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These easy kung pao vegetables are crisp-tender bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, and broccoli tossed in a savory, sweet, and spicy sauce and finished with crunchy peanuts. It’s a quick vegetable stir fry made with pantry staples, and it’s on the table in about 30 minutes!
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Quick Glance
- Recipe Name: Kung Pao Vegetables
- Why You’ll Love It: Takeout-inspired flavor at home, with simple pantry ingredients.
- Time and Difficulty: 30 minutes, easy.
- Method: Stir fry on the stovetop.
- Texture and Flavor: Crisp-tender veggies, crunchy peanuts, and a sweet, savory, spicy sauce.
- Quick Tip: Don’t crowd the pan, so the vegetables sear instead of steam.
Table of Contents
What Is Kung Pao?
Kung pao (also spelled kung po or gong bao) is a stir fry from the Sichuan region of China, traditionally made with chicken, vegetables, and peanuts. The traditional sauce gets its signature tingling heat from dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns, balanced with soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.
This kung pao vegetable stir fry is a Sichuan-inspired version, not a traditional one. It skips the chicken and uses easy-to-find pantry staples, so it’s quick, budget-friendly, and great for using up leftover veggies. If you love spicy stir fries, try my General Tso’s tofu and spicy sesame tofu stir fry, too.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
- Vegetables: Red and green bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, and broccoli. Frozen broccoli works great.
- Soy sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce, or half as much regular soy sauce. For gluten-free, use tamari.
- Rice vinegar and brown sugar: They give the sauce its sweet and tangy balance.
- Garlic and ginger: Fresh is best for big flavor.
- Sriracha: Start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste.
- Sesame oil: Optional, but it adds a rich, toasty flavor.
- Cornstarch: It thickens the sauce so it clings to the vegetables.
- Peanuts: Unsalted peanuts add the classic kung pao crunch.
You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- Sichuan peppercorns: For that classic tingly, numbing kung pao flavor, add Sichuan peppercorns. Black peppercorns work in a pinch.
- Dried chilies: Use dried chile de arbol or any dried chili you like, milder or hotter.
- Traditional-style sauce: Sauté 4 to 8 dried chilies and about 1 teaspoon of ground Sichuan peppercorns (or 2 to 3 teaspoons whole) in the oil for 2 to 4 minutes, until the chilies darken. Then continue with the recipe.
- Store-bought sauce: Short on time? A bottled kung pao sauce works too. I like the Whole Foods 365 version because it’s affordable.
- More vegetables: Onion, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, zucchini, snow peas, baby corn, or water chestnuts.
- Kung pao tofu: Add crispy pan-fried tofu for extra protein.
- Beans: Chickpeas or cannellini beans work too.
How to Make Kung Pao Vegetables
Step 1: Prep: Mince the garlic and ginger, dice the bell peppers, and thinly slice the carrots and mushrooms. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel instead of washing them.
Step 2: Stir fry the vegetables: Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the peppers, carrots, and mushrooms, lower the heat to medium, and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, water, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and sriracha. Pour it into the pan.
Step 4: Add the broccoli: Add the broccoli and keep stirring until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
Step 5: Rest and finish: Take the pan off the heat, cover, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Stir in the peanuts, then top with green onions and red pepper flakes, if using.
Common Problems To Avoid
Too spicy or not spicy enough: Adjust the sriracha, red pepper flakes, or dried chilies to taste.
Soggy vegetables: Don’t overcrowd the pan, or the veggies will steam instead of sear. Cook in batches if needed.
Uneven cooking: Cut the vegetables into similar sizes so they’re done at the same time.
Soft peanuts: Add them at the end so they stay crunchy.
Too salty: Use low-sodium soy sauce, or half the amount of regular soy sauce.
FAQs
Kung pao vegetables (sometimes spelled kung po vegetables) are a meat-free twist on kung pao chicken. Mixed vegetables and peanuts are stir fried in a sweet, savory, and spicy sauce.
It has a little kick! This version gets its heat from sriracha, so you can make it as mild or spicy as you like.
Yes. Use tamari or another gluten-free soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce.
Yes. Frozen broccoli works especially well. Add it straight from the freezer and cook a minute or two longer.
Stir in crispy pan-fried tofu at the end, along with the peanuts.
Serving Suggestions
- Rice: White or brown rice (here’s how to cook brown rice), veggie-packed vegan fried rice, or quinoa.
- Noodles: Serve it over noodles, or double the sauce for kung pao noodles.
- Protein: Crispy pan-fried tofu, tempeh, or your favorite plant-based protein.
- Appetizers: Tofu spring rolls with mango and avocado, spring rolls, or dumplings.
- Side salad: Spicy cucumber salad or easy edamame salad.
Storage Instructions for Kung Pao Vegetables
- Fridge: Let it cool, then store it in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days.
- Freezer: Freeze it for up to 3 months. The vegetables will be softer after thawing.
- Reheat: Warm it in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water or broth.
Other Vegan Veggie Recipes To Consider….
Vegan Dinners
Roasted Veggie Tacos
Vegan Appetizers
Easy Mushy Peas with Roasted Veggies
Vegan Dinners
Veggie Chow Mein | Cheap Plant-Based Meal
Vegan Dinners
Stir Fried Veggies With Tofu
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Kung Pao Vegetables
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Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) high-heat neutral oil
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 carrots thinly sliced
- 1 pint (about 8 ounces / 227 g) mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium soy sauce or ¼ cup / 60 ml regular soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) water
- ¼ cup (60 ml) rice vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons (25 g) brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil optional
- 2 Tablespoons minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha
- 2 cups (about 180 g) frozen or steamed broccoli florets
- ½ cup (about 73 g) unsalted peanuts
- Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
- 1 bunch green onion sliced (optional)
- Steamed rice for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms, lower the heat to medium, and stir fry for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, water, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and sriracha. Pour it into the pan.
- Add the broccoli and stir until the sauce bubbles and thickens.
- Take the pan off the heat, cover, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the peanuts, top with green onions and red pepper flakes, if using, and serve.
Notes
- Serve it over rice or noodles.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, so the vegetables sear instead of steam.
- Cut the vegetables into similar sizes so they cook evenly.
- For a traditional-style flavor, sauté dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns in the oil first.
- Short on time? Use a store-bought kung pao sauce instead of making your own.
Love all these veggies!