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Tempeh and Pineapple Kebabs on top of rice with Satay sauce on the side
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4.17 from 6 votes

Tempeh and Pineapple Kebabs with Peanut Satay Sauce

These savory kebabs are a great way to introduce tempeh to meat lovers. The sauce, the tempeh, and vegetables can be prepared the day before. Makes 8 skewers. Serve two per person for a total of 4 servings. 
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Indonesian
Keyword: Peanut sauce, tempeh
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 681kcal

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup coconut milk (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • sea salt, as needed

Kebabs:

  • 8 ounces tempeh, original or multigrain (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
  • 24 pieces fresh pineapple
  • 1 red onion
  • 12-inch skewers, metal or wooden. If wooden, soak in water for 30 minutes first

Instructions

Peanut Satay Sauce:

  • Blend olive oil, peanut butter, coconut milk, tamari, apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in the blender until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Pour into a bowl.

The kebabs:

  • Place the tempeh in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. Add the tamari soy sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook about 5 minutes, turning the tempeh over once. The tempeh will plump up with moisture.
  • Remove the tempeh from the water. Drain and cut into 24 (1-inch cubes.)
  • Toss the tempeh into the peanut sauce. Let marinate while you prepare the pineapple and onion. This can be done the day ahead.
  • To prepare the pineapple, slice off the skin, following the curve of the pineapple, cutting deep enough so most of the “eyes” are trimmed away. With a paring knife or the tip of a vegetable peeler, pick out any “eyes” still poking out from the fruit.
  • Cut 1-inch pieces of the pineapple, not much bigger than the cubes of tempeh.
  • Peel the onion. Cut about the onion into 1-inch wedges, separating the layers.
  • Heat the grill to medium-high. Thread the skewers, alternating onion, pineapple and tempeh, beginning and ending with an onion slice. (see note)
  • Pour satay sauce over the kebabs. Grill the kebabs 18 to 20 minutes. Turn them occasionally, brushing with peanut sauce several times, as needed. There should be dark grill marks on the pineapple and tempeh.
  • Serve hot with steamed brown rice or quinoa and plenty of peanut satay sauce.

Notes

  • You can use light or regular coconut milk in the can. 
  • So I always have tempeh on hand, I store a package or two of tempeh in the freezer. When I want to make something with tempeh—it’s an easy 10 minute steam to plump the tempeh.
  • If the tempeh is not frozen, plumping takes about 5 minutes. If the tempeh is frozen, to thaw and plump takes about 10 minutes.
  • If using wooden skewers, soak them in water at least 30 minutes to keep them from burning on the grill. Leave at least 2 inches of skewer unthreaded on one end for easy handling.

Nutrition

Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 30g | Sodium: 1161mg | Potassium: 639mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 5mg