Tempeh Parmesan 🧀

When I tell y’all I’ve had some crazy ass ideas, I really have had some crazy ideas. Tempeh Parmesan was one of them.

I thought to myself, “Ya know, tempeh is fermented like an aged cheese…and it has a bouncy texture that could be good for grating…and it has a nutty/savory aroma after boiling in salted water…what if I used it to make PARMESAN???”

I first had this idea back in June 2024, and my first attempt at making it involved blending the tempeh with salt, miso paste, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar, then forming the blended paste into a glass container and setting in the fridge. It most definitely did NOT set, and it tasted super weird. I gave up on the idea at that point..

..until just a few months ago when I thought to myself, “Ya know, maybe you don’t have to blend it. Maybe you should just brine the tempeh for an entire day with the same ingredients and then dry it out in the oven at a low temp?” The feeling of ‘you’re gonna fail again’ washed over me, but it wasn’t enough to stop me from giving it a shot. And gave it a shot I did.

Y’all - THIS TEMPEH PARM IS INCREDIBLE!!!

It grates into a powdery light cheese with the perfect salty tang that melts in your mouth. It can be used as a seasoning/topping, or sliced to eat with a charcuterie platter. You can store it in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for months.

I am so happy and thankful that I trusted my intuition with this one. This recipe is one of the most creative to come out of Vegan Scratch Kitchen. I hope y’all make this and enjoy it to the fullest.

FULL RECIPE

ingredients

1 eight-ounce block organic tempeh (I used LightLife brand), cut on an angle to look like two parm wedges

2 lemons juiced

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons white miso

2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons salt

1/3 cup water

preparation

boil the tempeh in salted water for 15 minutes. while it boils, combine the remaining ingredients for the brine in a glass storage container (with a lid) and whisk together until fully combined and smooth. when the tempeh finishes, remove it from the boiling water and immediately place in the brine. allow to cool 10 mins with the lid off, then place the lid on and set in the fridge overnight.

the next day, preheat an oven to 170F. take the tempeh out, set on an elevated rack baking tray or parchment-lined tray, then place in the oven to dry out for 2 to 4 hours. once finished, take the tempeh out and allow it to cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

when ready to grate, take a knife and trim one slice off the large side of the wedge, then place the larger side face down on the microplane or box grater and firmly grate the tempeh across the grater.

you don’t want to push too hard, as the tempeh can crumble. but not to worry! if the tempeh breaks apart in some areas, you can either use a knife to chop it into fine bits, or even place it in a small food processor or spice grinder to blend into a powder.

use this on pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches, in sauces and soups, or as a topping for a salad. so many ways to use this incredibly delicious vegan parm.