Learn how to make vegetable tempura at home using simple and easy-to-get ingredients. It's so crispy and delicious, especially with this amazing sauce.
Vegetable tempura is one of my favorite Japanese recipes. It's not the healthiest one, but I still enjoy it once in a while.
Classic tempura is usually made with eggs, but sparkling water is an amazing alternative and so easy to get. Besides, it's super healthy, cholesterol-free, and lower in calories, yay!
Homemade tempura is so tasty, much better than store-bought and you can use the ingredients you want. For example, I prefer to use whole wheat flour instead of refined flour, but it's up to you, any flour will do.
Any type of veggies is okay to make this recipe, and also any starch or oil. Just follow my instructions and you'll make the most delightful tempura ever, I promise!
Tempura is usually served with Tentsuyu sauce, which is made with dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. I've used vegetable stock instead of dashi and it also tastes so good.
Looking for more Asian appetizers? Try Vegan Spring Rolls, Vegan Miso Soup, and Thai Cucumber Salad. They offer a tasty mix of flavors and textures, crisp veggies, savory broth, and refreshing salad. Perfect for adding variety to your menu!
How to make vegetable tempura – Step by step
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl and stir until well combined (photo 1).
- Add the sparkling water gently, while you're whisking until well combined (photo 2), but don't over-mix. You can use a whisk, a fork or your chopsticks. Set aside.
- Dip veggies into the batter (photo 3), one at a time, to lightly coat, shaking off any excess batter.
- Pour the oil into a saucepan, wok, pot or a deep skillet and when it's hot, add the veggies (photo 4). Cook for 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes on opposite sides. You could also use a fryer, but I prefer this method.
- To make your tempura extra crispy and extra beautiful, dip your chopsticks into the batter and just pat on the veggies (photo 5). Repeat a few times on each piece of tempura. This step is optional.
- Transfer the veggies to a cooling rack (photo 6), that way they won't go soggy and also they will be less greasy. You can also use a paper towel, but the rack works amazing and is also zero waste.
- To make the dipping sauce, just mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes (photo 7).
- Serve the vegetable tempura and the sauce immediately (photo 8).
Pro tips
- Feel free to customize your vegetable tempura recipe with any flour you want or have on hand.
- You can also use any starch, or even omit this ingredient, but I think the batter works great with some kind of starch in it.
- Any oil will do. Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to. The amount of oil may vary depending on the size of the saucepan, wok, pot or skillet you're using.
- Pretty much any veggie is okay to make tempura.
- Mirin is a Japanese sweet wine. You could use some white wine instead, but I would add only 1 or 2 tablespoons and more vegetable stock. You can also use only vegetable stock instead.
- Any sweetener is okay.
What is vegetable tempura
Vegetable tempura is a traditional Japanese dish that consists of some veggies (and other ingredients) that are battered and deep-fried. It is usually made with seafood like shrimp, but this version is 100% vegan.
How to reheat vegetable tempura
This vegan tempura is much better freshly made, but you can keep leftover tempura pieces in an airtight container, so they don't touch each other.
Preheat the oven to 425ºF or 220ºC and place the tempura pieces onto a lined baking sheet. Then bake for 3 minutes on each side and serve immediately.
You could also use the microwave or even a skillet, but the oven is the best choice.
How to serve vegetable tempura
Feel free to serve your vegan tempura with any kind of Japanese-style dishes, such as vegan ramen. It's also delicious with sweet and sour sauce, vegan mayonnaise, and vegan tartar sauce.
Looking for more vegan Asian recipes?
Did you make this vegan tempura recipe?
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Vegetable Tempura
Ingredients
For the vegetable tempura:
- 1 cup flour, I used whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sparkling water
- 2 cups oil, see notes
- 1 large carrot, sliced
- ½ large red bell pepper, julienned
- ½ large head of broccoli, chopped, discard the stem
- ½ large zucchini, julienned
For the sauce:
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- ¼ cup mirin, see notes
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl and stir until well combined.
- Add the sparkling water gently, while you're whisking until well combined, but don't over-mix. You can use a whisk, a fork or your chopsticks. Set aside.
- Dip veggies into the batter, one at a time, to lightly coat, shaking off any excess batter.
- Pour the oil into a saucepan, wok, pot or a deep skillet and when it's hot, add the veggies. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes on opposite sides. You could also use a fryer, but I prefer this method.
- To make your tempura extra crispy and extra beautiful, dip your chopsticks into the batter and just pat on the veggies. Repeat a few times on each piece of tempura. This step is optional.
- Don't add too many veggies at the same time or the temperature of the oil will drop and your tempura will go soggy. I usually add 4, but the number may vary depending on the size of your veggies. If you want to save time and you don't mind getting a better result, just add as many veggies as you want.
- Transfer the veggies to a cooling rack, that way they won't go soggy, and also they will be less greasy. You can also use a paper towel, but the rack works amazing and is also zero waste.
- To make the sauce, just mix all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- You can keep the sauce in an airtight container or a jar in the fridge for at least 1 week. The tempura is best when fresh, but you can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The sauce is optional, but your tempura pieces will taste much better if you dip them into the sauce.
Notes
- Feel free to use any flour you want or have on hand.
- You can also use any starch, or even omit this ingredient, but I think the batter works great with some kind of starch in it.
- Any oil will do. Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to. The amount of oil may vary depending on the size of the saucepan, wok, pot or skillet you're using.
- Pretty much any veggie is okay to make tempura.
- Mirin is a Japanese sweet wine. You could use some white wine instead, but I would add only 1 or 2 tablespoons and more vegetable stock. You can also use only vegetable stock instead.
- Any sweetener is okay.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in December of 2019, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in February of 2022.
Chris Roest says
Made this today and we really loved it! But I wonder if "julienne" cut is the right term? That's really small .. I cut the vegetables a bit bigger than that...
And I added some cornstarch slurry to make the sauce a bit thicker... Otherwise it was to watery..
But again, great recepy!
Iosune says
Hi Chris! So glad to hear that 🙂 Yes, I julienned them.
Megan302 says
It came out perfect thank you so much
Iosune Robles says
Hi Megan! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂