Description
Raise your hand if you are all about the noodles! We’ve got an amazing noodley dish that will have you putting both hands up high! Spicy, sweet, tangy and full of deliciousness, these Vegan Kung Pao Noodles are the perfect blend of saucy flavors, wholesome veggies, and rich peanuts. This healthy vegan twist on this classic Chinese dish will have everyone running to the table for seconds. Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients:
- ¼ cup reduced sodium tamari *
- 1 Tablespoon miso *
- 2 Tablespoons organic maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon ginger, freshly minced (+/- to taste)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 to 5 cloves)
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar
- ½ to 1 ½ teaspoon chili garlic sauce (+/- to taste) *
- 1 Tablespoon organic cornstarch (thickener of choice)
- 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds * (optional)
Other Ingredients:
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into long thin strips
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into long thin strips
- 1 medium red onion, cut into long thin strips
- 2/3 to 1 cup peanuts (optional)
- 8 oz. Pad Thai brown rice noodles (or similar style noodle/pasta like linguini, etc.)
- 1 – 15 oz. can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
Optional toppings:
- Chopped green onions (scallions)
- Chopped peanuts
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Crushed red pepper flake
Instructions
- Prep all the veggies as this recipe comes together fast.
- Place all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and whisk well, then set aside.
- Cook the noodles according to package directions, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- In a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot, add the bell peppers and red onions, sauté over medium-high heat for approx. 5 to 7 minutes, just to slightly tender stage. Add a splash of water if they start to stick.
- Then move the veggies to the side of the dish and add the mixture above in Step 2 until the sauce starts to caramelize and thicken (about 3 to 4 minutes – this will help remove the “cornstarch/thickener” flavor from the sauce), then fold in the peanuts, chickpeas, and cooked rice noodles. Gently fold until the mixture thickens and evenly coats all the noodles and peanuts.
- Serve immediately and top with your favorite toppers like some additional chopped peanuts, crushed red pepper flake, toasted sesame seeds, and/or chopped green onions.
Notes
*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
*Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. If you are going to live the Whole Food Plant Based lifestyle, then you will quickly find that miso is your friend.
*Chili Garlic Sauce: We used Huy Fong Foods Chili Garlic Sauce. This brand does have a small amount of sugar. However, this brand is generally accepted by the WFPB community. Note: If you do not like any heat, you can leave the Chili Garlic Sauce out of the recipe. The flavor will be still be great, but the Chili Garlic Sauce really punches the flavor up to replicate the heat of a traditional Kung Pao dish.
*Toasted Sesame Seeds: If you cannot find toasted sesame seeds, you can easily make your own. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat on the stove. When the pan is nice and hot, add the sesame seeds and gently push them around in a dry skillet, moving them constantly until they turn golden brown, then immediately remove the skillet from the heat, and remove the toasted sesame seeds from the skillet. Be careful, they burn easily. Note: You do not need to toast the sesame seeds for this recipe, but they do add a nice layer of flavor element.
*Servings: Makes 4 servings.