SHORT VERSION OF VEGAN GENERAL TSO’S “CHICKEN”
Even if what I’m about to reveal is based only on my opinion, you’ll either be thrilled or terrified by the prospect. Shortcut vegan “chicken” nuggets are used in this Vegan General Tso’s Chicken dish.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? WHY RIGHT NOW, YOU ASK?
Then listen to me.
To make General Tso’s Chicken plant-based, there are a number of options. You can prepare our beloved General Tso’s Tofu as an excellent alternative. Alternatively, you can try to make your own plant-based “chicken” at home, using seitan or a vegetable ingredient like in our General Tso’s Cauliflower recipe.
No offense to our original tofu recipe, but I’ve discovered that when I’m attempting to veganize animal recipes that I still obsess over, tofu simply doesn’t cut it sometimes! THERE. It’s official. It’s important, in my opinion, to be honest about the fact that cutting back on meat will be difficult.
As for the alternative of preparing your own “vegan fried chicken,” I simply don’t have the time!
As a result, I came up with this recipe for vegan General Tso’s “Chicken.”
Grab a bag of your favorite vegan nuggets and get ready to eat!
Sarah continues to scoff at my plans to eat some vegan nuggets, but they’re quite nice. The most crucial component of this recipe is determining which brand you prefer.
As a result, our shortcut vegan version of General Tso’s Chicken has all the same delicious fried chicken bits as our original General Tso’s Chicken recipe.
The first step is to heat your favorite plant-based nugget from the shop. The sauce and blanched broccoli can then be combined to make a “meatier” vegan version of General Tso’s.
There is nothing wrong with semi-homemade products.
Since this dish has a semi-homemade feel, I’ll be the first to say that I’m backtracking on my earlier statements.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1/3 cup of Asian vegetable stock
- 1 tsp. of dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. of soy sauce
- 2 tsp. of rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. of Shaoxing wine
- 3 1/2 tbsp. of brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. of white pepper
FOR THE REST OF THE DISH:
- 1 lb. of vegan chicken nuggets or tenders
- 2 cups of broccoli florets (about 1 broccoli crown)
- 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil
- 4-5 pcs. of dried red chili peppers (broken in half if you like extra spice)
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp. of cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tablespoons water)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- The stock, soy sauces, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, brown sugar, and white pepper should all be mixed to make the sauce. Set aside for now. Follow the package directions for baking or cooking the vegan chicken nuggets.
- Broccoli should be blanched for 30 seconds to a minute, depending on how crunchy or tender you prefer. After you’ve drained the water, put it somewhere safe. Broccoli can be kept as green as possible by soaking it in an ice bath before draining it.
- Over medium-high heat, place a clean wok or skillet on the stovetop. Oil and dried chiles should be added together. Add the minced garlic after cooking for a few more seconds.
- To complete the dish, add the sauce created by General Tso. Bring to a gentle boil. Once you’ve dissolved the cornstarch in water, slowly add it to your sauce. Wait 30 seconds before serving the sauce to thicken.
- When everything is properly coated in sauce, add the nuggets and broccoli. Serve with steaming rice right away!