Vegan Cacciatore with Tempeh

Vegan cacciatore is what's for dinner! It comes together quickly, so it's great for weeknight dinner, but it's fancy enough for weekends, dinner parties, and even holidays. Made with tempeh, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and tomato sauce, it'll keep everyone at the table coming back for more. This easy recipe is a vegan version of Italian chicken cacciatore, and it has a gluten-free option.

Vegan Cacciatore

Chicken cacciatore was a favorite meal of mine growing up. Not only did I find the dish tasty, I also loved saying “cacciatore.” Say it a few times – it’s fun! Cacciatore, cacciatore, cacciatore.

To be honest, I don’t remember too much about the dish. My mom didn’t cook anything from scratch, so I’m positive it was made with Ragu’s jarred cacciatore sauce. I doubt it was served with pasta, as my mom thought spaghetti looked like worms and didn’t cook it often. (And apparently there weren’t any other pasta shapes available in the 70s?) It was probably served with boxed mashed potatoes and frozen mixed vegetables on the side.

As a vegetarian adult, I found myself a hankering for cacciatore, but I wasn’t sure how to make it. With such a fancy name, I thought it would take a lot of time and be really complicated, but it actually isn’t. It’s made with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and a tomato sauce. What could be easier than that?

What is Cacciatore?

The word cacciatore means "hunter," so a meal alla cacciatora, means it's prepared "hunter-style." It usually consists of mean — typically chicken — that's cooked with herbs, onions, tomatoes, and sometimes bell peppers. Sometimes wine is also added, and some versions of the dish (such as this one!) include mushrooms.

What You Need

• Tempeh
• Vegetable stock
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Neutral-flavored oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Red bell pepper
• Green bell pepper
• Mushrooms
• Crushed tomatoes
• Red wine
• Dried oregano
• Dried thyme
• Dried rosemary
• Fresh basil
• Pasta, for serving, optional

See recipe card for exact amounts

What is Tempeh?

Tempeh is a fermented soybean cake that originated in Indonesia. Because it’s fermented, it can have discolored spots that almost look moldy. It’s perfectly safe to eat, though. It can usually be found in the same area of the grocery store as tofu, which is usually the produce are or the refrigerated section. I usually buy Lightlife's tempeh.

I’ve had people tell me that they don’t like tempeh because of it’s fermented flavor. I don’t mind it, but I could see how it could bother some. To get rid of that taste, you can steam the tempeh before using it a recipe, or you can simmer it a bath of water or broth for about half an hour. Doing so will also open the tempeh up, so it absorbs the flavors of the sauce it’s cooked in better.

How to cook Vegan Cacciatore

This dish is super easy to make!

• First you slice the tempeh in half and then slice those squares in half through the thinnest side.
• Then you heat a large pan over medium high heat and add a little of the stock, along with the tempeh slices. Sprinkle the slices with about ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• As the tempeh cooks, it will absorb the stock. You can continue to add more stock to the pan to keep it from sticking, a few tablespoons at a time, using up to ¼ cup, if you like.
• When the tempeh beings to brown, you flip the slices and sprinkle the other side with another ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. The tempeh will be ready when it’s golden brown and a little crispy on both sides. It will take about 5 minutes per side. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.
• Next you add the vegetable oil to the same pan along with the onion and you cook it for about five minutes.
• Then you add the garlic, peppers, and mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook until they’re tender, about 5-10 minutes.
• Now you add the crushed tomatoes, ½ cup stock, wine, oregano, thyme, rosemary and remaining salt and pepper to the pan. You turn down the heat and allow everything to simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Finally you return the tempeh to the pan, and continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the tempeh is heated throughout.
• To serve, you garnish with the fresh basil and serve hot with pasta or cooked rice.

Serving Your Vegan Tempeh Cacciatore

I like to serve this dish with whole wheat linguine, but it also pairs well with mashed potatoes and brown rice. This is a great dish for dinner parties and date nights, but it’s also wonderful for anytime you’re craving pasta and want something a little different that the usual tomato sauce.

Recipe Notes

If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your tempeh is gluten-free. Some varieties can be made with gluten containing grains. Serve your cacciatore with gluten-free pasta or brown rice.

If you'd like to use chickpeas instead of tempeh, check out my slow cooker chickpea cacciatore recipe. 

Tempeh Cacciatore

Dianne

Vegan cacciatore is what's for dinner! It comes together quickly, so it's great for weeknight dinner, but it's fancy enough for weekends, dinner parties, and even holidays. Made with tempeh, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and tomato sauce, it'll keep everyone at the table coming back for more. 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 383 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 8-ounce packages tempeh
• ¾ cup vegetable stock divided
• 1 teaspoon sea salt divided
• 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
• 1 teaspoons neutral flavored oil
• ½ onion diced (about half a cup)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• red bell pepper diced
• green bell pepper
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• ½ cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
• ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil chopped
• 8 ounces pasta cooked according to package instructions, for serving, optional

Instructions

 

• Slice the tempeh in half so you have two square-ish pieces. Then carefully slice each of those squares in half through the thinnest side, kind of like slicing a roll or bagel.
• Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add a tablespoon stock, along with the tempeh slices. Sprinkle the slices with about ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• As the tempeh cooks, it will absorb the stock. You can continue to add more stock to the pan to keep it from sticking, a few tablespoons at a time, using up to ¼ cup, if you like.
• When the tempeh beings to brown, flip the slices and sprinkle the other side with another ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. The tempeh will be ready when it’s golden brown and a little crispy on both sides. It will take about 5 minutes per side.
• Remove the tempeh from the pan and set aside.
• Add the vegetable oil to the same pan along with the onion. Cook until the onion begins to brown, about five minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook until they’re tender, about 5-10 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, remaining ½ cup stock, wine, oregano, thyme, rosemary and remaining salt and pepper to the pan. Turn down the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the liquid has begun to reduce
• Return the tempeh to the pan, and simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until the tempeh is heated throughout.
• Garnish with the fresh basil and serve hot with pasta, if desired.

More tempeh recipes you  might enjoy include:

• Broccoli and Tempeh with Spicy Peanut Sauce
• Tempeh Piccata
• Lemon-Dijon Tempeh and Mushrooms
• Mushroom and Tempeh Fricassee
• Tempeh Marsala
• Tempeh Bourguignon