There are hundreds of weeknights in a year. That’s a lot of dinner! Test kitchen editor Kendra Vaculin is here to help. In her series Speedy Does It, she shares whoa-worthy meals you can get on the table like *snaps fingers* that.
This riff on the classic Laotian dish uses crumbled tempeh—slightly nutty in flavor and meaty in texture—in place of ground meat. Shredded coconut adds subtle sweetness and enhances the pleasant toothsomeness of the tempeh. Eat it warm, but know that the finished larb is still compelling if made ahead and served straight from the refrigerator. If you make a larger batch in advance to eat as leftovers throughout the week, add the mint just before serving.
Recipe information
Total Time
20 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.
Step 2
Heat remaining ¼ cup vegetable oil in same skillet over medium-high. Arrange two 8-oz. packages tempeh, crumbled into small pieces, in an even layer and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Stir, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots all over, about 3 minutes. Add 1 Fresno chile, thinly sliced, one 3" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, and 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, and cook, stirring constantly, until combined, about 30 seconds. Add 2 Tbsp. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. fish sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until coated, about 30 seconds.
Step 3
Scrape tempeh mixture into bowl with toasted coconut. Add 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, ⅓ cup fresh lime juice, and most of ½ cup mint leaves and toss to coat.
Step 4
Top larb with remaining mint and serve with cabbage leaves and cucumber spears.
