Vegetarian Tempeh Chorizo

This past weekend we were brainstorming some ideas to make for brunch with the end goal of cleaning out our fridge and I couldn’t stop thinking about that block of tempeh staring me down. Surely I could incorporate this into some sort of brunch, no?

Then it hit me. A vegetarian meatiness that we could eat alongside our eggs. I started with some sweet caramelized onions, chopped up some tempeh, added some walnuts for more heartiness, and topped it off with a buttload of spices to make it perfectly satisfying.

What? All the legit bloggers say “buttload of spices,” I’ve seen it.

Some people are a bit hesitant of tempeh and I get it. Before I was a food blogger I pretty much glazed over any food I didn’t know and moved on to another recipe. But, as Jaryd and I incorporate more vegetarian options into our lives, tempeh has been a fun addition. For instance, I made this sweet balsamic tempeh and it is absolutely unreal.

Why Use Tempeh?

Tempeh has been our go to plant based protein lately and a fun alternative to tofu. Here are a couple really great benefits of this fermented soy food we’re calling tempeh:

• it’s a really great source of dairy free calcium which supports bone health
• it’s super hearty and compact which means there’s more plant-based protein per serving and keeps you full for longer
• it contains prebiotics which helps improve digestive health and reduce inflammation
• it may reduce cholesterol levels

Ingredients for this Vegetarian Chorizo

Sweet Onion. I always love using sweet onions but you can use whatever onion you have on hand. To be honest, I don’t think a red onion would be the best but it would work.

Ghee. You could also sub in butter or refined coconut oil. Really any oil would work!

Tempeh. This is going to be our main base for the chorizo. If you’re absolutely not a tempeh fan , you can sub in crumbled tofu.

Chopped Walnuts. This is going to give the chorizo some “meatiness” and heartiness to the chorizo.

Apple Cider Vinegar. For just a smidge of tang.

Spices. We’re using spices like cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Water. To give help the spices really infused into the tempeh and making for a more flavorful chorizo.

Ketchup. For a bit of sweetness.

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How to Make Vegetarian Tempeh Chorizo!

Place the onions in your pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon ghee. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions are caramelized and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add the chopped tempeh to the pan and use your spatula to chop it up as you would ground beef.

Cook the tempeh for about 5 minutes, stirring and chopping. Add the walnuts, apple cider vinegar, cumin, garlic powder, ancho chili power, oregano, coriander, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup water. Stir the spices in. Once the water evaporates, add the ketchup and remaining 1/4 cup water.

Continue to sauté, stirring frequently until the water evaporates and the chorizo is completely coated and looks saucy.

While the chorizo is cooking, place your eggs in a pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon ghee. Allow to cook until the translucent part of the eggs is white but the yellow center is still drippy.

Place a handful of greens onto your plate. Top with your sunny side up eggs and a big scoop or two or chorizo. Add avocado slices and cilantro to the plate and enjoy!

Enjoy!! xo