Lemon-herb tofu with Mediterranean rice
Herb-roasted tofu with rice, courgette and parsley.
About 45 min · 470 kcal · 31 g protein per serving
Vegan
Mild lentil and tempeh chilli
A mild tomato chilli with lentils, tempeh and sweet pepper.
By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 12 September 2026; not yet cooked in a test kitchen or photographed, so the times and yield are estimates. How we develop our recipes
What still needs a real kitchen
- Confirm the chilli thickens in 20 minutes
- Photograph the finished bowls
- Time
- About 50 min
- estimated
- Serves
- 2
- see below
- Energy
- 515 kcal
- per serving
- Protein
- 33 g
- per serving
Ingredients for 2 servings
Check off ingredients as you go.
Contains soya. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:
- chopped tomatoes. Tinned tomatoes vary in added salt; the sodium figure uses a standard salted tin.
Cooking steps
Cook the rice in boiling water, following the packet, then drain it.
Warm the oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook the onion and red pepper for 8 minutes, until soft.
Add the tempeh, cumin and paprika and cook for 4 minutes, stirring.
Add the lentils and tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes, adding a splash of water if it thickens too far, until the sauce is rich rather than watery.
Serve over the rice.
The useful detail
Crumbled tempeh distributes through the sauce more evenly than large cubes. Broken small it behaves like mince; in cubes it stays a separate ingredient sitting in chilli.
Make it work for you
One serving is Half the pan with 40 g of rice (dry weight). You can switch to a smaller portion in the ingredients above; it is three quarters of this, and it contains correspondingly less energy and protein. It is an option, not a goal.
Black beans instead of tempeh
Softer, and the chilli becomes a bean chilli.
Per serving: about 90 kcal less, about 13 g less protein, about 9 g less fat.
Allergens: Removes soya.
Hot smoked paprika
Smokier and warmer. The figures use the same record either way.
Per serving: about the same energy, about the same protein, about the same fat.
Cooked quinoa instead of rice
Nuttier. Use about 200 g cooked.
Per serving: about 25 kcal less, about 2 g more protein, about 2 g more fat.
Estimated nutrition
Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.
A mild vegan chilli where tempeh and lentils together give it more protein than a bean chilli, and plenty of fibre.
| Energy | 515 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 33 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| of which saturates | 3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 72 g |
| of which sugars | not calculated |
| Fibre | 14 g |
| Sodium | 190 mg |
Show calculation notes
Each ingredient’s weight is multiplied by its USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g. The whole recipe is added up and divided by 2. Raw weights are used for meat, fish and vegetables; beans and lentils are drained weights. All of the oil is counted as eaten. Added salt is not included; sodium from stock, bread, cheese and tinned food is.
| Ingredient | Weight used | Source | Energy | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| white rice | 80 g | FDC 168877Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, enriched | 292 kcal | 5.7 g |
| rapeseed or other neutral oil | 4.5 g | FDC 172336Oil, canola | 41 kcal | 0.0 g |
| onion | 60 g | FDC 170000Onions, raw | 24 kcal | 0.7 g |
| red pepper | 150 g | FDC 170108Peppers, sweet, red, raw | 39 kcal | 1.5 g |
| tempeh | 180 g | FDC 174272Tempeh | 346 kcal | 36.5 g |
| ground cumin | 1 g | FDC 170923Spices, cumin seedFoodData Central records cumin seed; ground cumin is the same seed, milled. | 4 kcal | 0.2 g |
| paprika | 1 g | FDC 171329Spices, paprika | 3 kcal | 0.2 g |
| cooked lentils | 200 g | FDC 172421Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt | 232 kcal | 18.0 g |
| chopped tomatoes | 300 g | FDC 170051Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice | 48 kcal | 2.4 g |
| Whole recipe | Divided by 2 | 1028 kcal | 65.1 g |
Per serving the energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal, grams to the nearest whole gram and sodium to the nearest 10 mg. of which sugars could not be calculated, because one ingredient’s record does not cover it; the row above says which. Calculation method 1.0, September 2026. How the calculation works.
Storage and reheating
- In the fridge
- Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 3 to 4 days. Chilli is better on the second day.
- In the freezer
- Freezing keeps food safe indefinitely; the texture is best if it is eaten sooner rather than later.
- Reheating
- Reheat until it reaches 74°C / 165°F, steaming hot throughout.
Checked against US Food and Drug Administration, Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures and FoodSafety.gov, Cold Food Storage Chart. UK guidance from the Food Standards Agency is shorter, at two days for most leftovers.
Try another recipe
Creamy roasted pepper tofu pasta
Pasta in a smooth roasted pepper and silken tofu sauce.
About 25 min · 355 kcal · 18 g protein per serving
Vegan