Vegan Bulgogi with Tempeh

The secret to amazing, flavorful vegan (AND non-vegan) bulgogi is the marinade. There are a lot of bulgogi recipes but achieving the perfect balance between sweet and savory flavors is key.

Add too much sugar and it will overpower any umami flavor. Don’t add enough sugar and there will be no flavor or caramelization to the dish. In order to find the perfect balance, I use three types of sweetener: mirin, coconut sugar and Korean pear or apple puree. It might seem excessive but they all have a purpose.

Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine used to season a variety of dishes. Compared to sake, mirin has a lower alcohol content with a higher sugar content, that is naturally formed during the brewing and fermentation process. Mirin not only adds sweetness but the acidity from the alcohol content, which burns off during the cooking process, adds a slight tanginess that perfectly balances the savory notes.

Coconut sugar is added to help achieve that signature caramelization that bulgogi is known for.

Korean pears, kiwis or apples are traditionally added to the marinade to tenderize the meat but even though we aren’t using meat, it adds a natural light sweetness.

Combine these sweet flavors with soy sauce and sesame oil and the marinade will flavor any protein perfectly.

My choice of protein is tempeh because it’s not as flavorless as tofu. Though tofu and tempeh are both made from soy, tempeh is made by fermenting cooked, whole soybean, giving it a more savory and nuttier taste.

Immerse tempeh in this sweet and savory marinade for a mouth watering vegan Bulgogi dish! Enjoy with a side of rice and kimchi!

Love Korean food? Check out my other Korean recipes!

---

quick notes

• Like bulgogi, I thinly slice the tempeh so the marinade will soak through the tempeh. Tempeh varies in size but I was able to thinly slice the tempeh lengthwise into three or four pieces. Don’t worry if the pieces are not perfectly sliced as those pieces help the dish look more like bulgogi.

---

VEGAN BULGOGI

Marinade

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ onion (1 tbsp pureed onion)
• ¼ Korean pear or gala apple (¼ cup pureed)
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 10 cracks of black pepper

Blend marinade in a blender and set aside.

• 1 8 oz tempeh
• 1 green onions, sliced 

Lay tempeh down flat and cut into 4 even pieces. With the four pieces, cut diagonally to make triangles.

In order for the marinade to soak through the tempeh, you want thin slices of tempeh. Prop the triangle pieces up and slice the triangle in half to create two thin pieces of triangles. With the thin pieces of triangles, if possible, slice those triangles again lengthwise to create two additional thin pieces of triangle. You should ideally have four thin pieces of triangles. Repeat with the other thick pieces of triangles. The triangles do not have to perfect. The more imperfect they look, the more like meat they will look.

In a shallow dish, lay the pieces of tempeh and green onions and pour the marinade over them. Let it soak for 30 minutes before flipping the tempeh. Let it soak for an additional 30 minutes.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium low heat. Add in oil to coat the pan and transfer tempeh to the skillet. Cook tempeh for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until browned and caramelized.

---

p.s. If you like this recipe, click the icons below to share and leave a comment below! Make sure to tag me @girlmeetsradish & #girlmeetsradish so I can see what you are making!