Sweet & Sour Tvp with Pineapple
Submitted by blade2ya
Sweet and sour TVP with pineapple, carrots, and green pepper in a tangy cider-vinegar glaze. A high-protein vegan take on the takeout classic, easily made gluten-free with tamari and served over rice.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsTakeout sweet and sour, made meatless and packed with plant protein. Dry TVP soaks up a mix of ketchup and hot water until it plumps tender, picking up a savory, faintly tomatoey base before it ever meets the sauce.
While that rehydrates, carrots and green pepper get a quick blanch to crisp-tender, so they stay snappy instead of going limp. The sauce builds from the reserved cooking liquid and pineapple juice, sharpened with cider vinegar and balanced with sugar, then thickened in seconds by a cornstarch and tamari slurry that turns it glossy.
Toss the TVP, vegetables, and pineapple chunks back into that bright glaze and spoon it over rice or crisp chow mein noodles. It reheats well, so it is a smart make-ahead for busy nights.
Chef Tips
- Pull the TVP off the heat while it is tender but still has chew; oversoaking turns it mushy.
- Stir the cornstarch into the cold tamari before adding, so it disperses smoothly instead of clumping in the hot liquid.
- Keep the carrots and pepper crisp-tender for contrast against the soft TVP and pineapple.
- Use tamari in place of soy sauce to keep the whole dish gluten-free.
Variations
- Add red or yellow bell pepper for color, or toss in snow peas.
- Swap the TVP for cubed tofu or seitan if that is what you have on hand.
- A pinch of fresh ginger or minced garlic in the sauce deepens the flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine first three ingredients and let stand 5 minutes.
Cover tightly and microwave on medium high power for 10 minutes or add ½ cup liquid and simmer in a covered pan until tender but not mushy (20-30 minutes).
Bring 1 cup water to a boil and add carrot and pepper.
Cover, return to a boil and cook for 2 minutes to crisp-tender.
Remove from heat, drain, reserving liquid.
Return liquid to pan and add juice from the pineapples.
Bring the liquid to a boil and add sugar and cider-vinegar.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and tamari.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the hot liquid; the sauce will thicken and come to a boil almost at once.
Add the cooked TVP, the carrots and pepper, and pineapple to the sauce.
Serve over rice or crisp chow mein noodles.
This can be made ahead of time and reheated later.
Comments
No pepper in ingredients
It should be 1 green bell pepper after carrot. Just edited the recipe. Thanks for the comment, and happy cooking :)