This was the recipe that first got me to like tempeh. Without a doubt, tempeh can be difficult to develop a taste for. To me, it’s got something like a nutty mushroom flavor. It’s assertive, so it needs strong ingredients to really shine.

This is an excellent way to make tempeh in a crumbled sausage style. As I remember, it sort of tastes like real sausage, too. In fact, this is almost spot-on to the way the sausage pizza that they served in my school cafeteria tasted—even more so the next day after it’s made.

I have to give credit to Isa Chandra Moskovitz of Vegan with a Vengeance fame for the primary substance of this dish. It’s mostly her recipe with some modifications by me. The original is so close to perfect, though, that there’s little I would touch.

This is a wonderful breakfast and brunch side dish. It’s also quite good as a substitute for ground beef or sausage in most recipes. I really enjoy having this on pizza as a reminder of my school days.

It’s quick to prepare once you have the ingredients together. Experiment with the blend of spices if you like, but the combination really does bring that sausage flavor to the tempeh.

Tempeh Sausage
Makes about 1½ cups

8 oz. pkg tempeh
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp tamari
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp marjoram
½ tsp sage
½ tsp crushed red pepper
sea salt, to taste

Finely dice the tempeh.

Place in a medium saucepan and cover just barely with water.

Bring to a boil and simmer until most of the water has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Carefully pour out any remaining water and return to heat.

Add the rest of the ingredients and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.