This is the easy and filling lunch you didn't realize you were craving. Seriously, this Poblano Pesto Tempeh Wrap is to die for! Blackened, crispy tempeh and a lemony roasted poblano pesto come together in this rather irresistible wrap...and I don't say that often about wraps.
I'm not really a wrap person. I normally prefer sandwiches with a hearty, rustic bread. But if we're being totally honest, I'd take pizza, pasta, or a rice bowl for lunch any day over wraps and salads. Have I mentioned I like indulgent food?
Hunter and I have a restaurant in our neighborhood where we like to grab a beer and play games. If we plan to eat there, we always order their Southwest Tempeh Wrap. It inspired this recipe, with its poblano pesto. Ever since having this wrap, I figured I ought to try creating my own and give wraps a chance. 😉 To my surprise, I will now be adding this recipe into my weekly lunch rotation.
I can't wait for you to try this one! It's smoky, crispy, chewy, saucy, juicy, and summery. Luscious heirloom tomatoes and fresh, crunchy greens offer a light and refreshing bite alongside the seasoned tempeh. Roasted poblanos add a hint of spice to the pesto, but the lemon juice and fresh basil make the sauce so addicting and bright.
What is Tempeh?
Tofu and tempeh are two of the most popular high-protein vegan ingredients and are often used as meat substitutes.
Tempeh is popular in Southeast Asia, and like tofu, it is made from soy. Tempeh is made by fermenting cooked soybeans and forming them into a firm cake. The flavor is a bit nutty, but what's so great about both tofu and tempeh is that they absorb the flavors of what they are cooked in.
I love cooking with tempeh because it holds its shape well. In this recipe you'll slice the tempeh block into triangles and then slice each triangle in half. Doing so will result in a thin, crispy piece of hearty tofu that is packed with flavor.
Tempeh Wrap Ingredients
To give the tempeh loads of flavor, I fry the pieces in a pan with olive oil, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. A splash of white wine vinegar gives the tempeh a bright pop of acidity.
The main ingredient of the pesto is roasted poblano. Roasting this pepper gives it a toasty flavor, along with its natural kick of heat. The remaining pesto ingredients are fresh basil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, a garlic clove, olive oil, and nutritional yeast. These combine to create a sweet and savory, citrusy, punchy, cheesy sauce that is so...freaking...good.
To assemble the wrap, you'll need spring greens, an heirloom tomato, and of course your choice of wraps.
I like to serve my wraps with hot sauce for a little extra heat!
How to Achieve Crispy Tempeh
As I mentioned before, tempeh holds its shape well, so you don't have to shy away from cutting thin slices. I take the tofu block and cut it into triangles, then slice each triangle in half again. This results in pieces that can get crispy easily while maintaining a decent chew. What you don't want is for the tempeh to just be straight up chewy without any kind of crispy coating.
I prefer frying tempeh for best results, but baked tempeh is excellent when done right and with a good marinade. Heat oil in a frying pan and add the tempeh to the pan over medium heat. Be generous with your seasonings to get a nice blackened effect on both sides. In this recipe, I use garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper.
At medium heat, the tempeh should take about 5 minutes on each side to achieve a crispy texture. Once you flip the tempeh after the first 5 minutes, add a splash of vinegar to prevent the tempeh from getting too dry. When both sides are done cooking, remove from the heat.
How to Make Poblano Pesto
This is a roasted poblano pesto, so the first thing to do is preheat the oven to 450F. While the oven is preheating, cut the top off of the pepper and slice the pepper in half and then slice each piece in half again. Take the 4 pieces and scrape off the seeds. Rub both sides of each piece with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange them on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes, flipping each piece at the 5 minute mark. Remove from the oven when done and let cool for a few minutes.
To create the pesto, toss the pepper into a high speed blender, then add a cup of fresh basil, juice from one lemon, one peeled garlic clove, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Blend on high until smooth.
Assembling the Wrap
Finally, it's time to assemble the wraps! For each wrap, spread a couple spoonfuls of pesto down the middle. Add a handful—about a ½ cup—of greens on top and then two tomato slices. Add the tempeh pieces. I put 6 pieces on each wrap. If there is pesto leftover, drizzle a little extra on top of the tempeh, adding hot sauce if you'd like.
Fold the wraps (using a toothpick helps) or leave them open-faced. Using the same pan that had the tempeh, heat to medium and place one wrap at a time on the pan to crisp the wrap just a bit.
Chef Tips
- Stir the tempeh well: Before setting your timer for 5 minutes, make sure to stir the tempeh to ensure each piece is coated well in the seasonings.
- Be careful with your lettuce and tomato: In addition to buying high quality, local lettuce and tomato, help maintain their fresh texture by not overheating your wraps when you place them on the frying pan. About 30 seconds to a minute will do just fine! Alternatively, you can heat the wraps before adding your toppings too. Nobody likes wilted lettuce!
Variations
Truth time! I actually meant to include avocado in this recipe, but forgot to add it when I assembled the wrap for the first time. I tasted it and was convinced this recipe was perfectly balanced and tasty as is. I did not feel like it was missing anything. That being said, here are some swaps and additions you can make if you wish!
Substitutions
I went with a smoky, southwest flavor, using garlic, paprika, and chili powder and by tossing a roasted poblano into the pesto. You could switch this up by making a traditional pesto without poblano and getting creative with the seasonings, using za'atar, everything bagel seasoning, lemon pepper, or even turmeric or curry powder.
Play around with the pesto, adding peas, mint, or even avocado.
Instead of spring greens, you can use any type of lettuce you prefer! You could even make a vegan Caesar salad and put it in a wrap with the tempeh.
Additions
Here are some optional ingredients you could add to the tempeh wrap:
- Shredded carrots
- Shredded purple cabbage
- Sliced bell peppers
- Avocado
- Roasted chickpeas
- Vegan ranch dressing
What to Serve with a Tempeh Wrap
I enjoyed this tempeh wrap with baked rosemary French fries, but you could also serve it with chips or sliced veggies and my White Bean Artichoke Dip.
Or serve it with a light and refreshing salad like my Grilled Peach Panzanella Salad or my Heirloom Tomato Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette.
What did you think? 🙂 Share your thoughts in the comments below!
📖 Recipe
Poblano Pesto Tempeh Wrap
Equipment
- High speed blender
Ingredients
Tempeh
- 16 ounces tempeh two blocks
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Poblano Pesto
- 1 poblano pepper
- 5 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper freshly ground
- 1 cup basil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Wrap
- 4 wraps or tortillas
- 2 cups spring greens
- 1 heirloom tomato sliced into half moons
- Hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F. Cut the blocks of tempeh into triangles. Slice each triangle in half, creating thin pieces. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the tempeh to the pan and add the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil, along with the garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir, then arrange all of the pieces flat in the pan. Cook for 5 minutes (start working on the roasted poblano in the next step at this time). Then flip each piece and add a tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Cut the top off of the poblano pepper and discard. Slice the pepper in half and then each piece in half again. Rub both sides of each piece with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5 minutes. Flip each piece and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- Once the poblano has cooled, add it to a blender, along with the basil, lemon juice, garlic clove, 4 tablespoons of olive oil (¼ cup) and nutritional yeast. Blend on high until smooth.
- Assemble each wrap by spreading a couple spoonfuls of pesto down the middle. Add about a ½ cup of greens to each wrap, followed by a couple of tomato slices. Add desired amount of tempeh to each wrap. If there is extra pesto sauce, drizzle some additional sauce onto each wrap, along with hot sauce if desired.
- Fold the wraps or leave them open-faced. Place the wraps one by one onto the pan that previously had the tempeh in it. Heat over medium for about 30 seconds to a minute to get the wraps just a touch crispy. Cut in half or leave as is and serve immediately.
