Inspired by Middle Eastern cuisine, this recipe for vegan grilled tempeh kebabs with a pomegranate molasses marinade is very tasty. It is easy to execute, even if it takes a little patience waiting for the tempeh to marinade!
After 4 hours of soaking the tempeh in the refrigerator, it’s about 10 minutes on the grill. Lining a grill-proof pan with non-stick aluminum foil makes grilling (and clean-up) a snap. No sticking tempeh or kebabs falling apart. Whether you eat them alone or on a pita, lemon tahini sauce tastes very good on them.
Pomegranate molasses can be tricky to find in some places. You may want to try an international foods store, a natural foods store or order it online. Or if you are feeling ambitious, you can always make your own pomegranate molasses.
Please enjoy! And check out more UVK recipes, like Chipotle Tempeh Kebabs, Grilled Lemon Garlic Herb Tofu Skewers, or Grilled Tofu Skewers.
Grilled Pomegranate Molasses Tempeh Kebabs
1 Tbsp white miso
⅓ cup warm water
1 lb (OR two 8 ounce packages) of tempeh, cubed
¼ cup pomegranate molasses
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce (OR gluten free tamari)
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Olive oil, to drizzle
Lemon tahini sauce, to serve – optional
1. Add the white miso to ⅓ cup of warm water and stir with a fork until fully dissolved. Set aside.
2. Next, you’ll steam the tempeh. Fill a large pot with ~1 inch of water. Place a steamer basket in the pot. Cover the pot with a lid, and bring the water to a boil.
3. When the water boils, add the cubed tempeh to the steamer basket. Steam the cubed tempeh for 7 minutes. While the tempeh is steaming, start putting together the pomegranate molasses marinade.
4. In a large, container with a lid, add the white miso-water mixture, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic powder, and cinnamon. Whisk together.
5. When the tempeh is done steaming, add it to the pomegranate molasses marinade. Secure the lid to the container and shake the container, so the marinade coats all the pieces. Refrigerate overnight, or for a minimum of 4 hours.
6. When the time is up on the tempeh marinade, cover a grill-proof pan with non-stick aluminum foil. Then, skewer the tempeh and place the kebabs on the foil. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
7. Heat up the grill until it reaches 400 F. Then, place the pan with the tempeh kebabs on the grill. Close the lid. Grill at 400 F for ~3-4 minutes, and then, flip. Grill for another ~3-4 minutes or until it reaches a level of char that you prefer.
8. Remove the tempeh from the grill, and serve with lemon tahini sauce. Enjoy solo or on a pita.
