General Tso's Chickpeas | Vegan General Tso's Recipe (2024)

By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 45 Comments

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Long time no post but I’m finally back with these amazing General Tso’s chickpeas! I’m quite afraid that’s starting to be a theme. I probably mentioned in the past that I work for a startup company right now. With most startups there comes a point where either A) the company goes down in flames or B) the company starts to grow rapidly and things get really really crazy. I’m happy and grateful that we are thankfully experiencing item B right now.

General Tso's Chickpeas | Vegan General Tso's Recipe (1)

{get the pin}

Of course, that means that I’m busy busy busy (in a good way!). The past week or so hit especially hard and I didn’t find much time to cook and photograph food for the blog. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: all of my respect goes out to the parents of the world because I could not imagine how much of a balancing act it is when children are in the mix. Anyway, I’m back now and hopefully can get back to my regular posting rate.

General Tso's Chickpeas | Vegan General Tso's Recipe (2)

This recipe for General Tso’s chickpeas is pretty appropriate for the whole ‘time crunch’ thing, especially if you choose to use canned chickpeas. The prep work comes together in a snap and the cook time is under 10 minutes too. I was searching for ‘authentic General Tso’s recipes’ when I learned what I probably should have already realized: General Tso’s is really an American/Canadian dish that emerged in Chinese restaurants here. It’s generally some kind of protein that’s battered and deep-fried, and served with a sweet sauce that has a bit of a kick.

I skipped the deep frying and instead lightly stir-fried the chickpeas along with the vegetables that I added. And I also took some liberty with the sauce recipe to make it more salty, spicy and savory, and less sweet (restaurant versions can be very over-the-top in that regard). I’m happy to eat the General Tso’s chickpeas and veggies on their own as a complete meal, but this can also be served over rice. Enjoy!

General Tso’s Chickpeas

A simple and filling stir-fry of General Tso's chickpeas, a vegetarian and vegan version of the classic Chinese-American restaurant dish. Gluten-free optional.

Course Asian, Main Course

Cuisine gluten-free, vegan

Keyword general tso's chickpeas

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 3 servings

Calories 253kcal

Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

For marinating the chickpeas:

  • 1 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for GF)
  • 1 tbsp mirin (or dry sherry)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (equal to 1 15-oz. can), rinsed and drained

For the General Tso's sauce:

  • 6 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp)
  • 1 and 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for GF)
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 4 tsp coconut sugar (or other sugar)
  • 2 tsp sriracha or other chili sauce
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp prepared mustard (grainier and nuttier mustards are better; if using the bright yellow mustard, reduce to 1/2 tsp)
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper or white pepper

For the General Tso's chickpeas stir-fry:

  • 1 tbsp neutral oil (I used sunflower seed oil)
  • 1/4 of a large onion (or 1 shallot), thinly sliced
  • 1 large broccoli crown , cut into florets
  • 1 red bell pepper , cut into thin strips
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • General Tso's sauce (above)
  • marinated chickpeas (above)
  • (optional) green onions, sesame seeds, and fresh red onion, for serving
  • (optional) cooked rice, for serving

Instructions

For marinating the chickpeas:

  • Stir together the soy sauce and mirin in a bowl and add the chickpeas. Let sit for 10 minutes (I do this first and let them marinate while I prepare the sauce and veggies).

For the sauce:

  • Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients and set aside.

For the stir-fry:

  • If you plan to garnish your dish with extra diced red onion, put the amount you want for garnish in a small bowl with cold water now. This will help to mellow out its flavor.

  • Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, stirring continuously.

  • Continuing to stir, add the broccoli, bell pepper strips, ginger, and garlic.

  • Stir in the General Tso's sauce. Drain the chickpeas and stir them in too. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, continuing to stir frequently, or until the mixture is hot throughout and the sauce has coated the chickpeas and vegetables. Add more soy sauce or chili sauce to taste.

  • Serve over rice if desired; garnish as desired with green onions, sesame seeds, and drained soaked red onion from above.

Notes

If your pan is large enough, you can keep the vegetables and chickpeas separate by pushing the vegetables to one side of the pan before you add the chickpeas. But I mostly just did that for presentation 🙂

For this recipe, it's important to do all of the prep work before you start cooking anything because you need to be stirring the whole time.

In a pinch, you can use rice vinegar instead of mirin or sherry.

Nutrition facts exclude rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1third recipe | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 551mg | Potassium: 219mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1850IU | Vitamin C: 129.5mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2.5mg

General Tso's Chickpeas | Vegan General Tso's Recipe (4)

Sources consulted: General Tso’s Chicken; Kung Pao Chicken with Broccoli; Kung Pao Chickpeas

Enjoy these General Tso’s Chickpeas? Try some of my other super-easy Asian-inspired recipes:

General Tso's Chickpeas | Vegan General Tso's Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many cups of chickpeas in a 15 ounce can? ›

Finally, to answer the part about the can: The most common can size for beans is about 15 ounces, which, once drained, contains approximately 1.5 cups or 9 ounces of beans (this holds across all bean types I tested).

How many dried chickpeas make a can? ›

The general rule is that one cup of dried chickpeas will produce around two and a half cups of cooked chickpeas. You would therefore need around 100g of dried chickpeas for every 400g tin of chickpeas you want to replace (since the tinned weight is approx. 250g after draining). I create new content every single week.

How long do you soak chickpeas? ›

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with water by a good few inches then leave them overnight (8 to 24 hours). Quick soaking method. This takes only 1 hour before cooking. Put the chickpeas in a large pot and cover them with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

How do you cook chickpeas without soaking? ›

(I use 8 cups of water for 1 cup of dry chickpeas, when using a 3-quart pot.) Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. You still want to see small bubbles on the surface. Simmer uncovered until the beans are covered, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Is 1 cup of chickpeas too much? ›

You can eat at least one serving (28 grams) of chickpeas per day. However, don't eat more than 70 grams a day since that can cause adverse side effects. If you consume too many chickpeas, some side effects you may get include bloating, nausea, and gas. It's important to remember that chickpeas should not be eaten raw.

What is 1 cup of chickpeas? ›

A cup of chickpeas, weighing 164 g, provides 477 mg of potassium. People who use canned chickpeas should check how much added sodium they contain. Cooking with dry chickpeas or those with lower added sodium can help limit the amount of salt in a meal.

How many cups is 1lb of chickpeas? ›

1 pound chickpeas (about 3 cups) or other beans noted above. (can change this amount based on how much cooked beans you want. This yields about 7 cups cooked chickpeas.)

How many dried chickpeas make a 15 oz can? ›

You start with 1/2 cup of dry beans, which will hydrate to one cup of chickpeas. One cup of chickpeas equals 4 ounces of hydrated beans. So if you are looking to equal a 15oz can of garbanzo beans you need to start with one cup of chickpeas.

How much does 1 cup of dried chickpeas make when soaked? ›

Learn how to cook dried chickpeas with this easy soak & boil method. This recipe makes about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas. All you need is water and one cup of dried chickpeas! Keep reading for instructions on how to do so on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

Why add baking soda when cooking chickpeas? ›

The chickpeas are sautéed with baking soda for a few minutes, before dumping in the water to simmer the chickpeas. The baking soda makes the water more alkaline, which softens the chickpeas more quickly by weakening their pectic bonds.

How do you know when chickpeas are soaked enough? ›

You'll know that the chickpeas are soaked well, when you try to pinch one between your nails and it goes right through without too much trouble. That's it! Drain, rinse (to wash out any phytic acid that leached into the soaking water), and pressure cook them as usual and add to any recipe you intended to make.

Can chickpeas go bad while soaking? ›

Soaked chickpeas can go bad if they are not stored properly. Here are some signs that your soaked chickpeas have gone bad: The chickpeas have a foul odor. The chickpeas have a slimy texture.

What happens if you don't pre soak chickpeas? ›

Generally, if you did not pre soak the chickpeas, they will take 3 to 4 hours on HIGH or 6 to 8 hours on LOW to become tender. You can shorten the cooking time by preheating the water in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes before adding to the beans. Pour the dry chickpeas into a saucepan and cover with 3 inches of water.

What happens if you forgot to soak chickpeas overnight? ›

Cover the lid with a heavy object and seal in the chole and water as quickly as possible. Let it be for 10-15 minutes depending on the quantity of your legumes and take the lid off once the water has cooled down. What you have in front of you is fully soaked and soft chana which is ready to be used!

Why are my chickpeas still hard after soaking and cooking? ›

Chances are your beans are old. Old beans can seem to take forever to get soft. Cook them longer, making sure you are using plenty of water. Next time, if you have beans from the same source, soak for 48 hours.

How many cans is 3 cups chickpeas? ›

For instance, if a baked falafel recipe calls for two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, which equates to 3 cups, you can substitute with 1½ cups of dry chickpeas. When cooked, they will about double in size. Just bear in mind that the total prep time will increase since the bean-cooking process is notoriously long.

How many cups of chickpeas are in a can of chickpeas? ›

There are about 1.5 cups of beans in a can of chickpeas.

References

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