Incredible vegan rice casserole with sesame ginger marinated tempeh and loaded with veggies. An all in one healthy meal, this is the perfect effortless weeknight dinner!
Reasons to love casseroles, they're:
- easy and low maintenance
- virtually hands off
- an all in one kinda meal (IN ONE PAN!)
- amazing for meal prep
- and makes the most comforting weeknight meal
So yeah, this is why dump dinners and casseroles have been a mood the past couple of weeks. And THIISSSS vegan rice casserole in particular has been a favourite! The tempeh is marinated in a sesame ginger sauce and gives the entire dish so much flavour. Plus its high in protein and loaded with veggies (that desperately needed to be used up)!!
Kinda the perfect quarantine meal IMO.
What You Need for Tempeh Rice Casserole
- Tempeh: if you don't have access to tempeh, you can also substitute it with extra firm pressed tofu.
- Uncooked White Rice: any kind of long grain white rice works here (my favourite is jasmine). You can use short or medium grain rice in a pinch but the rice may come out softer and stickier.
- Sauce: Made with super aromatic ingredients like sesame butter, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, tamari, rice vinegar and a touch of maple syrup.
- Veggies: No limits here! Thats the beauty of casseroles, you can use up any vegetables you have on hand.
How to Make Tempeh & Rice Casserole
It takes about an hour to cook up but it's virtually hands free once it's prepped and in the oven. Here’s the best way to make it:
- Marinate the Tempeh (while you prep the other ingredients)
- Add firm raw vegetables to into a baking pan.
- Dump uncooked rice on top
- Top with more raw vegetables and the marinated tempeh
- Pour in liquids and remaining sauce
- Cover with foil and bake
Helpful Tips to Making Rice Casseroles:
- Adding firmer vegetables first will help prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan without them getting soggy (like soft veggies would). Firm vegetables include: onions, carrots, parsnips sweet potatoes and potatoes.
- Make sure the rice is FULLY submerged under water or you'll be left with spots of uncooked rice.
- TIGHTLY cover with foil so the heat will stay locked in and cook the rice.
And this is what comes out of the oven: a complete meal in one pan with PERFECTLY cooked rice, tons of veggies and mega flavourful pieces of baked tempeh.
Can feed a whole family or be kept for meal prep. Win win in all situations 😉.
More Vegan Casseroles to Love!
- Thai Red Curry Rice Casserole
- Tempeh Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Healthy Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole
- Kabocha Sweet Potato Casserole
SAVE IT FOR LATER!
If you recreate this Sesame Ginger Tempeh Casserole recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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Sesame Tempeh & Rice Casserole
Vegan rice casserole with protein packed sesame ginger tempeh and loaded with vegetables. The best all-in-one kinda meal made in one pan!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: entree
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: vegan, gluten free, asian
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 tbsp asian sesame butter (15g)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil (15g)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (9g)
- 2 tbsp ginger grated (30g)
- ¼ cup tamari (60ml // or 3 tablespoon soy sauce + 1 tablespoon water)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (30g)
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar (30g)
- 1 tbsp corn starch (8g)
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds, optional (5g)
- 1 tsp chili bean paste, optional (5g // or any asian chili sauce of choice)
-
8 oz tempeh (227g)
- 1 cup long grain jasmine rice (180g)*
- 1.5 lbs // 4-6 cups chopped vegetables of choice, ie. onions, broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, peppers
- 1.5 cup vegetable broth or water (375ml)
Instructions
- Cube the tempeh into ¾ inch pieces. Add all the marinade ingredients into a shallow container and mix until combined. Add in the tempeh and let it marinade while preparing the rest of the dish.
- Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Rinse the rise and set aside. Chop up all the vegetables into bite sized pieces. If using onions and/or carrots add those to the bottom of the 9x13 inch casserole dish first. Evenly spread the rice over the casserole dish. Add on the rest of the vegetables and pour over the vegetable broth. Make sure the rice is fully submerged under the water. Add the tempeh pieces on top and then pour in the remaining marinade on top.
- Tightly cover with foil and bake at 375 F for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, gently mix and then continue baking for another 20-25 minutes or until rice is fully cooked. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds
Notes
- Helpful Equipment: 9x13 inch casserole dish
- Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 434
- Sugar: 13
- Sodium: 705mg
- Fat: 13
- Saturated Fat: 2.5
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 63.2
- Fiber: 6.8
- Protein: 19.3
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: tempeh recipes, vegan rice casserole, vegetarian rice casserole, marinated tempeh, baked sesame tempeh
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Veronica says
Could I use tahini if I can’t find the sesame butter?
Lisa Kitahara says
Yes, but please note that it will alter the flavour!
Jasmine says
Is it possible to make this recipe without the sesame oil?
Lisa Kitahara says
Yes but it will taste different!
Sam says
10/10 recommend! So easy to make and really tasty! I love it!
★★★★★
Melissa says
Super delicious! Love that it's hands-off so I can do other things while it's working in the oven. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara says
So glad you enjoyed Melissa, thank you!
marylee says
I have a thing for casseroles and I'm not sure if it's because you basically dump everything in a dish and let the oven do the thing (minus the prep work ofc) or because they're just aesthetically pleasing and perfectly neat
I really like the idea of this recipe, it sounds and looks so good; plant protein + mixed veggies= most dynamic duo
While it was delicious and satisfying, it felt like something was missing. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was, but I'm assuming it was lacking that umami flavor since it definitely had enough salt. It was kind of bland for all the seasonings I used but I know it had potential and it can be made better if I just know what else to add
★★★★
Colleen says
YUM! This was really easy to make and super tasty! I went ahead and added the optional asian chili garlic sauce as well as the toasted sesame seeds to the marinade. Didn't have jasmine rice, so I subbed with basmati. Veggies used: 1.5 cups white onion, 0.5 cup carrots (coined), 2 cups broccoli, 1 cup red bell pepper, and 1 cup snap peas. Garnished with more toasted sesame seeds and a splash of tamari.
Really glad I saw the comment about using tahini - It inspired me to venture out to my local Asian grocery store for sesame butter. I learned so much while I was there and can't wait to go back!
Thanks again for another amazing recipe! 🙂
★★★★★