covered! Just head over to the substitutions and variations segment of this post to get some alternative suggestions.

Let’s take a quick look at what you will need to make this recipe. All of the ingredients in this recipe should be easy to find at your local supermarket. Chances are that if you buy a white cabbage, it is going to be a big one and you will not be using all of the cabbage when making this recipe. So be sure to think about what else you can use the cabbage in (maybe make your own kimchi or sauerkraut). This way you can prevent it from having to go to waste.

• Pineapple – is the sweet part of the sweet and sour sauce. We are also adding pieces of pineapple to our vegetables.
• Roasted cashews – add a lovely bite to this recipe.
• Sauce – the sauce is made with gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and the aforementioned pineapple. Just toss everything in a blender, blend it up until the consistency is smooth and the delicious and easy sauce is ready for use.
• White cabbage, red bell pepper and carrot – are sliced thinly for this recipe so they cook quickly. The white, red and orange colors combined make for a wonderful color palette.
• Tempeh – is made from soy beans, just as tofu. However, they have entirely different textures and the water content in tempeh is low in comparison to tofu. Tempeh has a more distinct taste, mainly because it has been fermented. You could describe it as a nutty flavour.

This Easy High-Protein Pineapple and Cashew Stir-fry is high in protein. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise, if you’ve read the title. This is mainly due to the fact that there’s tempeh in this recipe, which has roughly 19 grams (!!) of protein per 100 grams. Pineapple as a fruit is relatively high in sugars, which obviously is what gives it that intense and sweet flavour. However, it’s not all about sugar, it’s a fruit after all. Pineapple is also high in vitamin C. It is also high in calcium, which is essential for a healthy bone structure and for your teeth. And it’s high in potassium, which is important for regulating bloodpressure. Cashews are a good source of healthy fats and also have dietary fiber and protein.

• Cilantro – you either love it or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be any middleground. If you consider yourself to be part of the cilantro haters, just omit the cilantro from the recipe entirely. If you still want to use fresh herbs, mint is the best option because it combines really well with the pineapple.
• Tempeh – there are some easy swaps for this. You can obviously choose to use tofu instead. However, we would recommend using extra-firm tofu for this particular recipe. If you do not want to use either of them, you can use chickpeas, black beans or edamame beans. They all work!
• Soy sauce – this can be easily substituted by instead using tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
• Pineapple – we wouldn’t really recommend substituting the pineapple as it is a crucial ingredient in this recipe. Having said that, mango should also work.

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