Kung Pao Cauliflower
Have you had Kung Pao before? I have several times and yesterday I decided to try my own. I came up with Kung Pao Cauliflower , a vegetarian version which was awesome.
I really don’t know if this should be called Cauliflower Kung Pao or Kung Pao Cauliflower, either way I am sure you get it right? Sorry if I am making a mistake for those that speak Chinese!
This Kung Pao sauce can be used with different types of protein as well as veggies. I have seen many different versions with chicken but perhaps next time I will use more veggies and tofu instead. You can also serve this with rice, quinoa or any other type of noodles of your choice. I think rice noodles would be great and will keep the dish gluten free. Originally I don’t know how Kung Pao is best served with but for us Asian noodles worked rather well.
On another note, my mac pro lap top crashed on me last night. I think I had a nervous brake down because my hard drive completely shut down. I wasn’t able to repair it at all. I freaked out because I never backed up my information. The computer doesn’t even have a year so I figured it wouldn’t brake, crash or die on me, boy was I WRONG… I have learned my lesson to say the least.
Luckily my information was retrieved and my pictures, files and such have been saved today. I had so much work on my lap top it is not even funny. From now on I am backing my computer, if not every day, at least every week. Holly molly did I literally crapped my pans last night! Phew and thanks to my tech guy…
OK back to the cauliflower kung pao. This recipe got a bit more involved because of having to cook the cauliflower first but even still it will not take you more than 20-25 minutes from start to finish. You can freeze leftovers and have later on as well. Something that I do with many of my recipes.
I hope you like this recipe.
Enjoy!
Add the oil to a non-stick skillet and cook the cauliflower for about 5 minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a large dish. Add the pepper to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower back to the pan and cook the veggie mixture for an extra 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Here is the veggie mixture. Right before adding the sauce to it. The cauliflower is sort of intact and not mushy so make sure you don’t over cook it.
Serve over brown rice, rice noodles, quinoa or whatever other type of grain you may like.
PrintCauliflower Kung Pao
Yield: 4 servings
Total Time: 20-25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 large cauliflower head, cut into small floret pieces
- 1 red organic pepper, diced
- 1 yellow organic pepper, diced
- 1 orange organic pepper, diced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 scallion, cut 2” in lengths
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 1 tsp pepper flakes, optional
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb rice noodles (any other type of noodles will work)
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 4 tbsp soy sauce, gluten free
- 2 tbsp unrefined sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tsp arrowroot powder, or cornstarch
Directions:
Cook noodles according to package instructions. Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat, place the olive oil over medium to high heat. Add the cauliflower, and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until the cauliflower as cooked a bit. It will not be cooked throughly, as you will add it later on with the other veggies. Take the cauliflower out into a large plate and set aside.
Add the diced peppers to the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower back to the skillet and cook with the peppers stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes until the veggies are almost cooked through but not mushy. Add the garlic, ginger and cashews and cook further for 2 minutes. At this point add the sauce to the skillet and cook for 1 minute over high heat or until thickened. Add the spring onions and serve over the noodles while still warm.
Recipe adapted from here
Hello there. My name is Miryam and I am the clinical dietitian and Physician Assistant behind Eat Good 4 Life. My wish is to inspire you to start cooking healthier so that you can live a longer and happier life. Thanks for stopping by (
Oh gosh I would totally freak out if my computer crashed. I have no back up AT ALL either. Good thing you were able to get your files back! Your Cauliflower Kung Pao looks delicious. Perfect for a GF and meatless meal! yum!
I love kung pao flavours. This vegetarian version looks so delicious and satisfying.
Can I replace the egg whites? Thank you
I am sure you could :-). I think skipping that step may also be possible, like if you just want to saute the cauliflower in the olive oil just by itself it will also be fine. Thanks for stopping by.
I just love the sound of this recipe and it is right up my alley using rice noodles as I have Celiac Disease. I also cannot have anything with vinegar or yeast so I was wondering if I can substitute the vinegar and ketchup (because it contains vinegar) with anything else.
Instead of vinegar you can use sherry as for ketchup maybe tomato paste diluted a little bit w/ water. I hope this helps. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Thank you
Wow. 83% sodium. Is it solely because of the soy sauce? I wonder what the numbers would be with low sodium soy sauce?
It will be a lot lower, plus the marinade from the cauliflower is discarded, as not all of it is used up, and there is soy sauce in there too :-)
This recipe looks delicious, but shouldn’t be listed under “Vegan” as it contains egg whites :)
Ah my bad, you are totally right. Thanks for letting me know.
in Chinese we say KungPao something,like KungPao chicken (:
Thanks :-) I will correct it shortly!!
Looks great! Is the nutrition info for one serving?
Yes it is :-)
What do you use to marinade the cauliflower?
I used a mixture of soy sauce and egg white but you don’t need that step anymore. It is a lot simpler the one I have the recipe right now. I will remove those pictures. Thanks for noticing :-)
You mention marinade, but you did not include it in the recipe.
I used a mixture of soy sauce and egg white but you don’t need that step anymore. It is a lot simpler the one I have the recipe right now. I will remove those pictures. Thanks for noticing :-)
This was so easy, yummy and healthy! I added fresh pineapple tidbits to it and it gave it some sweetness. I also replaced 1 Tbsp. of sweet chili sauce for 1 of the Tablespoons of ketchup.
That sounds like a great substitution. I am glad you liked it :-) Thanks for stopping by.
Bet tis woul Aldo work with zucchini oodles. Excellent flavor combo. Thanks!
Ok, so I’m definitely more if a baker than a cook. But I’m trying. So I have a question about substitutions. I’m trying to be more flexible when following recipes because I either find myself avoiding recipes with things I don’t normally have in the pantry or buying things for one recipe that I will never use again. So, having saiid that..I need help. Scallions…I don’t normally care for them, can I sub or omit? Or will it be missing something? Ginger….can I use dried? Rice wine vinegar…is there a sub for that or will that give it a chinesey taste? Thank you so much! I’m trying to learn how to be flexible so I’m encouraged to like to cook!
Sorry for the delayed. My computer crashed. You can omit the green onions, i would suggest using fresh ginger and as far as the vinegar, you can use regular white vinegar but the vinegar flavor will be stronger as the rice wine vinegar is milder taste and a tad sweeter. I hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Miryam,
Just found your website through Instagram and I am LOVING it! Already have 3-4 recipes for this week planned. I have question about the unrefined sugar. I have raw coconut sugar on hand, could I use that in it’s place or should I use the unrefined sugar. Thank you! Can’t wait to see other recipes.
Awesome. I am glad you find me :-) Yes you can totally use coconut sugar!! Thanks for stopping by.
Made this exactly as written- EXCEPT- sautéed veggies in veg broth instead of oil. absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much! Will make again and again!!!
Awesome I am glad you liked it :-)
I have Rice Vinegar or I have have Chinese Cooking Wine… I have never seen rice wine vinegar… Can I use the plain rice vinegar ?
You can use either one. No big deal, I sometimes even use balsamic vinegar bc that is the only thing I might have on hand that day :-)
I was so excited to try this and then it did not look much like yours, Where did I go wrong? The colour of mine was a dirty brown. The cauliflower took a lot longer to cook had to steam it in the frying pan with a lid on. The cauliflower needs a lot of tasty sauce i find to make it taste any good. Maybe pineapple would help too.
So sorry you didn’t like it. Maybe the cauliflower can be cut a bit smaller? I think pineapple would go great for the recipe. Perhaps I will try that next time. Thanks for stopping by!!
I love this recipe, it has become a family favorite. The only change I made was I added peanuts instead of the cashews. I liked the cashews, but my husband prefers peanuts. Kung pao chicken has always been one of his favorite takeout dishes & it usually has peanuts in it. I am happy to make the switch for him, since my children and I are vegetarians. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I don’t think you meant the response under my original comment. I have made the dish several times, it is a favorite in my house.
Oh thanks so much for the heads up. I greatly appreciate it :-)
This looks delicious! If I wanted to substitute a meat for the cauliflower, how would I go about doing so? Thanks!
You can use chicken. I have that recipe too. Here it is. You can use whatever veggies of your choice :-) https://www.eatgood4life.com/chicken-kung-pao/
Ah, thanks! The chicken looks awesome – definitely going to try. :)
This was delicious! Thank you.
Wow! Just made this recipe and it is incredible! The only addition I made was adding
Some siracha. My taste buds are happy. Amazing recipe – thanks!
That is fantastic. I am glad you liked it so much. I need to make it again soon. So easy and yummy. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
I just made this for lunch. It was delicious. I doubled the red pepper flakes, because I like things super spicy, though.
Made this exactly as the recipe is written and it turned out perfectly. Delicious!
Made this tonight and it was very good. I used apple cider vinegar in place of rice wine vinegar as I am never able to find that anywhere. Will make this again!
Super awesome. I am glad you liked it :-) Thanks for stopping by.
Made this tonight and was actually shocked at how absolutely delicious it was!!! This will be on heavy rotation from now on!! Thank you, thank you!
That is super awesome. I am glad it was a hit :-)
Cauliflower is just ok nothing to write home about. I followed the recipe and it turned out very tasty. Best caulifower I ever ate. Please try not that hard.