Plant-based· VG · GF · DF

Tempeh & Bean Ragu

Name: Tempeh & Bean Ragu
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 600g (1½ tins) chopped tomatoes; 200g (1 pack) tempeh, crumbled; 160g onion, finely diced; 180g (¾ tin) cannellini, drained; 120g carrot; 100g celery, finely diced; 15g (4 cloves) garlic; 4g paprika; 3g fennel seeds; 1g dried sage; 15ml balsamic vinegar; 1 tsp sugar; 5g veg bouillon powder; 10ml rapeseed oil; 50ml water

Italian-style tempeh and cannellini ragu with fennel, sage and balsamic.

makes 19 blocks, about 20p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/tempeh-and-bean-ragu/

Illustration of a bowl of Tempeh & Bean Ragu

Time: 1 hr10 min prep · 50 min cook
Makes: 19 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 20p
Calories per blockCalories: 50 kcal
Spice: 1 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

600g (1½ tins)chopped tomatoes
200g (1 pack)tempeh, crumbled
160gonion, finely diced
180g (¾ tin)cannellini, drained
120gcarrot
100gcelery, finely diced
15g (4 cloves)garlic
4gpaprika
3gfennel seeds
1gdried sage
15mlbalsamic vinegar
1 tspsugar
5gveg bouillon powder
10mlrapeseed oil
50mlwater

Allergens: Celery, Soya, Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Rigatoni or pappardelle · Soft polenta · Toasted sourdough with rocket

Method

Step 1: Crumble the tempeh into 5mm pieces. Heat the oil in a large, wide pan over a medium-high heat and fry the tempeh for 6–8 minutes until golden; lift out.
Step 2: Lower the heat to medium and soften the onion, carrot and celery in the same pan for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Add the garlic, fennel seeds, paprika and sage for 1 minute, then add the balsamic and scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan.
Step 4: Add the tomatoes, water, bouillon, sugar, tempeh and cannellini. Simmer, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes until thick. Taste and season.
Step 5: Cool, portion into 67g blocks and freeze.

Hotter: add ½ tsp chilli flakes or a spoon of Calabrian chilli paste.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	50	3.5g	4.7g	1.7g	2g	0.18g
Per 3 blocks	150	10.5g	14.1g	5.1g	6g	0.54g

Cook’s notes

Steam the tempeh for 10 min before frying to soften any bitterness.
Biona tempeh 400g (£2.80 at Asda) halves the tempeh cost.

Serve it

Rigatoni or pappardelle · Soft polenta · Toasted sourdough with rocket.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 150 kcal and 10.5g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Tempeh & Bean Ragu questions

Can I swap the cannellini?

Borlotti, butter beans or chickpeas all work. Use the same drained weight.

What if I don't have fennel seeds?

Leave them out or add a pinch of dried oregano instead. They give the ragu a sausage-like flavour, so it will taste more herby without them.

What can I use instead of tempeh?

Crumbled firm tofu, fried until golden, works well. Cooked green or brown lentils are another option; they need no frying, so stir them in with the beans.