As most of you may already know, I was vegetarian for almost 20 years. Soy was a staple in my diet (sigh, shaking my head). Little did I know, the abundance of soy products that I was consuming was destroying my health. I ADORED tofu and soy-replacement foods for meats, yogurt, ice cream and cheeses. A while back after finally realizing how I had it all wrong for all those years, I quickly eliminated soy from my diet…with the exception of fermented soy!  Phew…that meant I could still enjoy tempeh, and miso paste, and natto. =)

To be quick to the point, soy is NOT a health food. Soy milk, soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy yogurt, soy cheese (eww), tofu, etc….they’re all heavily processed forms of soy. Also, soy is one of the most genetically modified crops out there (why it’s so important to consume organic soy when you see it in packaged foods…which it’s in everything!).

Fermented soy…now we’re talking. Fermented food in general is something that you want in your belly, for your belly!!! These are much less processed forms of soy, and since they’re fermented they’re loaded with healthy gut bacteria that your belly needs to thrive. However, always be sure to purchase ORGANIC SOY, even for fermented forms. This is one of my favorite spring/summer recipe with tempeh for lunch. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

TEMPEH SALAD
Ingredients:
1 package of organic soy tempeh (16 oz)
1 stalk finely chopped celery
A small handful of celery leaves, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (I actually omit this every time and it comes out just as tasty)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons mayo (I love this brand)
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Remove tempeh from it’s package and either break or cut into just a few chunks. Steam tempeh over boiling water for 15 minutes…then set aside to cool.
Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, just leave the mayo to mix in for later. Once the tempeh is cooled either crumble it or chop it into bite-sized chunks into bowl of other ingredients. Now stir in the mayo (add more or less depending on your liking).
Throw into the fridge and let the flavors marinate together. In a bit, your tempeh salad is ready to go! I enjoy mine over a bed of greens (drizzled with extra virgin olive oil).