In my recent mission to make more vegan dishes (check out our Soy Sauce Braised Wild Mushroom Noodles from a couple weeks ago), I’ve created this recipe for Kung Pao Mushrooms, a vegan version of the classic Kung Pao Chicken, with mushrooms!
My first thought after tasting it was, “BRILLIANT!”
A Vegan Alternative Where You Don’t Miss the Meat
I know that not all tangy and savory classics like Kung Pao Chicken can have a pleasing vegan alternative, but this dish is definitely not just a sad veggie-filled imitation. By using king mushrooms as the main ingredient, with their subtle mushroom flavor and meaty texture, this Kung Pao Mushroom dish definitely deserves status as a main dish on your dinner table.
King mushrooms seem to be named as such because of their massive stems. These are substantial and very versatile mushrooms–you can pan-fry them, stir-fry them, braise them steam them, or grill them. As is the case with this vegan dish, it’s a great candidate to serve as a meat substitute.
Also, has anyone noticed that the mushroom selection in produce departments has really expanded in recent years? Fresh enoki mushrooms, king mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and even fresh wood ear mushrooms have all made their way to the produce shelves. Progress!!!
The Importance Of Cutting/Dicing
One of the signature aspects of Kung Pao Chicken and this Kung Pao Mushrooms dish is that all the ingredients are diced small. I’ll take this opportunity to talk a little bit about chopping.
Different ingredients require different cooking times. The thickness and the size of the cut also determines the cooking time.
So with this recipe (or really any), it’s actually pretty important to follow the cutting/slicing/chopping instructions for size and thickness, as it will directly affect the flavor and texture at the end!
This is an easy Chinese recipe––cutting the ingredients before heating up your wok is probably the most taxing part. But don’t let that stop you! I bet you won’t miss the chicken in this vegan version––Kung Pao Mushrooms. Here’s how to make it:
Kung Pao Mushrooms: Recipe Instructions
To save time, use plain roasted peanuts (shelled and peeled). If you want to use fresh peanuts that have not yet been roasted, add them to a wok with 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat, and toast them for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
If you have time or extra peanuts, try our Wok Fried Peanuts. They are a great way to enjoy peanuts as a snack!
Prepare the sauce by mixing together the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, ¼ cup water, and cornstarch.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium heat, Add the king mushrooms, and cook until they’re caramelized and any liquid has cooked off. Don’t stir them too much, or the mushrooms won’t caramelize! Transfer to a dish and set aside.
Now heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, scallions, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chili peppers. Cook for about 1 minute, and take care not to burn the spices.
Now add the red bell peppers…
And the cooked king mushrooms.
Turn up the heat, and stir to mix everything together. Add the prepared sauce (stir it again before adding it to the wok, as the cornstarch will have settled to the bottom of the bowl).
Stir everything together quickly. Finally, add the roasted peanuts and sesame oil.
Mix one more time to make sure everything is coated with sauce, and transfer your Kung Pao Mushrooms to a serving dish.
Kung Pao mushrooms, a vegan version of the classic Kung Pao Chicken!
Kung Pao Mushrooms (Vegan!)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup peanuts (shelled and peeled, or already dry roasted)
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 1 pound king oyster mushrooms (about 3-4 mushrooms, diced into small pieces)
- 2 slices ginger (minced)
- 3 cloves garlic (smashed and chopped)
- 6 scallions (white parts only, diced)
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
- 3 dried chili peppers (de-seeded and cut into segments)
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- To save time, use plain roasted peanuts (shelled and peeled). If you want to use fresh peanuts that have not yet been roasted, add them to a wok with 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat, and toast them for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing together the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, ¼ cup water, and cornstarch.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium heat, Add the king mushrooms, and cook until they’re caramelized and any liquid has cooked off. Don’t stir them too much, or the mushrooms won’t caramelize! Transfer to a dish and set aside.
- Now heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, scallions, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chilis. Cook for about 1 minute, and take care not to burn the spices.
- Now add the red bell peppers and the cooked king mushrooms. Turn up the heat, and stir to mix everything together. Add the prepared sauce (stir it again before adding it to the wok, as the cornstarch will have settled to the bottom of the bowl).
- Stir everything together quickly. Finally, add the roasted peanuts and sesame oil. Mix one more time to make sure everything is coated with sauce, and transfer to a serving dish.
Nutrition
Bhanisha says
Would it be alright to use shiitake mushrooms?
Judy says
Sure, why not!
Sofia says
Hi,
I just made this recipe and definitely messed it up. I’m assuming Sichuan peppercorns aren’t supposed to taste like rubbing alcohol , right ? It burned my mouth. So sad. Send help please!!
Judy says
I am sorry, Sofia, try a different brand of Sichuan peppercorns.
Nicole says
Question: How spicy is this recipe as written? Would like to make this and feed it to my toddler…. trying to decide whether to follow the recipe as is, half he spices or remove the peppercorns and chili altogether. Thanks for your response!
Judy says
Hi Nicole, this recipe will be spicy for a toddler so take caution.
Alexandra says
Thanks Judy for the recipe! It’s one of my favorites from your website. I made it three times within one week! It has a lot of flavor and love the fact that it’s vegan and healthy, although I’m not vegan. This recipe also introduced me to king mushrooms, which I love now too!
Judy says
Hehehe…thank you for your lovely comment, Alexandra.
douwe egberts says
Wow!!! Thank you for the great recipe! My wifeloved it. I’m so happy I found your website. Keep posting amazing and interesting recipes.
Judy says
Will do, Douwe!
Viv says
Wow!!! Thank you for the great recipe! My family loved it. I’m so happy I found your website. I veganized a few recipes and they were so good.
Judy says
Thank you so much for your support, Viv!
Lee says
Hi there! I’m curious to know if you’re planning on doing Chinese Buddhist temple cuisine recipes? I’ve been able to find unique temple dishes in Korea and Japan but it seems there is a bit of a dearth for Chinese temple cuisine.
Do you know any? I’m curious to know the process of flavoring in lieu of the 5 pungent spices (alliums and Hing)
Judy says
Hi Lee, thank you for your reminder. We will look into it more. But in the meantime, please look into our vegan/vegetarian recipe section.
R says
My friend told me to try this site and she was so right! This is the first recipe I’ve tried (along with your spicy black bean potatoes) and it’s come out delicious – thanks for sharing :)
Judy says
Welcome to our site––so glad to have you cooking with us.
Jessica says
How much is two slices of ginger? How thick should the slices be? By the way I like your version of ants climbing a tree better than Alton Brown’s and he is an amazing cook. Thanks for all the fun and healthy recipes.
Judy says
Thank you so much, Jessica, did you tell Alton Brown the same? :-) BTW, I usually slice the ginger about 1/8″ thick. You can adjust it based on your own taste preferences. :-)
Stacey Deters says
Hello. Found one of your recipes on Pinterest tonight and I’m so glad I did. While I’m strictly vegan I’ve pinned so many of your recipes that I can modify to make them vegan. I live in a tiny rural town in oregon with a tiny grocery store. That being said, we have just plain button mushrooms. When i visit portland im sure i can find king mushrooms. Also while in Portland one of my favorite meals I get is kung pao tofu. Using your recipe, how would I cook the tofu to use instead of mushroom? I’ve been on your site now for a few hours going thru all the recipes. It’s like binge watching Netflix! Thank you for all your amazing recipes and the stories you share as well.?
Judy says
Hi Stacey, I would use Five Spiced Flavored Tofu ( 五香豆腐干). They are pre-cooked tofu, hard in texture and very flavorful. You can eat them right out of the package.