Minced Tempeh in Lettuce Cups

Before I became vegan, I was a complete omnivore. Unlike many vegans, I did not make a gradual transition from omnivore to pescetarian, vegetarian, and finally vegan. No, I went all in. As such, I have spent a lot of time thinking about the foods I loved before I made this transition, and how I can find a satisfactory reinterpretation for my new dietary values. One of my favorite omnivorous dishes was the Minced Chicken in Lettuce Cups from my favorite Chinese restaurant, Wok City Diner. I had been thinking about them, and craving them, but I knew I could find a more compassionate and healthful version that would satisfy my hankering. Tempeh is one of the first foods I started experimenting with when I switched to a plant based diet. I have enjoyed it in many of my favorite meat-based dishes, including tacos and stir fry, so it seemed like a good fit for this dish. After tweaking some of the flavors, this dish tastes even better than how I remembered the original. One of the gifts of this lifestyle is realizing, over and over, that I don’t have to give up the foods I previously loved. I get so much more out of the vegan lifestyle than I ever had to renounce.

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 carrot diced
1/2 onion diced
1/2 bell pepper diced
1 package tempeh, diced in 1/4” pieces
1/2 cup cashews diced
3 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 can water chestnuts diced
1/2 cup parsley
3/4 cup bulgur wheat cooked
Lettuce cups

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, carrot, and bell pepper and sauté until softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tempeh and cook until browned. Add the cashews and allow to soften, 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine chili garlic sauce, sugar, soy, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Add to the pot with water chestnuts, parsley, and bulgur. Simmer for a couple minutes. Scoop into individual lettuce leaves, and serve immediately.