Vegan, versatile, and made from soybeans. Tofu and tempeh are a lot alike, yet there are also quite a few differences.

Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake from Indonesia. You make it from soybeans, but it also works well with other beans. Tofu is a kind of young ‘cheese’ made from curdled soybean milk. Let’s see what exactly the differences are.

What do tempeh and tofu look like?

Tofu is uniformly white in color by itself and is usually shaped like a block or smaller cubes. How firm depends on how much water is in it. In supermarkets, you will always find very firm cubes. Tempeh is white-brown in color and you usually encounter it in the form of a thick cake or cookie.

The difference in production of tofu and tempeh

Tofu and tempeh are made in different ways. Tofu is made from soy milk. It’s actually a kind of cheese because it’s made up of the solid parts of soy milk. To make it you simply add a coagulant to cooked soy milk.

Tempeh is made by adding the fungi Rhizopus oligosporis and Rhizopus oryzae to cooked soybeans. This fungus turns the sugars in the soybeans into a cake-like mass.

Flavor and nutritional value of tempeh and tofu

The resulting products have a quite different taste experience. Tempeh has more flavor of its own. It is somewhat nutty, so you can make it into a fine burger, for example. Tofu has a fairly neutral flavor. Therefore, this soy product can be marinated well and can be used for all kinds of dishes. Tofu absorbs flavors very well. 

Tofu by itself has a soft texture, while tempeh has more of a bite. If you bake tofu for a short time, you get a nice crispy exterior and a soft interior. If you fry tofu in the frying pan you can let it sizzle for a while. In a wok, it goes faster, but you have to stir it regularly so that all the cubes come into contact with the hot pan. If you like crunchy tofu, it helps to tear it into irregular pieces before and use a thin layer of cornstarch.

Tempeh feels firmer by itself and also gets crispy faster in the pan. In the dry air of the air fryer, this happens very quickly. Tempeh provides more energy, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats than tofu. However, it is the quantity of fibers in tempeh that is particularly striking. That makes this soy product particularly nutritious and healthy. 

 

 

The fermentation process makes tempeh easier to digest than tofu, and the high fiber content is very helpful for this as well. Both tofu and tempeh contain many minerals in varying amounts. For potassium and zinc, tempeh is the best choice. Potassium is beneficial for blood pressure and zinc plays a role in our immune system. Tofu contains more calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron than tempeh. These minerals are good for our bones, muscles, and energy levels.  Tempeh, by the way, contains a lot of provitamin A, as well as folate. These vitamins, like zinc, are good for our immunity. 

The use of tofu and tempeh in your kitchen

There are many dishes that can be made with tofu and tempeh. Here are some examples:

Tofu dishes:

• Mapo tofu: a spicy Sichuan dish made with tofu, ground meat, and fermented black beans
• Miso soup: a Japanese soup made with tofu, miso paste, and dashi broth
• Tofu stir-fry: a stir-fry dish made with tofu and a variety of vegetables and sauces, such as soy sauce, ginger, and garlic
• Tofu scramble: a vegan version of scrambled eggs made with crumbled tofu and seasonings like turmeric, black salt, and nutritional yeast
• Tofu curry: a curry dish made with tofu and a variety of vegetables in a creamy coconut milk-based sauce

Tempeh dishes:

• Tempeh tacos: tacos filled with crumbled tempeh seasoned with taco spices and toppings like avocado, salsa, and cilantro
• Tempeh bacon: thin slices of tempeh marinated and cooked to resemble bacon
• Tempeh Reuben sandwich: a sandwich made with tempeh, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, and Swiss cheese
• Tempeh stir-fry: a stir-fry dish made with tempeh and a variety of vegetables and sauces, such as soy sauce, ginger, and garlic
• Tempeh burger: a vegan burger patty made with crumbled tempeh and seasonings like soy sauce, smoked paprika, and cumin

“The mind is like tofu. It tastes like whatever you marinate it in.”
– Sylvia Boorstein

In conclusion

Both tofu and tempeh are full of nutrients and both are good sources of protein. However, the fermented tempeh wins because of the amount of protein, fiber, and vitamins and is therefore slightly healthier than tofu. Also, it is easier to digest and tastier. But both are healthy and nutritious vegan side dishes!

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about tofu or tempeh, or just order it, please click the links below for the product on startercultures.eu