Vegan Kung Pao

Vegan kung pao chickpeas is a Chinese chickpeas recipe made with stir fry vegetables, chickpeas, and spicy sauces. It is delicious, easy to make at home with your favorite vegetables, and can be served for lunch or dinner.

It is a great way to incorporate veggies into meals and kids also enjoy this dish. It can be made in under 30 minutes on busy weekdays.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Serving suggestions
• Equipment
• Storage
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

To make a vegan kung pao recipe you will need a lot of fresh vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, chestnuts, carrots, and green onions. You can easily replace/exclude any of the veggies based on your preference.

You will also need chickpeas. Canned chickpeas or dry ones can be used. I prefer to use dry chickpeas soaked in water for about 8 hours or overnight. You can pressure cook dry or soaked chickpeas in the Instant Pot in advance and store them. If using canned chickpeas, discard the excess liquid.

I like to make my own kung pao sauce using dark soy sauce, chili sauce, sriracha sauce, and vinegar for a perfect flavor. Kung pao chickpeas are made in toasted sesame oil.

Roasted peanuts and unsalted cashews are used in cooking and garnishing. However, you can skip it to make it nut-free.

Instructions

Making vegan kung pao is easy. It just involves the mixing of cooked chickpeas with sauteed vegetables and sauces and it is ready.

If you are using dry chickpeas and not canned ones then soaking the chickpeas in enough water for at least 8 hours is very helpful and reduces the overall pressure cooking time. If however, you have forgotten to soak the chickpeas, you will just have to pressure cook the chickpeas in the Instant Pot for a longer time.

In a heavy bottom pan or wok, heat the toasted sesame oil on medium-high heat and then add a dry whole red chili, raw cashews, peanuts, and garlic paste. You can also check how to make and store homemade garlic paste.

Add all the chopped veggies and some amount of dark soy sauce, chili sauce, sriracha sauce (optional), and rice vinegar. Add some salt and sugar for a little sweetness. Saute the veggies until they are cooked but still crunchy.

While the veggies are cooking, make a cornstarch slurry by adding some cornstarch and water and mixing it well such that there are no lumps. Adding cornstarch slurry gives a smooth consistency to the sauce but is optional.

Add a little water to the veggies and once it starts boiling, add the cornstarch slurry until you get the desired consistency. Mix in the boiled chickpeas and garnish with green onions.

Substitutions

Gluten-free - use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.

Spicy - add more dried red chilies while cookies and red pepper flakes while serving.

Variations

Tofu - to make vegan kung pao tofu, use extra firm tofu instead of chickpeas. You can stir-fry tofu in oil before adding it to the vegetables.

Serving suggestions

It is best to serve the kung pao hot. You can serve it in bowls with jasmine rice, fried rice, or noodles. You can also serve it with basmati rice or cilantro lime rice.

Equipment

Kung pao is made in a skillet or a wok. If you are using dry chickpeas, they can be pressure cooked in a 3 qt. Instant Pot or a larger one.

Storage

Vegan kung pao can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave, stovetop, or Instant Pot.

It can also be frozen in freezer-safe airtight containers once it is completely cooled down. You can portion it and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat, you can defrost it and reheat it in the microwave.

Don't forget to check out these easy dinner recipes

• Vegan fried rice
• Black eyed peas salad
• Mixed vegetable casserole
• Mumbai pav bhaji
• Baked broccoli pasta
• Black chickpeas curry

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