Kung pao seitan with edamame
19 min · 54 g protein · 480 cals / serving
The Sichuan takeout favourite made with chewy, crisp-edged seitan: red pepper, zucchini, sweet green edamame, toasted dried chilies and a handful of peanuts in a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce. Fast enough for a weeknight, and the edamame adds a second, bright bite of protein.
Ingredients
- 12 oz seitan, in 2 cm (3/4-inch) pieces
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp canola oil, divided
- 6–8 small dried red chilies dried chili peppers, halved, seeds shaken out
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 large red bell pepper, in 2 cm (3/4-inch) squares
- 1 medium zucchini, in 2 cm (3/4-inch) cubes
- 3/4 cup shelled edamame, frozen, thawed under hot water
- 4 green onions, in 2 cm (3/4-inch) lengths, whites and greens apart
Sauce
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar, or Chinese black vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts
Steps
- Pat the seitan dry and toss it with the cornstarch. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and fry the seitan, turning now and then, for 5–6 minutes until browned and crisp at the edges. Tip onto a plate.
- Add the last 1/2 teaspoon of oil and the dried chilies and stir for 20–30 seconds until they darken slightly (do not let them blacken). Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper, zucchini, edamame and the white parts of the green onion and stir-fry 3–4 minutes, until the zucchini is just tender.
- Stir the sauce ingredients together, pour into the pan and stir until it bubbles and turns glossy, about 30 seconds.
- Return the seitan with the peanuts and the green onion tops and toss for a minute to coat. Serve hot.
Good to know
Where does the tingle come from?
Real kung pao has Sichuan peppercorns. If you have them, toast 1/2 teaspoon with the dried chilies and crush them in; they make the dish numbing as well as hot.
Rice or noodles?
Either. About 1/2 cup cooked rice per person is enough with the seitan and edamame both in the pan.
Gluten-free?
Seitan is wheat, so swap it for 12 oz of extra-firm tofu, blotted well and fried 2–3 minutes longer, and use tamari for the soy sauce. It is softer and carries less protein, at about 61 instead of 67.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 105
- Protein
- (44%)
- 12 g
- Fat
- (27%)
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- (29%)
- 8 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 318 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 960 kcal goes into the pot and 1013 g of ingredients comes out as about 910 g of food: 105 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.