11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (2024)

by Sarah McMinn/Posted:/Disclosure:This post may contain affiliate links.

The most delicious vegan Chinese recipes on the internet. Better than takeout, make these recipes from the comfort of your own home! Classic Chinese recipes made vegan! Stir fry, noodles, tofu, and more!

11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (1)

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

What is better than takeout?

Simple vegan Chinese recipes that can be made in the comfort of your own home! These classic Chinese dishes are easy, delicious, and highly versatile. Most of them can be made in just about 30 minutes! So save on money and make take out at home this week.

You'll find everything from stir fries to Chinese "chicken" to your favorite tofu dishes, noodles, appetizers, and more!

Tips and Tricks

  1. Most of these recipe can be made gluten-free. A few gluten-free alternatives to keep in mind: make sure to use Tamari instead of soy sauce and rice noodles in place of udon or spaghetti.
  2. Many of these recipes are served over rice. You can use your favorite rice of choice. Make sure to follow the instructions on the back of the packaging as cooking time will vary on different rice varieties.
  3. Most of these recipe are highly versatile. Feel free to adjust the heat, add or substitute vegetable, or switch out the protein for your favorite plant-based alternative.

Vegan Chinese Recipes

11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (2)

Vegan Fried Rice w/ Tofu

Make takeout at home! This Vegan Fried Rice is made with crispy tofu, carrots, peas, and cashews for a hearty and delicious plant-based and gluten-free meal the whole family will love.

Recipe »

11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (3)

Vegan Dumplings

Photo Credit: Cilantro and Citronella
These vegan dumplings feature a faux pork, shiitake and cabbage filling. They are the “meatiest” vegan dumplings out there and they are surprisingly easy to make!

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11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (4)

General Tso Tofu

Photo Credit: Choosing Chia
This General Tso’s Tofu is delicious! It's made with crispy, saucy tofu that everyone will love. It’s ready in under 30 minutes for a quick and easy vegan dinner recipe.

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11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (5)

Vegan Vegetable Lo Mein

Photo Credit: Vegan Huggs
This Easy Vegetable Lo Mein recipe is a delicious, one-pan meal that is done in 30 minutes or less. You'll get a plateful of veggies and chewy, silky noodles that are covered in a scrumptious umami-flavored stir-fry sauce!

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11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (6)

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Make your own Chinese food at home with this Sticky Sesame Cauliflower with a healthy twist. Vegan, baked, and made with no refined sugar!

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11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (7)

Vegan Chinese Curry

Photo Credit: Vegan Punks
Get your Chinese food fix with this Vegan Chinese Curry. Crispy tofu and broccoli mixed with a spicy curry sauce for a better-than-take-out weeknight meal.

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11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (8)

Kung Pao Tofu with Eggplant

You're going to love this Kung Pao Tofu. Tofu marinated in a sweet, spicy, and salty sauce and sautéed with bell peppers, red chilis, and eggplant for an easy vegan meal. Made in under 30 minutes!

Recipe »

11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (9)

Chinese Tofu Stir Fry

Photo Credit: The Cheeky Chickpea
Enjoy this better-than-take-out meal from the comfort of your own home! It's a delicious stir-fried veggies and tofu tossed in a sesame soy ginger sauce for an easy vegan and gluten-free meal. Made in just 30 minutes!

Recipe »

11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (10)

Hot and Spicy Cilantro Noodles

Photo Credit: Cookilicious
These Cilantro pot noodles are simply irresistible. They are packed with flavors - hot, spicy, and delicious! Better yet? You can make them in only 20 minutes!

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11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (11)

Orange Cauliflower

Make take out at home with this healthier vegan Orange Cauliflower. Cauliflower florets coated in a sweet orange sauce and baked until they are melt-in-your mouth good. Ready in just 45 minutes!

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11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (12)

Chinese Sichuan Eggplant

Photo Credit: Ethically Living
You're going to love this classic Chinese Dish! Soft, melt in your mouth eggplant combined with veggies and the perfect spice blend for an easy vegan Chinese dinner.

Recipe »

More Vegan Recipe Roundups

  • 11 Amazing Kid-Friendly Recipes
  • 11 of the Best Vegan Pizza Recipes
  • 31 Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners
  • 20 of the Best Vegan Cookie Recipes
  • 11 of the BEST Pasta Recipes

That’s it! 11 incredible vegan Chinese recipes. Now let’s get cooking!

If you give one of these recipes recipe a try, snap a photo and share it on Instagram. Make sure to tag @mydarlingvegan so I can see your creations!

« Vegan Peanut Noodles

Best-Ever Vegan Chocolate Cake »

11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (13)Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef,founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the 4-Week Vegan Meal Plan.

Follow me onInstagram, Facebook, and Pinterestand readmore about me here.

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11 Vegan Chinese Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What Chinese dishes are usually vegan? ›

12 Delicious and Healthy Vegan Chinese Recipes You Must Try
  • Sweet and Sour Vegetable Soup. ...
  • Oil-Free Farro Fried Rice. ...
  • Bok Choy in Ginger-Garlic Sauce. ...
  • Szechwan Stir-Fry. ...
  • Quick Brown Rice Congee. ...
  • Chinese Cabbage Salad. ...
  • Stir-Fried Noodles with Veggies. ...
  • Chinese Noodles in Ginger Garlic Sauce.
Sep 13, 2022

What can vegetarians eat from Chinese? ›

Top 9 Chinese Vegetarian Dishes
  • Tomato and Egg (fān qié chǎo dàn) ...
  • Mapo Tofu (má pó dòu fǔ) ...
  • Dumplings (jiăozi) ...
  • Spinach and Peanut (Bōcài huāshēng) ...
  • Potatoes, green peppers & eggplant (dìsānxiān) ...
  • Broccoli & Garlic. ...
  • Shredded Potato (tǔdòu sī) ...
  • Cucumber salad.
Apr 19, 2021

How easy is it to be vegan in China? ›

And major cities like Beijing and Shanghai have regular commercial vegetarian/vegan restaurants both Chinese and western. Dairy is not difficult to avoid since large swaths of the population also don't eat dairy. Eggs are a different story.

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.

Are Chinese spring rolls 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.

Is chow mein from Chinese vegan? ›

You'll have to check the label of the chow mein noodles to make sure they're vegan. Some chow mein noodles will have eggs in them, while some do not.

Is takeout lo mein vegan? ›

Lo mein is not vegan because eggs are the base ingredient. The eggs give the noodles their color and texture. Also, the traditional sauce in lo mein dishes consists of sesame oil, garlic, ginger, oyster or fish sauce, and soy sauce.

Are any Chinese noodles vegan? ›

At its core, chow mein noodles are made from wheat and water, which are vegan-friendly ingredients. However, the devil's in the details when you eat out or pick up a ready-made version. Some chow mein dishes may include animal-derived ingredients, such as eggs in the noodles or meat and seafood as part of the stir-fry.

What to order from Chinese if vegetarian? ›

Vegetarian friendly main courses include Lo Mein, Steamed and Fried Rice, General Tso's Tofu, Moo Shu Vegetables, and tradition meat dishes such as Sweet and Sour, Kung Pao, and Orange prepared with tofu. Peanuts and Spinach – This dish is found all over China and simple sautéed spinach, peanuts and garlic.

How many meals do Chinese eat a day? ›

Chinese families often eat three meals per day with some snacks in between. Traditional Chinese breakfasts can include either congee, a bāozi (a steamed bun with stuffing: either meat, eggs or rice-noodle), sticky rice, Chinese pancakes with eggs or soybean milk with deep-fried dough sticks.

Which country eats most vegetarian food? ›

India is ranked top in the world with 38% of the total population being vegetarian. Vegetarianism in the region became popular after the introduction of Buddhism and Jainism, which was around the 6th Century BC.

Which country is #1 for vegans? ›

INDIA. Undoubtedly the vegetarian capital of the world, the urban Indian population is quickly accepting veganism as a way of life. A lot of traditional cuisines already have many vegan dishes which are eaten by everyone. Vegan food is easily available in western and south Indian restaurants too.

What nationality has the most vegans? ›

Veganism by Country 2024
  • United Kingdom. Compared to all the countries in the world, the UK has the most vegans. ...
  • Australia. The country with the second-most vegans is Australia. ...
  • Israel. Nearly 5% of all Israel citizens identify as vegan and will only eat vegan food. ...
  • New Zealand. ...
  • Switzerland. ...
  • Austria and Germany. ...
  • Sweden.

What culture is most vegan? ›

India. Three of India's major religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism — teach the practice of ahimsa, or non-violence towards all beings. Because of this religious tradition, India has the highest percentage of vegetarians out of all the countries in the world.

What Chinese food is typically dairy free? ›

All the steamed savory dim sum dishes that come to mind are dairy-free. Main ingredients for savory dishes: Beef, pork, shrimp, crab, bamboo shoots, Napa cabbage, radish, scallions, Chinese chives, Chinese sausage, sticky rice, sticky rice flour, flour/yeast/water for the savory buns ,wide rice noodles, tofu.

What percentage of Chinese are vegan? ›

Some estimates have suggested that 4-5% of China's population identifies as vegetarian or vegan. With a population of over 1.4 billion, this translates to anywhere from 56 to 70 million people.

Which Chinese sauces are vegan? ›

  • Black Bean Sauce.
  • Sweet and Sour Sauce.
  • Plum/Duck Sauce.
  • Hoisin.
  • Char Siu Sauce.
  • Hot and Sour Sauce.
  • General Tso's.
  • Oyster/Fish Sauce.

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