50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (2024)

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Skip the takeout and whip up your favorite Chinese dishes at home! This collection includes everything from potstickers to lo mein to General Tso's tofu. All delicious and totally vegan!

50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (1)

Let's talk about Chinese zodiac signs. There's something to them. For most of my life, I thought this was a bunch of nonsense. I was told, some time when I was very young, that I born under the sign of themonkey, because I was born in 1980. Outgoing, charming, party animal...that made absolutely no sense.

I didn't figure out what was going on until a couple of years ago when I went to see the Chinese New Year parade in Philly, in February.That's when it occurred to me that because I was born in January (before the start of the new year), I must be associated with the previous sign: the sheep. Sensitive, quiet, creative...now that made sense! Keep this in mind next time you read about your sign on a Chinese restaurant menu.

You could also just skip the restaurant, and celebrate Chinese New Year at home, vegan style. I'm here to help, with my favorite vegan Chinese recipes, or at least, Chinese-inspired recipes

Jump to:
  • Appetizers
  • Noodles
  • Fried Rice
  • Main Dishes

Appetizers

Smoky Tofu Dumplings with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Steamed Tofu Pot Stickers

Veggie Scallion Pancakes

Chinese Steamed Buns - China Sichuan Food

Gluten Free Potstickers Filled with Sweet and Sour Tempeh - Vegan Richa

Sticky Rice Mushroom Shumai - The Woks of Life

Vegan Bao Buns

Vegetable Spring Rolls - Steamy Kitchen

Vegan Vegetable Potstickers

Chinese Potato Pancake - China Sichuan Food

Soups & Salads

Vegan Wonton Soup

Hot and Sour Soup with Bok Choy

Faux Pork Wonton Soup with Bok Choy - Olives for Dinner

Nine Vegetable Hot and Sour Soup - Eats Well With Others

Vegan Chinese Salad - Simple Vegan Blog

Chinese Spinach and Peanut Salad - Omnivore's Cookbook

Chinese Cucumber Salad - Kalyn's Kitchen

Vegan Crock Pot Chinese Hot Pot - Noshing with the Nolands

Noodles

Vegan Vegetable Lo Mein

Veggie Chow Mein - Amuse Your Bouche

Vegan Singapore Noodles

Vegetable Stir Fry Mung Bean Noodles - Healthy Nibbles and Bits

Vegan Chow Mein

Chinese Five Spice Vegetable and Noodle Stir Fry - The Taste Space

Vegan Shanghai Noodles

15 Minute Hot Oil Noodles - The Woks of Life

Vegan Dan Dan Noodles - Serious Eats

Fried Rice

Brussels Sprout Fried Rice with Spicy Baked Tofu

Cauliflower Fried Rice

20 Minute Vegan Fried Rice

Curry Fried Rice

Pineapple Fried Rice

Main Dishes

Tofu Stir-Fry with Garlic Sauce

General Tso's Tofu

Pineapple Sweet and Sour Tofu

Szechuan Eggplant with Tofu

Vegan Chinese Curry

Crispy Tofu with Chinese Black Bean Sauce

Vegan Egg Foo Young

Crispy Orange Ginger Tofu with Broccoli

Kung Pao Lentils - Vegan Richa

Szechuan Tofu

Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprouts

Spicy Hunan Cauliflower

Crispy Black Pepper Tofu

Sweet and Sour Crispy Mock Chicken Stir Fry - Olives for Dinner

Chinese Vegetarian Chicken with Simple Five Spice Sauce - Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Pineapple and Cashew Stir Fry - Amuse Your Bouche

Sticky Sesame Tofu

Sticy Lemon Cauliflower

Kung Pao Tofu

Sweet and Sour Cauliflower - The Veg Life

Mongolian Soy Curls - Vegan Yumminess

Peking Chickpeas with Mandarin Pancakes

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Chinese Cabbage and Five-Spice Seitan with Fermented Black Beans - The Taste Space

Sichuan Tofu with Garlic Sauce - Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Mapo Tofu with Mushrooms - China Sichuan Food

Like this post? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try any of the recipes!

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50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (10)

About Alissa Saenz

Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (11)janet @ the taste space says

    Thanks for the shout-out, Alissa. Lots of great vegan options for a not-so-vegan-friendly cuisine. :)

    Reply

  2. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (12)Marie says

    That's funny, I'm a monkey too and an introvert. Certainly not the life of the party.
    I like to celebrate Chinese New Year too, even if I'm not Asian. Any excuse is good to eat more Asian inspired vegan food...

    Reply

  3. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (13)KalynsKitchen says

    What a fun idea for a post! And so many tasty ideas. Thanks for including my recipe.

  4. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (14)Iosune | Simple Vegan Blog says

    Great post!!! Thanks a lot for including our recipes :) Have a nice day!!!!

    Reply

  5. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (15)Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says

    Thanks for including my noodle stir fry in this post! There's so many great dishes here!

    Reply

  6. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (16)KalynsKitchen says

    Thanks for the shout-out and fun discovering your blog!

    Reply

  7. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (17)Tara says

    Love to mix things up with a little vegan dish every now and then, I mostly go for vegetarian but hey, a lot of these recipes can change my mind!! Thanks for including ours!

    Reply

  8. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (18)Zoe Tassava says

    Aww...has nobody come up with any good vegan Chinese desserts?

    Reply

    • 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (19)Alissa Saenz says

      There are a few out there, but the recipes are much tougher to find. I'll keep that in mind for a future round-up. :)

      Reply

    • 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (20)Irene says

      Mochi balls that can have kobocha squash rolled in the dough, almond jelly made with agar agar, sticky rice with adzuki bean paste.

      Reply

  9. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (21)Susan says

    This is a lovely find so wounderfull vegan dishes a lovely variety simple great photos and explains.

    Reply

    • 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (22)Alissa Saenz says

      Thank you!

      Reply

  10. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (23)Lindsey Fine says

    Hi! I'm Lindsey
    Thanks for the vegan recipes. I'm an owner of "Happy Buddha" restaurant in the beautiful city of Shanghai. We are launching a crowdfunding campaign to help make the move to become 100% plant-based in 2018! With your help, we will continue to make Shanghai healthier and happier. Please help us spread the news! Thank you! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-us-spread-more-vegan-love-in-shanghai-restaurant-food#/

    Reply

  11. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (24)Nimra says

    I love your website. :-)
    Every recipe I've tried so far has been amazing. Is there any chance you might publish a cookbook? Even if it was only a 'best of' with recipes you already published here, I might buy it ! Hope you continue to post for a very long time.
    Greetings from Germany
    Nimra

    Reply

    • 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (25)Alissa Saenz says

      Aw... thank you so much Nimra! I've talked to publishers in the past, but haven't found the right fit or the right time! I hope to publish a book at some point though, and I really appreciate the encouragement!

      Reply

  12. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (26)Jane Powell says

    Great compilation of recipes can’t wait to try the egg foo young!

    Reply

    • 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (27)Alissa Saenz says

      Thank you! Enjoy!!

      Reply

  13. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (28)Claire Amber says

    Thanks, so much, for putting this list together! I really appreciate that it's organized by type, like appetizers, soups, main dishes, etc. That makes it much easier to navigate than similar posts, that I've seen. I'm new to the vegan scene, and I'm not sure that I'm gonna go all-in. But, for health reasons, I'm trying to find ways to eat a more plant-based diet (and get enough protein), while relying on my love of international cuisine, for flavor.

    Reply

    • 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (29)Alissa Saenz says

      Wonderful! I'm glad this is helpful to you. I hope you have a chance to give a few of these a try!

      Reply

  14. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (30)Elizabeth Foley says

    Thank you for all these wonderful classic favorites turned vegan! My husband is a chef and we’ve been vegan for going on two years now. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but I have missed having Chinese cuisine in my life. Especially Seasame Chicken and Generals Tso Chicken, which I ate regularly to be honest. To have these recipes without having cruelty involved is going to be a huge deal for us. Thank you again! 😊

    Reply

    • 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (31)Alissa Saenz says

      Very welcome!! I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipes!

      Reply

  15. 50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (32)Johanna says

    Thanks for this great compilation! I, too, was mislead about my Chinese animal. I thought that I was a Dog for 1970, but my birthday is 2 Feb and the Dog started on the 4th. That makes me a rooster. I think I'm a combination. I'll do more research.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

50 Vegan Chinese Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is vegan on Chinese menu? ›

Tofu Vegan

Chinese classics on its extensive menu include wonton soup, Cantonese sweet and sour “chicken”, dim sum, and Peking “duck”.

Can vegans eat lo mein noodles? ›

Is lo mein vegan? Authentic Chinese/Cantonese lo mein is not vegan-friendly because it's made with egg noodles and meat. The good news is that lo mein recipes are very flexible, so you can easily swap the traditional ingredients for plant-based alternatives, like rice noodles and lots of extra veggies or tofu.

Are spring rolls from Chinese vegan? ›

Excluding any spring rolls that contain seafood or meat, the answer is generally yes, spring rolls are vegan-friendly. The dough is simply made from flour, water and salt and vegetable fillings are nearly always 100% plant-based.

Which Chinese sauce is vegan? ›

Thick (like, molasses-thick), brown, spicy, and sweet, Hoisin is often used as a dipping sauce, as a marinade for protein, or as a dressing for salads. Even though hoisin is actually Chinese for seafood, the sauce is naturally vegan.

Which Chinese noodles are vegan? ›

Ramen, udon, somen, soba, glass noodles, naengmyeon, and rice noodles are all typically made vegan-friendly, but naturally, there may be some variation between brands so always check the ingredients list just to be safe!

What is a vegan that only eats chicken and fish? ›

A pollotarian diet is a type of semi-vegetarianism in which chicken is allowed, but red meat and pork are not. Some pollotarians may also include eggs and dairy in their diet. Those who eat fish and seafood are considered pesce-pollotarians.

What Chinese dishes don't have soy? ›

12 Asian Recipes That Have No Soy (!!!) but Still Taste Amaze
  • Chinese Cashew Chicken.
  • Orange Sriracha Chicken.
  • Sesame Ginger Salmon.
  • Cucumber Sesame Salad.
  • One-Pan Shrimp and Green Beans in Chinese Garlic Sauce.
  • Beef With Broccoli.
  • Balsamic-Glazed Asian Zucchini Noodles.
  • Asian Meatballs Noodle Bowl.
Dec 6, 2018

Are china plates vegan? ›

Is There Any Vegan Version of Bone China? Yes! Most other forms of tableware and ceramics like porcelain, stoneware, earthenware are vegan-friendly. In fact, due to bone china's luxurious appeal amongst the masses, many products sold as bone china, are actually made without the bone ash.

Is Chinese white rice vegan? ›

In general, yes, although not a vegetable, rice is a vegan food that belongs to the grains family which includes rye, oats, and barley.

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