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Home » Vegetarian

Red Flannel Hash

Last updated: Aug 29, 2023 | Published: Jan 2, 2019

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Red flannel hash is a riff on corned beef hash and this recipe is a vegetarian version with beets, rutabaga, and tempeh crumbles.

tempeh has in pan with eggs

I was waiting for the holidays to be over to share a classic beef stew recipe I've made a few times lately. But then I woke up this morning to find that the feeling of fullness and overindulgence remained. Instead, I wanted to do some light cooking with plenty of vegetables.

what is a red flannel hash?

I heard about a dish called red flannel hash while looking up ideas for cooking through my small stockpile of beets. Red flannel hash is considered a traditional New England dish, but it was the first I heard of it. Which is strange, because I've lived here my whole life. It turns out that red flannel hash is just a riff on corned beef hash, a dish I do know well. The difference between the two is the addition of beets.

People often make corned beef hash from the leftovers of a meal called the boiled dinner. Boiled dinners were on regular rotation at my grandparents' house growing up in Connecticut and today I often have it around Easter with my wife's family here in Vermont.

I never realized it was a traditional New England dish until I was older. The boiled dinner is so basic, it’s surprising to hear that not everyone throws vegetables and a hunk of corned beef in a pot of water and boils the life out of it all. Don’t get me wrong, I like a boiled dinner just fine every once in a while, but it is a blander meal than I typically enjoy. And saltier!

While red flannel hash is a riff on corned beef hash, I wanted to make a completely vegetable-based version to get over that post-holiday heaviness. So not only did I add in beets, I replaced the potatoes with rutabaga and the corned beef with crumbled tempeh. Then I added in some carrots.

a good use for root vegetables

You could just use potatoes and beets if that’s what you have. Turnips would also work well. Or use whatever combination you like, keeping the total amount of vegetables to about five cups.

In fall and winter, the produce drawers of my fridge are full of root vegetables. Beets, turnips, and carrots are the most common. They tend to grow well in my garden and they keep for weeks. You can find good deals from your local farmers, especially if you buy a few pounds worth at a time. If they get a little dried out and wrinkled, soak them in water for a few hours to help rehydrate.

Everything can be cooked ahead and formed into the hash, so it doesn’t take long to put the actual dish together. Use leftover vegetables if you have them, or cook everything a day or two ahead.

When I don't have the leftovers, I like to cut the vegetables into half-inch dice and then roast them at 375 degrees for about thirty minutes. I cook them until just tender so that they still hold their shape. You could also cook up all of the vegetables in an instant pot and chop them after. You could do this up to a few days in advance to save yourself time when preparing the hash.

A few words on tempeh

Alright, so the tempeh part. In this recipe, I use crumbled tempeh instead of corned beef. But what is it? It's a vegetarian protein that's worth a try. I cook with it on a regular basis, usually about once a week.

Tempeh has a savory, nutty flavor with a firm texture. Although it is made out of soybeans, unlike tofu, I think tempeh offers more versatility and flavor. If you haven’t tried it, I recommend giving it a chance. It’s quite affordable and can work well in a number of dishes.

The tempeh crumbles recipe below can be used wherever you like to use ground beef or turkey. Whenever I make this, I double the batch and freeze half to save for another meal.

I like the idea of enjoying this hash for breakfast, topped with a fried egg. But it works well for a light dinner just fine, too. For another tasty egg dish that works any time of day, try my broccoli and stilton quiche recipe.

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Red Flannel Tempeh Hash


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  • Author: Steve Peters
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: about 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

Red flannel hash is a riff on corned beef hash and this recipe is a vegetarian version with beets, rutabaga, and tempeh crumbles.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the tempeh crumbles:

  • 1 8-ounce block of tempeh
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried ground rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

For the hash:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cups chopped cooked beets
  • 1 ½ cups chopped cooked rutabaga
  • 1 ½ cups chopped cooked carrots
  • 8 ounces cooked crumbled tempeh
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 fried eggs, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a small pot, cover the tempeh with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Then chop the tempeh into small pieces. 
  2. In a large cast iron pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the tempeh, rosemary, paprika, and garlic. Brown the tempeh with the spices and use a wooden spoon to further break the pieces into crumbles, almost like you would with ground beef. When well browned, about 5 minutes or so, add the soy sauce and stir to combine. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beets, rutabaga, carrots, and tempeh to the pan. Season with the salt and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. 
  4. Use a spatula to tightly, but gently, press everything into the bottom of the pan. Let brown and do not stir. When browned, about 8 minutes or so, flip the hash over in pieces and brown on the other side. Add a little more butter to the pan, if needed. 
  5. When both sides are well browned, turn off the heat and top with the parsley. Taste and add more salt and ground black pepper as needed. Serve warm, topped with fried eggs, if you’d like to make it a more robust meal.
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

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  1. Mary Ann says

    August 28, 2023 at 10:03 pm

    Hi Steve, I’m excited to try this recipe! My mom used to tell me that when she was a kid my grandmother would make something called red flannel hash to use up leftovers, but my mom hated beets so she never made it for us. I love beets and have about a dozen of them in my fridge right now from my CSA share, so it’s time to channel my inner Nana 😉 I can’t seem to find the tempeh crumbles recipe you referenced though. Could you point me in the right direction? Many thanks from down here in MA.

    Reply
    • Steve says

      August 29, 2023 at 5:31 pm

      Hi Mary Ann, Happy to hear you're excited to try this. So sorry about the missing piece. Not sure what happened. I've updated the recipe to include the tempeh part of the recipe. Hope you enjoy it! - Steve

      Reply

Hey, I'm Steve

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