Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is the secret to our Vegan Kung Pao. A suitable substitute for Chicken in the classic Chinese meal.
It soaks up the flavours perfectly. Also an added bonus to this recipe, it's ready to serve in just 30 minutes!!
How to make Vegan Kung Pao?
Follow along the step by step recipe at the bottom of this blog page for how to make this Chinese Vegan Kung Pao Fakeaway at home.
Jump to RecipeAlso check out the slideshow below and check out all the tips below.
What is Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)?
For this Vegan Kung Pao we used Textured Vegetable Protein Chunks, otherwise know as soya chunks, made from 100% soya beans.
The perfect substitute for chicken or pork for Vegetarians or Vegans who want to create recipes that would usually have meat in.
We got gifted Textured Vegetable Protein chunks from Buy Wholefoods Online. A 500g bag is £3.36, we only used 125g which was enough for 4 people.
Based on that maths there are 16 portions at 21p each! Who said being a Vegetarian/Vegan needs to be expensive!
This is the first time we have used Textured Vegetable Protein, we will certainly be using it more often.
Will also be trying out the mince version, which is the perfect substitute for ground mince.
How to use Textured Vegetable Protein?
Textured Vegetable Protein Chunks comes in dried form, making it a handy storecupboard ingredient. Before adding them to your dish they have to be rehydrated.
1 portion is approx 30g, to which you will need approx 90ml of vegetable stock. This recipe serves 4 people we used 125g with 350ml vegetable stock.
Leave the Textured Vegetable Protein to soak in stock for 10 minutes. Just enough time for you to chop the vegetables and make up the sauce.
Cut up Peppers into 2cm squares and spring Onion into 1cm slices.
How to make Vegan-friendly Kung Pao sauce?
To make a Vegan Kung Pao sauce. Add brown sugar, ground ginger, cornflour, rice wine (or white wine if you can't find rice wine), rice vinegar, dark & light Soy Sauce, vegetable stock. Finally Hoisin Sauce (most Hoisin Sauces are vegan, just double-check & make sure it does not contain fish sauce).
Place the sauce to one side for now.
The next step is to coat the rehydrated TVP with cornflour, bicarbonate of soda & light soy sauce.
Coating the TVP helps it brown easily on the outside and stay juicy inside. It also helps thicken the sauce when added.
Fry the tvp off in sesame oil for 5 mins, until slightly browned. Remove from pan.
Add more oil to the pan, with Garlic, Chilli (pureed or sliced) and peppers.
Fry on high for 1 minute before adding the Kung Pao sauce, stir until it boils.
Next, add the textured vegetable protein back in. Stir for 3 minutes, add in the spring onions (green onions) and cashew nuts. Stir for a final 2 minutes.
Vegan Kung Pao ready to serve, a great comfort dish. The chilli gives it a fantastic spicy punch, to get your taste buds tingling.
Alternatively, if you don't like it spicy use only 1 chilli (or none!)?
Vegan Kung Pao in 30 minutes
Serve Kung Pao up with rice. To stick with the Asian theme why not try our Jasmine Sticky Rice.
Alternatively, make some Vegan Noodles to serve with.
Or how about trying our quick & easy chinese style Stir-Fried Vegetables?
Why not add some vegan spring rolls too!
Photo with chopsticks, but don't be fooled! Once the photos were done we grabbed two forks and tucked straight in together!
Our son came and joined us, we didn't tell him what he was eating when we asked him he was sure it was chicken!!
Vegan Kung Pao
Equipment
Ingredients
Textured Vegetable Protein mix
- 125 grams (2 cups) Textured Vegetable Protein Chunks
- 360 ml (1 ¾ cup) Vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp Cornflour
Kung Pao Sauce
- 2 tbsp Dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Cornflour
- 100 ml (½ cup) Vegetable stock
- 5 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 2 tsp Dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine or Mirin or dry white wine
- 2 tsp Hoisin sauce
Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp Toasted Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Gia Garlic Puree 3 cloves of Garlic
- 2 tsp Gia Chilli Puree 2 red chilli's
- 1 Red Pepper Chopped into squares
- 1 Green Pepper Chopped into squares
- 4 Spring onions (green onions) Chopped
- 2 tbsp Cashew nuts Handful
Instructions
- Soak textured vegetable protein in vegetable stock for 10 mins
- Meanwhile, chop vegetables and make Kung Pao sauce
- Mix all Kung pao sauce ingredients (above) together and set to one side
- Coat the now rehydrated textured vegetable protein with cornflour, bicarbonate soda and light soy sauce, set to one side.
- Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a wok/large pan on medium heat, add textured vegetable protein and fry for 5 mins until slightly browned.Remove from pan and place to one side.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil to the wok/ large pan with garlic puree, chilli puree and the peppers.Fry on high heat for 1 min.
- Add Kung Pao sauce you prepared earlier. Stir until boiling, then add the textured vegetable protein back in the pan.
- Stir for 3 mins then add spring onions and cashew nuts for 2 more minutes.Serve with Basmati rice and Enjoy!!
Video
Nutrition
This Vegan Kung Pao is delicious, sure you will enjoy as much as we do, let us know in the comments.
If you are not vegan, this recipe will also work with prawns, chicken or beef.
Why not take a look at our Thai Green Beef Curry for another great Asian meal food.
Such a great recipe, my husband use to eat beef in black bean sauce before going vegi and said this is a great substitute. Will make again for sure.
Thank you, Lee, for the comment and rating!!
Really pleased to hear you and your husband enjoyed our vegan kung pao, it's such a nice flavoursome dish 🙂
Delicious! Easy prep I chose not to add as much sugar and it was delicious.
Hi Marianne
Thank you for your comment 🙂
So glad you like the vegan kung pao, always good to hear good feedback!!
I've never seen TVP in big pieces like that, I'll be looking for it now so that I can make this!
Hi Lindsay
Thanks for the comment, hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Let us know what you think?
Cant wait to try this, i would never tell that this is vegetable protein. I’ve been staring at this in the store but never bought them as didnt know what to make and now i got the lerfect recipe for this. Thanks!
Hi Julia
Hope you enjoy our TVP kung pao recipe 🙂
Enjoy!!
That looks great. I've used tvp mince for years but never the chunks.
Hi Jacqueline, we love using TVP chunks with this recipe, it just makes it a lot more filling 🙂
Enjoy!!
Love how colorful this kung pao is. And thank you are introducing me to a new product! Need to search out that dried textured vegetable protein.
Hi Jill, so glad you like our vegan kung pao recipe 🙂
Thanks for your comment!!
You have officially sold this fakeway to me. I've seen those vegetable protein chunks in stores in the UK but never had the motivation to buy them. Now I'm going to try cooking your recipe with them very soon. Thanks!
Hi Carla, this is a great fakeaway TVP recipe 🙂
Enjoy!!
I was baulking at putting that much bicarbonate in, and I wish I’d listened to my gut. I think this could be really nice without the bicarbonate. The aftertaste is unpleasant and we couldn’t finish. I’m sure just plain old salt would give it the right depth of flavour without the aftertaste.
Hi Maggie, thank you for your feedback.
We use bicarbonate of soda to give the TVP a velvet-like texture as is commonly done to other proteins in Chinese meals. It will still work without the bicarbonate, maybe try using 1/2 the amount instead. We will try it again soon and see if there is any improvement we can make to it?
Be careful of salt taste. Unless you use some diluted soy sauces the dish is sooo, sooooo salty one can barely feel other tastes. I think there's potential here, just saltiness is killing it in this recipe.
Thanks for your comment, yes soy sauce can be too salty for some.
We made this, going for the fakeaway style which is always very salty too!
Like you suggest sodium-reduced soy sauce can be used next time 😉
Interesting!! vegan food is really good. I would love to prepare this recipe. Testy!
Thank you, I just loved this recipe...this is the best version of TVP I've ever made, your recipe works so well. Loved it! thanks
OMG this is very good I love classic dishes turned vegan and this Vegan Kung Pao sounds delicious and full of flavor. I can’t wait to get my hands on some of that Textured Vegetable Protein chunks...https://mentalhealthmonths.net/
Hey Kay, Great Recipe!! I love vegan dishes as they are very healthy. Your Vegan Kung Pao recipe seems to be so delicious. I love recipes which are prepared so quickly and are vegan too. Can’t wait to try it out this weekend.Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you Anaya for your kind message!
Vegans will definitely love this! I mean it's so hard to find a place like this. I actually wanted to try those too, it looks delicious.
Thank you Hannah 🙂
Wow this looks really really good. I will have to give it a try sometime. I have been looking to try a vegan diet.
We are not Vegan's but still like to eat some Vegan/Vegetarian foods. TVP, in particular, is full of Protein and soaks up flavour from the sauce better than meat can!
Just made this. So good! Didn’t have the wine so subbed for white wine vinegar.
Will def be making this again. Thanks!!
Fantastic, glad you enjoyed and white wine vinegar is fine as a sub! I always have wine in my house!
Wow!!! Looks incredible!! I never tried that vegetable protein chunks - now I'm intrigued!!
Try it out, a great store cupboard ingredient even if your not Vegan!
I love classic dishes turned vegan and this Vegan Kung Pao sounds delicious and full of flavor. I can't wait to get my hands on some of that Textured Vegetable Protein chunks !
Great Recipe!!
Thank you for your comment Debbie, so glad you like the look of it!
Now this is the type of a dish I haven't tried in a while - really excited to give it a try at home now, that's for sure.
Thank you Danielle, I do hope you enjoy it.
I haven't tried the vegetable protein chunks before. I have had tofu and it just wasn't for me. I think I can do a lot with this kind.
This has a completely different texture to tofu, and pretty much no flavour (without the sauce) so you might be ok with it!?
Great article! This is really a great idea especially when you want to eat healthy. I might try this recipe on next weekend.
Lifemaghealth.com
I hope you enjoy! 🙂
OMGOSH this looks amazing. I love TVP it's so cheap, filling and versatile.
I know, can't believe how many people have never heard of it! Great to have as a standby ingredient for when you haven't got any fresh ingredients in.
I love vegan dishes and we cook it all the time. This looks so yummy. Will definitely try it out.
Let us know how you get on 🙂
I've never used textured vegetable protein, but it was such a great substitution! And that kung pao sauce was absolutely delicious.
Great to hear Amanda glad you loved the sauce too.
This vegan king pao looks delicious! I have never tried it before but this recipe looks fab!
Thanks Melissa! 🙂
I will have to try this out. I always love kung pao but I haven't had a vegan version of this and it looks delicious.
This is great for all Vegan or not!
I am SO impressed with those vegan chunks! I really need to look into those and find them nearby...this kung pao looks so delicious.
Make sure to get the chunks or sometimes they are called curls?
I've never heard of TVP before! It looks amazing, especially with that awesome sauce you created. I am always looking for plant-based dinner ideas so thanks for sharing this tasty recipe!
It is a great product and full of protein too.
Oh wow! This looks delicious. I'm saving this and plan making it soon!
Great to hear 🙂
This looks so delicious! I am trying to eat less meat so I am always looking for vegetarian recipes that are delicious and filling in the same time. Just like this one!
Perfect recipe for you then, hope you enjoy as much as we do.
I'm not vegan but this would be a dish that I would love to try, it looks delicious! If you didn't say it was a meat substitute I wouldn't have known. Great for a meatless Monday!
Many wouldn't know! It is lovely.
I am vegetarian and this looks great! I have not used the soya chunks yet and I'd love to try it. The kung pao sauce looks delicious also. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Our pleasure Candace 🙂
Looks wonderful! I was vegetarian this summer for fun and it was hard finding tasty meat substitutes. I am pinning this recipient to try!
This is a great substitute and it is cheap too, unlike some other meat subs!
Whaaaaat!?! That looks SO GOOD, I can't believe it's vegan. I'm not vegan but would be totally down for trying it because it is making me DROOL!
Thank you Krysten! You can always use meat/poultry or prawns instead of TVP!
TVP really does soak up the flavours and I bet this dish packs a lot of flavour. I love the sheen on the sauce too. I didn't realize it had to be rehydrated!
It does soak up the flavours perfectly! The TVP mince doesn't need rehydrating but the chunks do 😉
Oooo this looks absolutely scrumptious! I am looking to reduce my meat intake so this recipe would be so perfect! And amazing in my lunch box too!
Oh yes, this will help you for sure! You won't miss the meat at all!
I never would have thought to do this. I love the idea!
Thanks Marie 😉
I've been eating something vegan almost everyday. While I'm not fully committed to eating vegan, I do feel better when I limit my meat. This looks good!
TVP is a great product for helping you eat less meat. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do?
Oh my goodness! This is heavenly delicious. I would love to prepare this recipe. Yummy!
Let us know how you get on? 🙂
I'd give this a try! We aren't vegan, but I'm always open to trying new things. I'm sure my kids will like this too.
Suitable for all, a great source of protein! My son loved it.
My husband made this for dinner last night and it was absolutely delicious! I love that it only took 30 minutes because we're all about simple dinners! Thanks so much for sharing!
So glad to hear it, always good to have quick meals for simple midweek dinners!
That Vegan Kung Pao looks delicious! What a great meatless dish it would make. The textured vegetable protein is so handy to have in the pantry and rehydrated when needed.
Oh yes, it is great even for non-Vegan's makes a great standby ingredient!