Description
This incredibly delicious and quick Vegan Chop Suey is a SAUCY vegan chicken stir fry loaded with tons of veggies and flavor.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Stirfry
- 2 cups soy curls (see note 1)
- 2 cups vegan chicken broth (see note 2)
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small bunch green onions, (white bottoms separated from green tops)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 baby bok choy, chopped (stems separated from leaves)
- 12 oz shiitake mushrooms (or other), halved or quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 cup bean sprouts
Sauce
- 6 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (use gluten-free tamari if gluten-free)
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1/2 cup leftover vegan chicken broth from soaking soy curls (see step 1)
- 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine (or mirin, dry sherry, or rice vinegar) (see note 4)
- 2 tablespoons hoisin (see note 5)
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
Instructions
- Rehydrate soy curls: Start by adding your soy curls to a large bowl and covering them with the vegan chicken broth. Press down lightly and leave to absorb. They won’t absorb all the liquid but we want them to absorb as much as we can. Don’t discard the excess liquid--we’ll use some of it in the sauce.
- Cook onions: Now heat a large nonstick pot or wok over medium high heat. You may use a little high heat neutral oil if you like or just use water or broth to cook the veggies, just adding a tablespoon at a time to keep them from sticking or burning. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are slightly translucent.
- Add garlic and green onions: Now add the garlic and the white parts of the green onions and cook for 1 minute.
- Add other veggies: Add the mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, and stems of the baby bok choy. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add soy curls: Now drain the soy curls but reserve the liquid. Add the soy curls into the pot, stir well, and leave to cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes. Then stir.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl or measuring cup (a family habit I just can’t break), whisk together the soy sauce, shaoxing wine, hoisin, water, and ½ cup of the leftover vegan chicken broth (from the soy curls bowl). Now whisk in the arrowroot powder/cornstarch until no lumps remain).
- Add the sauce: Pour the mixture into the pot and stir constantly for a minute or two until it thickens. If you want it thicker, add a teaspoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water and mix that separately, then add it to the pot. If you want it thinner, add back a little more vegan chicken broth or water.
- Add remaining veg: Add in the bean sprouts, baby bok choy leaves, and most of the green parts of your green onions. Stir well and cook for 1 minute just to heat everything up.
- Serve: Serve with cooked rice or noodles and garnish with remaining green onions. Enjoy!
- Store: Refrigerate leftover vegan chop suey separate from rice in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
- Note 1: Any protein (super firm tofu, seitan, beans, etc.) is fine here, but soy curls really have that nice texture and stir-fried chicken taste/feel that Chinese takeout chicken generally has. We rehydrate the soy curls in broth for more flavor, and they’ll also absorb the flavors from the stir fry sauce.
- Note 2: Vegan chicken broth will help flavor the soy curls as “chicken” while rehydrating them. I personally love Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base as it keeps better and is more economical than carton vegan chicken broth. You can absolutely use prepared vegan chicken broth or even just vegetable broth (I would use a little poultry seasoning if you do this).
- Note 3: Use whatever veggies you like.
- Note 4: The shaoxing wine is really for authentic flavor, as it’s widely used in Chinese cooking. It’s unlike any wine you’d drink--it’s only for cooking. You can find it in Asian groceries, but also some online shops carry shaoxing wine. If you can’t find it, the closest substitutes are mirin or dry sherry. If you’d prefer not to use alcohol, substitute rice vinegar (same amount).
- Note 5: Hoisin is a delicious sauce that we’re using in place of fish sauce. Some Asian grocery stores actually sell vegan fish sauce, or vegan oyster sauce that will work here. If you can find a mushroom sauce, that will also work. If you can’t find any of these, simply substitute a little more soy sauce and a pinch of sugar.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Entree, Dinner
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American, Chinese
Keywords: Vegan, Oil-Free, Nut-Free, Can Be Gluten-Free, Vegan Chop Suey