Gochujang Tempeh Vegan Meal Prep Bowls with Sesame Red Cabbage and Edamame
Sticky gochujang-glazed tempeh, brown rice, edamame and quick sesame-pickled red cabbage and cucumber. Vegan meal prep bowls that hold up all week.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rest
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
Gochujang Tempeh Vegan Meal Prep Bowls with Sesame Red Cabbage and Edamame is a vegan lunch recipe made with tempeh, neutral oil, soy sauce. It takes 55 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes resting, serves 4, and each serving has 654 calories, 38 g of protein and 8 g of fiber.
Steaming the tempeh first takes away its bitterness and opens it up, so the sweet-spicy gochujang glaze soaks in instead of just coating the outside. Roasting it before glazing gives the cubes firm edges that stay chewy in the fridge. A quick rice-vinegar pickle of red cabbage and cucumber adds crunch and acid to cut the rich glaze, and edamame adds protein and some green to every bowl.
A cuisine (Korean-style sticky gochujang-glazed tempeh with sesame-pickled red cabbage and cucumber instead of maple-dijon or curry spicing) take on our Maple Dijon Tempeh Meal Prep Bowls with Sweet Potato and Broccoli.
Ingredients
Gochujang Tempeh
- 16 oz454 gtempeh, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp14 gneutral oil
- 1 tbsp16 gsoy sauce, for tossing
Glaze
- 3 tbsp60 ggochujang (check the label for a vegan brand)
- 1½ tbsp24 gsoy sauce
- 2 tbsp40 gmaple syrup
- 1 tbsp15 grice vinegar
- 2 tsp9.1 gtoasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves6 ggarlic, finely grated
- 1 tsp2 gfresh ginger, finely grated
- 3 tbsp45 gwater
Sesame Pickles
- 3 cups267 gred cabbage, thinly shredded
- 1 medium301 gcucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup60 grice vinegar
- 1 tsp6.7 gmaple syrup
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt
- 1 tsp4.5 gtoasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp9 gtoasted sesame seeds
Bowls
- 3 cups606 gcooked brown rice
- 1½ cups233 gshelled edamame, frozen
- 1 tbsp9 gtoasted sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
- 2 30 ggreen onions, thinly sliced (optional)
Kit: baking sheet, parchment paper, steamer basket, large skillet, saucepan, 4 meal prep containers
Tips
- Gochujang brands range a lot in heat and saltiness. Taste the glaze before you add the tempeh and adjust it with a little more maple syrup or water.
- Pull the tempeh out of the glaze as soon as it turns glossy. The maple and gochujang burn quickly if left on the heat.
- Steaming the tempeh is worth the extra 10 minutes. It takes away the bitter edge and helps the glaze soak in.
Swap ideas
- Tamari instead of soy sauce
- Makes the bowls gluten-free if your gochujang is also gluten-free; the flavor is very similar.
- Extra-firm tofu instead of tempeh
- A milder, softer bite. Skip the steaming and roast the tofu for 25–30 minutes, until golden.
- Shredded carrot instead of half the cabbage
- Makes the pickle sweeter and adds color.
- Quinoa instead of brown rice
- Cooks faster and gives the bowl a lighter, nuttier base.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
654kcal per serving
Everything else · 4 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 4.7 g 24%
- Sugars
- 16.3 g
- Sodium
- 1284 mg 56%
- Potassium
- 1211 mg 26%
- Calcium
- 250 mg 19%
- Iron
- 6.5 mg 36%
- Vitamin C
- 44 mg 49%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.09 µg 4%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Tempeh, Oil, canola, Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu), Gochujang Korean chilli paste, Sempio (Open Food Facts, per-100g label values; vegan-labelled; contains wheat extract and soybean). Potassium, calcium, iron, vitamin C and B12 are not on the label, so they are set to 0 rather than measured., Syrups, maple, RICE VINEGAR (Branded, Mizkan America, Inc.) - unseasoned; 0 kcal, 0 g protein, carbs, sugar, fat and 0 mg sodium per 15 ml serving, Oil, sesame, salad or cooking, Garlic, raw, Ginger root, raw, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Cabbage, red, raw, Cucumber, with peel, raw, Salt, table, Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried, Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Edamame, frozen, prepared
Method
Make the pickles: in a bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, 1 tsp maple syrup and salt until the salt dissolves. Add the cabbage and cucumber, toss well, then stir in the sesame oil and sesame seeds. Set aside for at least 20 minutes, tossing once or twice.
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Set a steamer basket over simmering water, add the tempeh cubes, cover and steam for 10 minutes. Pat dry.
Toss the steamed tempeh with the neutral oil and 1 tbsp soy sauce, spread it out on the sheet in one layer, and roast for 18–20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the edges are golden and firm.
While the tempeh roasts, bring a pot of water to a boil, add the edamame and cook for 4–5 minutes, until tender and bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water.
Whisk the gochujang, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and water in a large skillet. Simmer over medium heat, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until it bubbles and thickens enough to coat a spoon.
Add the roasted tempeh to the skillet and toss over medium-low heat for 1–2 minutes, until every piece is coated in a sticky, glossy glaze. Take it off the heat.
Divide the brown rice, glazed tempeh and edamame among 4 containers. Pack the drained pickles into a separate small container or in a corner of each bowl, and top with sesame seeds and green onions if you like.
Storage: Refrigerate the bowls in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Keep the pickles in a separate container, or drain them well before packing, so the rice doesn't get soggy. Reheat the rice, tempeh and edamame for 1–2 minutes until steaming hot, then add the cold pickles.
Questions
- How much protein is in gochujang tempeh vegan meal prep bowls with sesame red cabbage and edamame?
- Each of the 4 servings has 38 g of protein, 8 g of fiber and 654 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is gochujang tempeh vegan meal prep bowls with sesame red cabbage and edamame vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does gochujang tempeh vegan meal prep bowls with sesame red cabbage and edamame take to make?
- 20 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, so 55 minutes of hands-on time, plus 20 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make gochujang tempeh vegan meal prep bowls with sesame red cabbage and edamame ahead?
- Refrigerate the bowls in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Keep the pickles in a separate container, or drain them well before packing, so the rice doesn't get soggy. Reheat the rice, tempeh and edamame for 1–2 minutes until steaming hot, then add the cold pickles.
- What can I substitute in gochujang tempeh vegan meal prep bowls with sesame red cabbage and edamame?
- Tamari instead of soy sauce — makes the bowls gluten-free if your gochujang is also gluten-free; the flavor is very similar.. Extra-firm tofu instead of tempeh — a milder, softer bite. skip the steaming and roast the tofu for 25–30 minutes, until golden.. Shredded carrot instead of half the cabbage — makes the pickle sweeter and adds color.. Quinoa instead of brown rice — cooks faster and gives the bowl a lighter, nuttier base..
- Does gochujang tempeh vegan meal prep bowls with sesame red cabbage and edamame contain gluten?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 6, 2026 ·Korean-inspired
