NewsCoconut Tempeh Larb

Coconut Tempeh Larb

There are hundreds of weeknights in a year. That’s a lot of dinner! Test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin is here to help. In her series Speedy Does It, she shares whoa-worthy meals you can get on the table like *snaps fingers* that.

This riff on the classic Laotian dish uses crumbled tempeh—slightly nutty in flavor and meaty in texture—in place of ground meat. Shredded coconut adds subtle sweetness and enhances the pleasant toothsomeness of the tempeh. Eat it warm, but know that the finished larb is still compelling if made ahead and served straight from the refrigerator. If you make a larger batch in advance to eat as leftovers throughout the week, add the mint just before serving.

Recipe information

Ingredients

1

Tbsp. plus ¼ cup vegetable oil

¾

cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2

8-oz. packages tempeh, crumbled into small pieces

1

Fresno chile, thinly sliced

1

3″ piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

4

garlic cloves, finely grated

2

Tbsp. soy sauce

1

Tbsp. fish sauce

1

small red onion, thinly sliced

cup fresh lime juice

½

cup mint leaves, divided

Cabbage leaves and cucumber spears (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.

    Step 2

    Heat remaining ¼ cup vegetable oil in same skillet over medium-high. Arrange two 8-oz. packages tempeh, crumbled into small pieces, in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Stir, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots all over, about 3 minutes. Add 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced, one 3″ piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, and 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, and cook, stirring constantly, until combined, about 30 seconds. Add 2 Tbsp. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. fish sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until coated, about 30 seconds.

    Step 3

    Scrape tempeh mixture into bowl with toasted coconut. Add 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, and most of ½ cup mint leaves and toss to coat.

    Step 4

    Top larb with remaining mint and serve with cabbage leaves and cucumber spears.

 » …

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Subscribe Today

GET EXCLUSIVE FULL ACCESS TO PREMIUM CONTENT

SUPPORT NONPROFIT JOURNALISM

EXPERT ANALYSIS OF AND EMERGING TRENDS IN CHILD WELFARE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE

TOPICAL VIDEO WEBINARS

Get unlimited access to our EXCLUSIVE Content and our archive of subscriber stories.

Exclusive content

Latest article

More article