The chickpeas absorbed the flavors of its marinade well, it is quick and easy to prepare. Its delicious served over steamed brown rice and steamed broccoli.
FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS, SCROLL TO SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END. BUT BEFORE YOU SCROLL CHECK IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BLURB.
I was inspired by this dish after I made a Jamaican jerked chickpeas, it was too spicy for posting and so I decided to further tweak the recipe. In the meantime, I decided to come up with other dishes.
How To Make General Tso's Chick Peas (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
I had plenty of chickpeas, which had been dried, soaked, cooked and placed in freezer containers for later use.
So I defrosted a container of chickpeas and decided to make different dishes. some roasted fennel hummus, chickpea curry and of course I ended up with this flavorful dish. A definite winner recipe tastes just like Chinese takeout!
I basically marinated the drained chickpeas for 10 minutes. Sauteed garlic, spring onion, and ginger. Add chickpeas, sauce and cook until thickened. So quick and easy to prepare, so delicious served with brown rice.
If you use canned chickpeas, you can reserve a 1/4 cup of liquid to use instead of vegetable broth. Chickpeas are very versatile and you would be amazed by all the different recipes that are out there that used chickpeas.
The water that the chickpea cooks in is called aquafaba and I will be sharing recipes using it shortly. Aquafaba can be used to make meringue, whipped cream, etc.
Try Some Of My Other Tasty Chickpea Dishes
- Chickpea Stew
- Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Chickpea Taco
- Chickpea Shepherd's Pie
- Chickpea Salad Wraps
- Chickpea Noodle Soup
- Curry Chickpea Salad
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Nutrition
- Energy:
- 321 kcal / 1342 kJ
- Fat:
- 8 g
- Protein:
- 15 g
- Carbs:
- 49 g
Cooking Time
- Preparation:
- 23 min
- Cooking:
- 5 min
- Ready in:
- 28 min
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounces) can
- 1 tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos, or, Tamari sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 green onions, sliced, extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
Sauce
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth, or aquafaba
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, or sweetener of choice
- 2 teaspoons Bragg liquid aminos
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add chickpeas, liquid aminos, lemon juice and cornstarch. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.
- Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat, add garlic, ginger and spring onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly until fragrant. Add chickpeas and stir to coat.
- Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Add to chickpeas and cook stirring gently until sauce thickens. Turn off heat and stir in sesame oil. Serve over steamed brown rice and garnish with spring onions.
Notes
Chef’s Tip: Bragg’s liquid aminos can be purchased online or in health food stores. For a soy-free alternative coconut aminos can be found here or online.
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Can this recipe, General Tso’s Chickpeas, be made in the microwave?
Can water be substituted for the oils?
I want the Asian tastes of this dish, but I am on a no added oil/fat diet. I also don’t want to heat up my kitchen in the Summer.
Sue substitute vegetable broth with oil and I don’t own a microwave so I don’t know. You won’t get the full Asian flavor without the sesame oil.
Amazing! I thought this was a crazy idea but it REALLY worked out. I’m so sorry for doubting you :)! This is the first time I’m actually eating American Chinese food in forever. Thank you thank you.
The only subs I made was rice vinegar for the lemon – since I didn’t have any. And I used aqua faba for the broth like you suggested and I think that is why the sauce is PERFECT. I will only do aqua faba in the future. Also I added some zucchini too for extra veg.
It’s so great that you can freeze it too!
Dena, thank you for your feedbackI’m happy it worked out and you enjoyed it. Hope you try my Sesame Tofu as well. Yes, it freezes well.
Im hosting an Asian theme party. Is it possible to prepare this meal in advance as a freeze meal and vaccum seal it?
Can i add the corn starch on the day of the party and cook it? Any pre-preparation tips you can share with me will really help me manage my time for this party.
Appreciate your advise, thank-you so much in advance
Mitchelle, it should be fine to make ahead and freeze, thaw in the refrigerator and stir in a little vegetable broth while reheating so the sauce won’t dry out.
Thank-you so much for replying to my questions:)
Should i warm it in a slow cooker and add the vegetable broth? or needs to be on the stovetop?
It should be fine either way.
Winner Winner, ChickPea Dinner!!!!
Due to kitchen stock, had to substitute lemon juice with lime juice, coconut sugar with agave. I also through in broccoli.
Super Delish!!!!
I made this last night and it was simply wonderful!! Easy, tasty and looked every bit as good as it tasted. To make it super simple – I served it over Trader Joes frozen brown rice — 3 minutes to done!
Juday that’s awesome, thank you so much for your feedback I really appreciate it. I have never had Trader’s frozen brown rice, I need some for when I’m busy.
Delicious!!! Even my daughter who doesn’t love chickpeas loved it!! ?
Thank you Sonig, I’m so happy you and your daughter enjoyed it.
I am trying to cut down on the number of different ingredients I have to keep on hand. I guess I need a list of substitutes.
Why tapioca flour and not some other flour? This is the only time I have it used in a recipe. If I am not trying to avoid corn would corn starch be as acceptable substitute?
Why coconut sugar and not some other to add sweetness? I am not fond of coconut .
Hi, Sally I understand, you can use cornstarch instead of tapioca and cane sugar instead of coconut sugar. Tapioca flour is better for people who are avoiding corn due to allergies or it is mostly genetically modified. At one point I didn’t buy cornstarch because most of it was genetically modified but now non-genetically modified cornstarch is readily available here in the supermarkets. Coconut sugar doesn’t raise your blood sugar so it is better for diabetics and at one point I could easily purchase a 5-pound bag at my buyer’s club now it isn’t there so I now purchase organic cane sugar. Basically, my recipes are based on what I purchase and use in my home, I don’t go out of my way to buy ingredients because I rarely go to the supermarket. I live in a rural community of population of 1500, a food desert. I go once a week or more than likely every 2 weeks with my husband. So we buy in bulk.
Easy and delicious! Even my two year old loved it.
Thank you Kate, I’m happy you and your little one loved it.
I tried this in the fall, loved it, then forgot about it. Making it again tonight! Btw, I substitute honey for the coconut sugar. Trying to avoid sugar and I found a little honey works nicely. Thanks for the great recipe!
Laurie, I am glad you are avoiding sugar (aka sucrose). Coconut sugar is unrefined and an entirely different sweetener than refined white sugar. It does not spike blood sugar and healthier than honey. I avoid sugar also…but coconut sugar is the way to go.
This is very nice.. taste great making it again tomorrow. Thanks
Thanks Philly for your feedback, so happy you enjoyed it.
Does the Coconut oil & the Coconut sugar add a coconut taste? The reason I ask is that I have ALL the ingredients EXCEPT those 2. Could I use regular sugar & oil & still get the same results? And maybe add some LITE canned coconut milk? Thank you.
Plum Berry, it does not give a coconut taste at all, substitute with any oil and sweetener you prefer. No coconut milk though.
This was so delicious, easy to prepare!
Are you missing Ginger in the ingredient list? Found it in the instructions, but can’t see how much?
Thank you Suzy, just updated the recipe so I must have left it out, it’s 1 teaspoon grated. Let me do an edit.
The aroma while cooking draws you in, then tasting it seals the deal: this is definitely a delicious and nutritious topping for brown rice. Next time I prepare it, I’ll probably add some vegetables to add to the nutrition factor, though served according to the recipe with a big green salad made for a wonderful, quickly prepared meal.
Thank you, Barbara, for your lovely feedback, I’m so happy you enjoyed.
Loved this recipe! So yummy and filling!
Thank you!
Thank you for your feedback Heather, so happy you love it!
I can;t get Bragg’s liquid aminos can I use anything else I live in Canada
Barb, you can use soy sauce.
[…] I absolutely love Asian food! Chinese take out is the best, but it’s incredibly hard to find vegan take-out food! I found this recipe for a chickpea version of the General Tso’s *insert lame meat here*. If you’d like to try it out for yourself the recipe is from Healthier Steps! […]
I have been absent for some time, but now I remember why I used to love this website.
Thank you, I’ll try and check back more often.
Can you recommend a substitute for the tapioca starch? I assume it’s used to thicken the sauce? Thanks!
Cornstarch is fine Shelly!
How did you get the meal to look red? Mines tan lol
Lol Lauren, did you use Bragg’s and coconut sugar. Those two alone will give it a dark color plus if you use dark roasted sesame oil.
I used braggs and sugar in the raw crystals
I’m making it as I type and its tan again. I used coconut aminos this time.
I wonder if it’s tan from using tahini instead of sesame oil.
Still tastes great tho! Thank you :)
Hello Lauren, from what you are saying you used sugar in the raw, it is much lighter than coconut sugar. This recipe doesn’t call for tahini though, so I’m not sure if you are referring to the correct recipe. I will have to make it again, I won’t change the photo though since it is the most popular recipe on my site. I took the photo years ago when I was learning photography and didn’t know half of what I now know. So it might have been taken under poor lighting conditions hence the darker results. I haven’t made this recipe in a super long time but I have all the ingredients so I will just have to remake it and send you the photos. I’m happy that it tastes great though, which I prefer to hear. Cheers!
Made General Tso’s chickpeas tonight, only I added a bunch of stir-fried veggies to up the Vegetable content. The salty-sweet sauce is not the healthiest, but sure makes it delicious! Served over rice with a salad. Thanks for this recipe, it’s a keeper!
I’m so happy you like the recipe, adding stir-fried veggies sound awesome! You could also steam the veggies to cut down on calories.
Amazing recipe! Quick and easy, but extremely delicious! I didn’t have soy sauce, but really wanted to make this, so I made a mixture of alceto balsamico, olive oil and pinch of salt and sugar, also added a pinch of cayenne pepper. Still turned out amazing! Thank You for this awesome recipe! :-)
Thank you Anna, for your feedback. I’m so glad the recipe turned out great with the variations!