Tofu, tempeh, seitan: a starter guide to the big three

Every plant-rich kitchen eventually runs on some combination of these three. They're cheap, they keep, they carry serious protein, and each one has a distinct personality. If you've only ever met them as sad cubes in a salad bar, this is the proper introduction.

Tofu: the shapeshifter

What it is: Soybean curd, pressed into blocks. Mild on its own, which is the point. Tofu is a canvas.

What it's good at: Absorbing whatever flavor you give it. Weeknight stir-fries, curries, scrambles, marinated and baked for wraps and bowls.

The one technique that changes everything: Press it (ten minutes between towels under a heavy pan), cube it or rip it into pieces, toss it in cornstarch with a little salt, and sear or bake until the edges crisp. Then sauce it. Nearly everyone who "doesn't like tofu" has just never had it cooked this way.

Climber's note: Firm and extra-firm are the training staples.

Tempeh: the hearty one

What it is: Whole soybeans fermented into a dense, nutty cake. Where tofu is a canvas, tempeh shows up with its own opinions: earthy, substantial, a little nutty.

What it's good at: Anything that wants heft and chew. Crumbled into chili or bolognese, sliced thin and pan-fried for sandwiches, cubed and glazed for bowls. It holds sauces well and doesn't fall apart on you.

The technique: Tempeh rewards a quick steam or simmer (ten minutes) before marinating. It softens the edge of its natural bitterness and opens it up to whatever flavor comes next.

Climber's note: The fermentation also makes it easy on digestion, which matters more than people admit on a training day.

Seitan: the powerhouse

What it is: Wheat gluten, seasoned and cooked. The chewiest and most meat-like of the three, and the one that surprises skeptics most.

What it's good at: Anywhere you'd want something substantial and savory. Sliced for sandwiches, chunked into stews, seared for fajitas, skewered for the grill.

The technique: Seitan is already cooked when you buy it, so the job is just browning and saucing. High heat, a good sear, then a glaze or sauce with some backbone: barbecue, teriyaki, chimichurri.

Climber's note: Protein-wise, seitan is one of the densest things in the plant aisle. One heads-up: it's essentially pure wheat, so it's the one member of the trio that gluten-free climbers sit out.

Where to start

If you're new to all three: start with tofu using the cornstarch-crisp method, because it teaches you the pattern (texture first, then sauce) that makes the other two easy. Add tempeh when you want something heartier, and seitan when you want to convert a skeptic.

None of this requires a recipe so much as a rotation. Three proteins, a couple of sauces you love, and a pot of rice cover more training-week dinners than you'd think.

The recipe collection on The Beta has a crispy peanut tofu that makes an excellent first impression.