These Kung Pao Veggies are loaded with flavor from fresh veggies, protein-packed tempeh, and a delicious homemade Kung Pao sauce. It's easy, delicious, and vegetarian and vegan friendly too!
You can go to almost any Chinese restaurant and order Kung Pao Chicken, but I have never seen a vegetarian version on a restaurant menu. This means that if you stop eating meat, you can never eat Kung Pao again.
Okay, no, not really. That's a bit melodramatic. You just have to make your own meatless version. Luckily, that's easy to do!
These Kung Pao Veggies are:
- Easy to make in just 30 minutes!
- A great alternative to takeout.
- Family-friendly.
- Vegetarian.
- Vegan.
- Dairy free.
And if you love quick and easy vegan recipes, be sure to check out my new cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. It's packed with 75 plant based recipes that all cook up easily in a single pan!
Helpful Tips
For my homemade Kung Pao Vegetables, I opted to replace the traditional chicken with tempeh instead. If you're not familiar with tempeh, I have a primer about it here. Tempeh has a slightly nutty flavor and it's a great source of plant-based protein.
Tempeh can be found in most grocery stores, usually in the refrigerated case in the produce section. If you can't find it near you, add 8 ounces of extra veggies instead. (It looks like this.)
The last time I bought whole dried chili peppers, they sat in our pantry for years, so I decided to eliminate those from the recipe and use red pepper flakes instead, which most of us have on hand.
I added a conservative amount to keep this recipe comfortably spicy, but feel free to add more red pepper flakes if you prefer more POW in your Kung Pao.
I used mirin (I use this brand) in place of the traditional Chinese rice wine and omitted the typical Sichuan pepper too. While this makes the recipe a little less authentic, it does make it much more doable, which is important too.
Sichuan peppercorns were actually banned in the United States for many years, so many restaurant versions of Kung Pao Chicken are made without it anyway.
Serve these Kung Pao Veggies over rice or quinoa and you will never miss carryout again!
Similar Recipes
If you love these Kung Pao Vegetables, be sure to check out these other tasty vegetarian and vegan ideas:
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce + 2 teaspoons additional, divided
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 3 ½ teaspoons cornstarch divided
- 8 oz tempeh cubed
- 1 zucchini small, cut into thick half moons
- 1 eggplant small, cubed
- 1 red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons white sugar (organic for vegan-friendly)
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or peanut oil
- ¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes add more or less to adjust the heat level
- 3 green onions white and green parts separated, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
- Cooked rice or quinoa for serving
Instructions
- Whisk together 2 tablespoons of tamari, mirin, and 1 ½ teaspoons of corn starch in a small bowl. Put the tempeh, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper in a large, shallow baking dish and pour the sauce mixture over them. Toss to coat and let the veggies marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- While the veggies are marinating, whisk together the vinegar, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and remaining tamari and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat with grapeseed oil and add the red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the oil is fragrant and the pepper flakes are beginning to darken. Add the tempeh and veggie mixture to the wok and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the eggplant and zucchini is tender.
- Add the white parts of the green onion, garlic, and ginger to the wok and cook for 30 seconds. Pour the sauce into the wok and stir to coat, then add the peanuts and cook for another minute. Remove from heat. Serve over rice or quinoa and garnish with the remaining green onions.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
I need this in my life!!!
dishing up the dirt says
Yum! Great recipe and thank you for eliminating the dried pepper and using red pepper flakes instead!!!
Kiersten Frase says
That was out of my own cheapness--I knew if I bought whole peppers, I would never use them all. :/
Kathryn says
I really love that kung pao sauce + I'm super excited about a proper veggie version. So good.
Morgan says
This looks so delicious! I've been a fan of all your other stir fry recipes - can't wait to try this one, too! 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Kerri says
I make kung pao tofu that is real similar to this. Instead of just regular sesame oil, I use a combo of sesame & chili oil. And I always double my sauce.
Kiersten Frase says
I have plans on tackling tofu next! 🙂
Alissa says
If you're ever in Philadelphia you have to out some of the Chinese vegetarian places in Chinatown. They have entire menus that look just like regular Chinese menus, but everything is vegetarian. You can get Kung Pao tofu, Kung Pao seitan...it's amazing. Sadly, I don't live in the city anymore, so that stuff is no longer easily accessible. So I'm glad you posted this recipe. It sounds great and love the addition of tempeh. I will definitely give this one a try 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
We moved to a city that had one of those restaurants several years ago, so to celebrate our move, we ordered takeout from them the first night we were in our new apartment. Chris went to pick it up and as soon as he got it home, we realized it was ALL REAL MEAT. The restaurant had closed and a new Chinese restaurant opened up in the same spot, using the same phone number. Sigh. Someday… 🙂
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
Yes!! Another fantastic way for me to prepare one of my favorite foods: tempeh! 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
It's definitely one of my favorites too! 🙂
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
these look like the real stuff. i cant wait to try.
Carrie says
This looks amazing! Was thinking though in order to avoid the corn starch what about using tapioca starch? I've found it makes a pretty good swap out. Can't wait to try this! Even though I eat meat I've really enjoyed your recipes, and have found them very versatile when adding meat or changing them up to accomidate different taste buds. 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
I haven't cooked with tapioca starch myself, but if you've used it in place of corn starch in other recipes before, I'm sure it would work in this one too! 🙂 And thanks for the kind words about Oh My Veggies!
Pankti says
I love Kung Pao ...and I was lucky, near my old apartment there was a place that served Kung Pao Tofu. I fell in love with the dish as soon as I tried it first time. But haven't been able to successfully replicate it at home (now that we dont live nearby that carryout place), because I simply cannot deep fry tofu as much as these carry out places do. My deep fried tofu always turns out chewy from inside, which is okay, not that bad, but still not as good as the Kung Pao Tofu I fell in love with.
Anyway, I definitely wanna give it a try with tempeh and the vegetables although I have never tried tempeh, but heard a lot of good things about it.
Your blog really is beautiful, and the recipes are very unique and creative. Plus the meal plans do help. 🙂
Thanks,
Pankti
Kiersten Frase says
I've been able to successfully replicate the way Thai restaurants cook their tofu, but I can't figure out how to get it like Chinese restaurants either. I can get it close, but not quite the same. I usually cook mine in a few tablespoons of oil rather than deep-frying because I'm certain I will burn down my kitchen if I attempt it. 🙂
Christy@SweetandSavoring says
Oh, I can just imagine how delectable this is! I appreciate you considering how to make the recipe more doable/accessible. One of the reasons I haven't tried much Asian-inspired cooking is because of the specialty ingredients. But I love Kung Pao! Must make this soon 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
I admit, I usually sub out those ingredients for things I already have or can easily find. Sometimes you have to make compromises. 😉
Joel A. says
Love the rich colors. This dish must be very delicious.
I don't see a lot of grocery stores selling tempeh here in my location. I'll just replace tempeh with tofu.
Kiersten Frase says
If you make it with tofu, you might want to sauté the cubes in oil first (until they're crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside), set them aside, and then add them back to the stir fry when you add the sauce.
Letty Flatt says
I love the tempeh idea. I too make Kung Pao Tofu and it is fabulous. (Saute the tofu till golden and add at last minute infidelity the method.
I am pinning this so I remember to make it soon.
Kiersten Frase says
Thanks for the pin! I'm eager to try making Kung Pao Tofu now! 🙂
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
Recipe bookmarked and pinned! I look forward to trying this out!
Kiersten Frase says
Thanks for the pin!
Angie (@angiesrecipess) says
I love kung pao flavours....so good with some steamed rice.
Meg @ Beard and Bonnet says
This looks so good!!!
Judy P says
I made the mistake of buying a large bag of dried peppers at a Hispanic grocery store and then didn't know what to do with them. I decided one day, (after them sitting in the cabinet for months) to chop them in my good grinder. DO NOT EVER DO THIS unless you are wearing a mask of some kind. A hankie over your nose and mouth, anything!!! I couldn't hardly breathe for days!! The powder formed from the dried peppers like to have roasted my airway. So yes, now I only buy the flakes!! It's kind of funny now, but not then.
Kiersten Frase says
When I was a kid, my dad made chili with those peppers and the same thing happened--it was like our whole house had been sprayed with pepper spray. They are REALLY strong!
Stephanie @ Henry Happened says
This is totally making me hungry - I'm such a sucker for Chinese food but it always tastes so much better at home. And I still need to try tempeh!
Kiersten Frase says
You do need to try it! It's delicious. 🙂 And when you crumble it up, it's just like ground beef.
Joanne says
So coincidental - just this week my lab went out for Chinese food and had a whole discussion about kung pao chicken! And it is sad that there is no veg counterpart. Until now. Love this!
Kiersten Frase says
I would love to just work my way through an entire Chinese menu--there are so many dishes I'd love to be able to eat but can't!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
I sure hope to jump on the "tempeh" liking bandwagon soon 😉
Kiersten Frase says
It took me a while to warm up to it too. Just like tofu! I had to try it a few times before I liked it. 🙂
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love the sound of a vegetarian version of Kung Pao chicken. This looks so much better than any takeout option!
Kiersten Frase says
Thank you! I always love the idea of takeout, but it's usually so heavy, I feel kind of sick afterwards!
Paula – bell’alimento says
I love the idea of a vegetarian version of Kung Pao chicken. Must try this soon! Pinning!
Kiersten Frase says
Thanks for the pin!
Tina Muir says
This looks so wonderful! I had kung pal calamari the other day, so good! I love getting lots of vegetables in to fuel my hard training for my running, but sometimes they can get boring, this is a recipe I can make, that I know will be nutritious and delicious! Thank you!
Kiersten Frase says
I hope you enjoy the recipe!
The Gilded Sprout says
This looks fantastic. There are all kinds of Chinese dishes that always seems to only come with meat and so making veggie versions at home is a great choice! Thank you for the recipe!
Kiersten Frase says
If I had the time, I would make vegetarian versions of all of them! 🙂
Genevieve says
I tried making my own kung pao dish once following a recipe I had seen, but it was soo spicy that I couldn't even eat it! This version sounds much more manageable, and I like the choice of veggies (I still prefer tofu for Asian style dishes though)!
Kiersten Frase says
Yeah, that's why I cut down on the heat! I love spicy food, but when the heat overpowers every other flavor, it's way too much for me. I figured if people wanted it spicier, they could add more red pepper flakes. 🙂 It's easier to add more than to take it out!
Beth says
I made this tonight, subbed cauliflower for the eggplant cause that's what I had in the fridge (can't wait to try it with the eggplant), and we enjoyed it SO much. It is really great. If you're thinking about trying this, do it, you will not be disappointed.
It will remain on my rotation! Thanks so much.
Kiersten Frase says
Ooh, that's good to know it worked with cauliflower! I might have to try that. 🙂 I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!