Soy Siblings: Tofu and Tempeh

By our partner dietician Amy Slabaugh, RDN

Vegan Indonesian-style curry with Massa Organics brown rice

You’ve no doubt heard of tofu and its soy sibling tempeh. They are popular sources of plant protein, which is great for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone looking to decrease their animal consumption and increase their intake of plant proteins in their place. Their versatility also makes them a fun addition to meals and something worth a try, if you haven't yet! 

Tofu

Tofu is made by taking dried soy beans, crushing them, and then boiling them. The resulting liquid, soy milk, is then coagulated, in a process similar to cheesemaking, to separate the soy curds from the whey. The curds are then pressed into a mold and remaining liquid is drained off. You may have noticed words like “silken”, “firm”, “super firm”, etc on tofu packaging. These words indicate how dense the tofu is, which is determined by how much liquid is drained off. (Pro tip for anyone with gut issues who has a hard time tolerating tofu: firm or super firm tofu may be better tolerated than silken tofu.) 

Tofu is great for stir fries, frying or baking. It’s great sliced up or diced up. Plus it has a very mild flavor and is great at taking on the flavor of what you season or cook it with. It does well when it’s marinated too. Some of Chef Peter's favorite ways to eat tofu are in our weekly salads and the marinated BBQ tofu from our January menu.

Tempeh

Tempeh is also made from soy beans, but can be made from other beans as well, and occasionally added grains. Tempeh is made by soaking soy beans and then fermenting them. The resulting product is firmer and more dense than tofu. This dense texture breaks easily into crumbles, but it can also be sliced or diced. As a fermented product, tempeh's flavor is a bit stronger than tofu. It is often described as having a “nutty” flavor. The strength of flavor can vary depending on length of fermentation. When it comes to protein, tempeh is a powerhouse, boasting nearly twice the protein of tofu. Tempeh's hardy texture means it stands up well in curries and stir fries. This month we're featuring tempeh in our Pad Thai and in Indonesian-style curry, as pictured above.

Process Matters

Both tofu and tempeh are valuable as sources of protein. There is a protein in soy beans that isn’t readily available for our bodies to digest, but traditional methods of soy preparation make protein available to us. It’s so neat when current science can look back and connect the dots to see ways that traditional food preparation techniques have benefited our health.

Give tofu & tempeh a try for your next meatless meal!