“Kung pao” actually has its roots in Sichuan cuisine, although it’s been popularized by Chinese-American restaurants. The original dish is also called gong bao ji ding (宫保鸡丁), a spicy stir-fry with chicken and a tangy spicy sauce.
In this version we’re going to substitute tempeh for the meat, but use the same traditional method to get that authentic flavor: marinating the tempeh and stir-frying it with dried chilies, tongue-tingling Sichuan peppercorn, lots of garlic and ginger, and toasted peanuts.
Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans— it has a slightly nutty flavor and a hearty texture. You’ll want to first steam or blanch the tempeh: bring a shallow layer of water in a pan to a boil, then add the entire block of tempeh for 1-2 minutes. This is optional, but it reduces the slight bitterness of the tempeh and allows it to soak up the marinade better.
The marinade is a mixture of soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, and cooking wine. Cut up the cooked tempeh into cubes and toss until evenly coated.
Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies can be found online or in any Asian grocery store. They’re not too hot, but provide the layers of flavor that make up this signature dish.
First, chop the white parts of the green onions into peanut-sized pieces, and reserve the green parts for garnish. Mince ginger and garlic, dice the red bell pepper, and whisk together the stir-fry sauce in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. You want everything to be prepped and ready on hand once you begin stir-frying, as that process happens very quickly.
Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Add peanuts and toast until golden brown, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes (make sure not to burn them). Remove from pan.
Heat another tablespoon of oil over high heat, then add dried chilies and peppercorns and stir until chilies are darkened.
Add ginger, garlic, spring onions, and stir-fry until fragrant. Quickly add tempeh cubes (with their remaining marinade) and stir, then add red bell pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Finally, give the sauce a stir and add it to the wok, continuing to stir-fry until sauce thickens. Turn off heat, add in the toasted peanuts, and stir to make sure everything is incorporated.
Garnish with the reserved green parts of the scallion, and serve over jasmine rice.
I like serving the kung pao tempeh with a smacked cucumber salad and an additional vegetable dish, like steamed bok choy. You could also add vegetables directly into the wok (chopped broccoli, gai lan, sugar snap peas, etc.) and stir-fry them along with the tempeh and bell pepper.
If you made this recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and a rating below! Also be sure to follow me on Pinterest and on Instagram for all the latest recipes and stories.
Print📖 Recipe
Vegan Kung Pao Tempeh
Stir-fried tempeh in a spicy and tangy sauce, with toasted peanuts, garlic, ginger, blistered dried chiles and numbing Sichuan peppercorns. A vegan take on the classic Chinese dish.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Tempeh
- 1 8 oz block tempeh
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (optional)
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (sub 1 ½ tsp balsamic + 1 ½ tsp rice vinegar)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ¾ tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp water
Stir Fry Ingredients
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp dried red chilies (divided)
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 6 scallions, white parts only, cut to match size of peanuts
- half a red bell pepper, chopped into ½ inch dice
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- green part of one scallion, sliced thinly for garnish
Instructions
- Blanch tempeh in boiling water, or steam, for 1-2 minutes (this reduces bitterness and softens it to soak up more flavors, optional but highly recommended). Cut tempeh into small ½ inch cubes, then add to a bowl with the marinade ingredients and stir to coat. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the stir-fry sauce in a small bowl, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
- Over medium heat, heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok until shimmering. Add half of the dried chilies and peppercorns and fry until chilies are darkened. Remove the blackened spices from wok, leaving only the oil. Add ginger and chopped green onions and fry for 30 seconds. Increase heat to high, then add tempeh cubes (with their remaining marinade) and the other half of the dried chilies, and cook until tempeh is heated through. Add red bell pepper. Give the stir-fry sauce a stir and pour it into the wok, then toss until tempeh is evenly coated. This process should be quick.
- Turn off heat, add in the toasted peanuts, and stir to make sure everything is incorporated. Add green onions for garnish, if desired. Plate and serve hot.
Notes
- You can use gluten-free tamari in place of the soy sauce. If you don’t have Shaoxing wine feel free to omit it, or substitute dry sherry.
- If allergic to peanuts, sub toasted cashews or toasted chopped almonds.
Chris says
Made this tonight, subbing cashews for the peanuts. It was outstanding! I can’t wait to make it again. (It was a bit too spicy for me; I’ll tone down the peppers next time.)
Love this site. I’ve been trying to find some good vegetarian-friendly Asian recipes.
Eugene Y says
This was so good I had a tear in my eye with the first bite. Thanks Hannah, I’m really loving your recipes 😍
★★★★★
Lori says
Made this tonight and we loved it! Great flavor! We would have liked a bit more sauce to flavor the rice. I actually doubled the sauce but because of the cornstarch and sugar it all just caramelized and didn’t have any free flowing sauce. Do you have any recommendations for this?
★★★★
May says
My boyfriend made this for me and it was exquisite! The tempeh was perfectly seasoned, didn’t have ginger so omitted it, and we used almonds (quarantine swaps y’all!) and it was still so good. Thank you for the recipe Hannah!
★★★★★
Kara says
The flavors in this were amazing. I added some broccoli too. Next time I will make more marinade and sauce. Thanks for the vegan version of a great dish!
★★★★★
Alex says
Yes, to more marinade and sauce. Mine was good, but I prefer more sauce and spice! I might also cook the pepper a bit longer. And add garlic!
Mark says
Awesome. Absolutely awesome. Thank you.
★★★★★
Megan says
I’ve never understood why people call food “heavenly”. Now, I know. This recipe is so delicious. I’d eat it everyday if I could. I love the tempeh, the marinade, and the way they combine with the vegetables and peanuts. Served onto rice, this is perfect. Thank you so much for sharing it!
★★★★★
Joseph Perazzo says
Super delicious!
★★★★★
Robert Shen says
Recipe is really awesome! I never knew it was this simple to make. Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Jamie says
I used soy curls and it turned out well (108g dry to match calories of tempeh). I didn’t see where to add the 2nd tbsp of cooking oil so I just left it out. Next time I’m going to try doubling the sauce to see how that goes.
Georgie says
Hi!
How many does this dish serve?
Thank you!
Hannah says
Serves 3-4!