• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Love and Good Stuff logo

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Contact
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home - Recipes - Main Course

    Kung Pao Vegetables

    Apr 7, 2021 · Modified: Apr 15, 2021 by Courtney · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    60 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    Stir-fried vegetables are tossed in flavourful savoury yet sweet sauce then served over rice in this quick and easy meatless dinner. A vegetarian take on the classic takeout dish Kung Pao chicken, these kung pao vegetables just minutes to prepare and are perfect for meatless nights!

    a hand holding a bowl of kung pao vegetables served over rice.

    If you are a fan of the flavours of Kung pao chicken you are going to love these Kung Pao vegetables!

    The sauce is the most perfect blend of savoury with a touch of sweetness and a blast of umami. There is a list of ingredients to grab if you want to true authentic flavour, but they are all fairly easy to find if you have an Asian grocery store nearby. It's worth the trip, I promise!

    This dish is great if you're craving some Kung Pao flavour but with a healthy dose of vegetables. The whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes and it's perfect for meatless nights.

    You're going to love this!

    • Quick and Easy - this dish may have a few ingredients, but only a couple of quick steps. You can have dinner on the table in just about 20 minutes!
    • Versatile - This dish is easily adaptable to use whatever veggies you have hanging around.
    • Authentic flavor - This recipe uses authentic ingredients for the best flavour possible. I've noted substitutions, but for the best flavor try it with the ingredients as written - you won't regret it!

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for kung pao vegetables with text labels.
    • Vegetables - I used a mix of eggplant, broccoli, onion, red pepper, and snow peas, but you can use any of your favourite veggies.
    • Szechuan peppercorns - these have a distinct citrusy/spicy flavour and there isn't much of a substitute. You should be able to find them at your local Asian grocer, but you can omit if you can't find them or aren't fond of them.
    • Peanuts and green onion - flavourful garnishes for the top of the dish.
    • Dried red chili - Also available at your Asian grocer. If you can find them, you can substitute with a bit of any chili paste you have on hand. Use less though as the dried kind as less spicy.
    • Dark soy sauce - This has a richer, deeper flavour than regular soy sauce and brings a nice dark colour to the sauce.
    • Soy Sauce - regular soy sauce or tamari will do here.
    • Shaoxing wine - this is a Chinese cooking wine. If you can't find it, cooking sherry or any dry sherry will substitute just fine.
    • Black vinegar - this is a Chinese vinegar with a malty umani flavour. If you can't find it, malt vinegar would be a decent substitute.
    • Sugar - to add a touch of sweetness to balance the dish. As written in this recipe, this is a subtle flavour. If you prefer the sauce a bit sweeter, add more sugar.
    • Cornstarch - to thicken the sauce.

    How to make it

    Make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, cornstarch and water to make the sauce. Set the bowl aside for later.

    Sauce for kung pao vegetables in a bowl.

    Toast the Szechuan peppercorns. Heat a wok to high heat then add the peppercorn. Stir them often as they toast for a minute or two, remove them and grind them with a pestle and mortar then add them to the sauce.

    Toasted and ground Szechuan peppercorns in a bowl.

    Stirfry the veggies. Place the wok back on the burner and add a splash of cooking oil. Add the broccoli, onion and eggplant and stir fry them for 2-3 minutes before adding the remainder of the veggies and stir-frying just until they have brightened and heated through.

    Stir-fried vegetables in a wok.

    Add the sauce. Add the sauce to the wok and toss the veggies in it until the sauce has thickened.

    Kung Pao vegetables in a wok.

    Serve. Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with peanuts and green onion.

    A side view of a bowl of kung pao vegetables served over rice.

    Tips for the best Kung Pao Vegetables

    • Use the authentic ingredients. The flavour in this sauce that comes from using authentic ingredients is worth a trip to your local Asian grocer. I promise this sauce will rival your favourite takeout dish.
    • Don't overcook your stir-fry. The vegetables should be crisp and not floppy. Cook the veggies on high just until they are fork tender and don't cook them in the sauce for too long. If you swap vegetables be sure to stirfry the harder longer cooking vegetables first before adding the softer and faster cooking vegetables so that the dish cooks evenly.

    Are you on Pinterest? Follow me for more fresh and tasty recipe ideas.

    Want to see more recipes like this?? Sign up for our newsletter to have new recipes delivered to your inbox, follow us on Instagram, or like our Facebook page.

    More Recipes You'll Love!

    If you like these Kung Pao vegetables, you might want to check out some of our other vegetarian stir fry recipes!

    • Moo Shu Vegetables
    • Vegetable Chow Mein
    • Spicy Black Bean Tofu and Eggplant
    • Vegan Singapore Noodles

    If you have made this recipe we’d love to see it! Tag us on Insta @loveandgoodstuff.
    Loved this? Don’t forget to rate it below!

    a top down view of a bowl of kung pao vegetables with a hand putting a fork in it.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Kung Pao Vegetables

    A vegetarian adaptation of takeout classic Kung Pao chicken. Stirfried vegetables are cooked in kung pao sauce and topped with chopped peanuts and green onion.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time10 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 217kcal
    Author: Courtney
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    wok
    mortar and pestle

    Ingredients:

    • 1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns
    • 1⁄2 red pepper - sliced
    • 1 head broccoli - cut into florets
    • 1⁄2 onion - sliced
    • 1⁄2 eggplant - diced
    • 12 baby corn
    • 4 oz snow peas - ends trimmed
    • 2 Tablespoons chopped dried red chilis - use more or less of this depending on how spicy you like it
    • ¼ cup chopped peanuts

    sauce

    • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
    • 2.5 Tablespoons dark soy sauce
    • 2 Tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
    • 2 Tablespoons Shaoxing wine - or cooking sherry
    • .5 Tablespoon sugar
    • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1⁄2 cup water

    Instructions

    • Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside for later.
    • Lightly toast the szechuan peppercorns in a hot wok then grind with a pestle and mortar and add into the sauce.
    • Add a splash of cooking oil to a wok and heat over high heat. Add the broccoli, onion and eggplant and stir fry for a couple of minutes first before adding the remainder of the veggies and cooking until they are bright and heated through but still crisp.
    • Add the sauce to the wok and toss and stir until it thickens.
    • Serve over rice or noodles with chopped green onion and peanuts.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 12gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1441mgPotassium: 927mgFiber: 9gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1837IUVitamin C: 176mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 3mg

    * nutritional information is calculated by online tools and may not be 100% accurate.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @loveandgoodstuff or tag #loveandgoodstuff!
    « Pulled Pork Nachos
    Taco Stuffed Peppers »

    About Courtney

    I'm Courtney and I love great food!

    Creating delicious meals, photographing them, and sharing them with friends and family are some of my favourite joys ❤️
    More about Love & Good Stuff

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alex says

      April 11, 2021 at 12:56 am

      We have always been a fan of the classic Kung Pao Chicken, so were very excited to try your vegetarian version. It did not disappoint - packed full of flavour and so easy to prepare!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi! I'm Courtney and I love sharing delicious, wholesome food with you! Thank you for stopping by Love & Good Stuff!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Homemade Falafel
    • Mexican Black Bean and Corn Salad
    • Italian Tomato Salad (Marinated Tomato Salad)
    • Vegetarian Miso Ramen
    • Lentil Casserole
    • Blackened Fish Tacos
    • Falafel Burgers
    • Parmesan Risotto

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    as featured on Domino, MSN, Greatist, Buzzfeed, Parade and Foodgawker

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Love & Good Stuff

    Fresh Recipes Weekly
    Get our freshest recipes delivered straight to your inbox
    Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.