Savory, Italian-inspired vegan sausage crumbles made with tempeh! Perfect for everything from breakfast burritos to pizza, pasta, and tacos! Just 15 minutes and 10 ingredients required!
Add the cubed tempeh to a food processor along with the fennel seeds, thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes and process for ~10-15 seconds until you achieve a chunky crumble. Be careful not to over-process, as it will break down more on the stove!
Heat a large cast iron or other rimmed skillet over medium-high heat, and once hot, add the avocado or olive oil. Add the tempeh crumbles and spread them out in an even layer. Leave the crumbles undisturbed for 5-6 minutes so they brown on the underside, then stir and cook for another couple of minutes to get evenly toasty.
Finally, turn off the heat, add the tamari and maple syrup, and mix well. Enjoy right away as a pizza topping, in pasta dishes, or in tacos or burritos. Leftovers keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
*Though we haven’t tried it in this recipe, you can steam or boil tempeh for ~15 minutes before use to neutralize its bitter flavor. In this recipe, we noticed only a slight bitterness (not unpleasant) when skipping the steaming. *Loosely adapted from our Spicy Tempeh Breakfast Sausage. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with Lightlife Original Tempeh.