17 Vegetarian Chinese Recipes for Speedy Stir-Fries and Silky Noodles
There's a long tradition of plant-based Chinese cuisine, and this collection of Chinese vegetarian recipes is just a tiny taste. You’ll find tofu inspiration and comforting noodles below, plus vegetable-packed stir-fries, crispy, fluffy scallion bing, and a showstopping steamed mushroom dish. If you’ve already done our Vegetarian Comfort Food Meal Plan—or the vegan edition—scroll down for more plant-based recipe ideas from the archives of Epicurious and a few of our favorite new cookbooks.
Photo by Maggie Zhu1/17Stir-Fried String Beans With Tofu
Let’s kick off this list with a weeknight favorite. The umami powerhouse in this quick, satisfying meal? The stash of black bean sauce you’ve already made and put in your fridge. This recipe appears in Maggie Zhu’s new book, Chinese Homestyle, which offers a wealth of vegetarian Chinese recipes.
Photo by Hannah Che2/17Vegan Mapo Tofu
This meatless mapo tofu from Hannah Che’s The Vegan Chinese Kitchen gets its savory flavor from dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, fermented black beans, and chili bean paste.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou5/17Rice Cake With Mixed Vegetables
This combo of rice cakes and vegetables from Hsiao-Ching Chou’s Vegetarian Chinese Soul Food is part of her Lunar New Year menu. The vegetables can change depending on what you have available.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton6/17Chaozhou Flavor-Potted Tofu
You can reuse the aromatic braising liquid for this tofu over and over again.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou9/17Baoshao Mushrooms
These grilled mushrooms in banana leaves can also be prepared in the oven; the fresh, herbal flavor of this Yunnan dish is not to be missed. (If you’re looking for more regional specialities, don’t miss our map of the many cuisines of China.)
Photograph by Frank Frances, food styling by Lillian Chou, prop styling by Sophia Pappas10/17Salt-and-Pepper Cauliflower
There’s no deep-frying required in this crispy cauliflower recipe from Fat Choy chef and owner Justin Lee.
11/17Lucky 8 Stir-Fry
This mixed vegetable dish is ideal for Lunar New Year—but it’ll taste great whenever you cook it. Serve as part of a larger spread of vegetarian Chinese food.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou12/17Red-Cooked Tofu
Leave the pork out of this red-cooked tofu dish to keep it vegetarian.
13/17Stir-Fried Egg and Tomato
In this easy vegetarian recipe, juicy tomatoes mingle with softly scrambled eggs. Serve the saucy dish over white rice.
Photo by Betty Liu14/17Yeasted Scallion and Sesame Bing (羌 饼, Qiāng Bĭng)
This crunchy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside yeasted scallion and sesame bing is sold in huge wedges at Shanghai street markets, but it’s not difficult to make at home. Get a few tips from cookbook author Betty Liu before you start.
