Celebrate Pi Day with vegan Tempeh Tamale Pie! In this dish, tempeh is drenched in salsa verde and baked to perfection in a cornmeal crust.
Pi Day
Happy Pi Day! Yes, today is Pi Day (3.14) and no, I’m not making it up. In 2009 the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution naming March 14th as Pi Day. While I can’t really see people decking their houses in π symbols or gathering around a pi tree to solve math problems, I do think that eating pie is an appropriate way to celebrate this “holiday”.
Temeph Tamale Pie
This Temeph Tamale Pie recipe is a vegan adaptation of a carnivorous dish I saw in the March issue of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. It’s quite tasty and I think it’s a dish worthy of this pie-ous day.
In this Tempeh Tamale Pie, tempeh and salsa verde are baked in together and covered in a cornmeal crust and then covered in tomatoes and olives.

Tempeh Tamale Pie
Celebrate Pi Day with vegan Tempeh Tamale Pie! In this dish, tempeh is drenched in salsa verde and baked to perfection in a cornmeal crust.
Ingredients
- 1/2 vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 16 ounces temeph, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 14-ounce can creamed corn (creamed corn is vegan)
- 1 16-ounce jar salasa verde
- 1/3 cup olives, chopped
- 1 tomato, thinly sliced
- sliced scallions and/or chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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Place the tempeh strips in a shallow dish. Mix together the broth, vinegar, tamari and thyme, and pour it over the tempeh. Let marinade for an hour or two.
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Preheat oven to 400°.
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Heat a large pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon or two of the tempeh marinade, and then add the tempeh. Cook for several minutes, flipping the pieces frequently, until the pieces have crisp brown edges.
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In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce heat and cook for about three minutes, whisking continually. Add the creamed corn and continue to whisk everything together. Cook for about 10 more minutes, stirring frequently.
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In a medium baking dish, combine the salsa, olives and tempeh. Spoon the cornmeal over the mixture and top with tomatoes, scallions and parsley, if using.
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Bake uncovered for 20 – 25 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly and hot. Serve hot.
Other great recipes for Pi Day include:
- Roasted Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Shepherd’s Pie
- Greens Pie with Millet Amaranth Crust
- Caramelized Mushroom and Onion Tart
- Lasagna Tart
This was really delicious, Dianne! Thank you!
Glad you liked it, Mel!
WOwza, this looks great! I have it marked as one of my favs for this week! YUM!! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂
Thanks for linking back to the Gluten Free Fridays post!
Party starts tomorrow at 7:05 pm eastern time! Hope to see you there!
Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com