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YumGeneral Tso's Chick Peas (Vegan, Gluten-Free) is a delicious and healthy alternative to general tso chicken or even tofu for those who are avoiding soy. 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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Join our new facebook groups, sharing lots of delicious vegan and gluten-free recipes, health tips etc., from our members. Please join us and invite your friends Gluten-Free and Vegan For Beginners and Vegan Recipes With Love.
- Energy:
- 321 kcal / 1342 kJ
- Fat:
- 8 g
- Protein:
- 15 g
- Carbohydrate:
- 49 g
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15-ounces) can
- 1 tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos/tamari/coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch, or 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
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth, or aquafaba
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar, or sweetener of choice
- 2 teaspoons Bragg liquid aminos
- Preparation:
- 23 min
- Cooking:
- 5 min
- Ready in:
- 28 min
Instructions
In a medium bowl, add chickpeas, liquid aminos, lemon juice and tapioca starch. 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.
I am so excited to start a new facebook group, sharing lots of delicious vegan recipes, health tips etc. from our members, please join us at Vegan Recipes With Love! If you tried this recipe, please comment below and let us know how you like it. Also, please follow us on Instagram!
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!
Oh my gosh, this looks so good. One of my favorite take out dishes is General Tso’s Chicken from Green Sprout, a vegan Chinese place here in town.
Tried this for dinner tonight. I can honestly say I will not get fast food again. This is amazing!
That’s wonderful Barbara, so excited that you can enjoy making fast food at home! Thanks for your feedback.
I have not had chick peas for a while now need to grab some on my weekly shop ad try this recipe out
What a great take on General Tso’s! And to think you can still indulge in those great General Tso’s flavors in a more wholesome way.
I don’t think I’ve eaten chick peas in a long time. Looks good though.
This recipe looks super delicious. Love that it’s vegan and gluten free.
This looks and sounds like an amazing recipe! I want to try making this some time!
your picture is tempting and making me wish to eat this.
I’m not a vegetarian but I love making vegetarian meals most of the week! This is a great recipe to add to my collection!
Chick peas make me happy. I like to find recipe suggestions for using them.
This looks incredibly yummy + vegan and GF, can it get any better!?
My oh my, that looks amazing. I can’t wait to make this for my family.
Yeah I have found another chickpea recipe to use. This is a really great as I’m wanting to cook more with legumes. Angela Milnes
Sounds delish! Yum :) Now I’m craving ha-ha
Thanks for sharing!
Yum yum! This one is awesome :)
This is definitely up my alley, and honestly, the spicy version would have been a hit for me too. I love me some fire!
Looks yummy! Great use of chickpeas.
Sounds like a delicious and healthy vegetable dish! I am sure my kids would love this! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Great recipe and looks rich and delicious. Will try this later.
I have heard so much about chick pease but I have never tried it. Note to self…take a second look at this
This is absolutely looks delicious. I would love to try this on weekend. I hope my family would love this.
i really like chick peas so i bet i would love this
I love chickpeas as well especially chickpea curry. This looks so tasty!
wow awesome the taste that my teens love but so much better for them thanks for sharing I will be sharing as well
This looks delish, I can’t wait to try it!
It looks so appetizing! I love vegan food, but I love my meat too. This recipe is worth the try, definitely. Especially since chickpeas absorb flavor really well.
I can’t say I’ve ever tried Chickpeas. I’ll have to look into it. The dish looks delicious.
Really like your recipe! Looks delicious :-)
We love homemade chinese food. I need to make this :)
Wow, this was amazing! The sauce was to die for – I can see using it in other stir-fry type recipes!
Awesome Terese, so happy you enjoyed it. Stir-fry veggies sounds yum!
Coconut Aminos is listed twice in marinade. Can you please clarify correct amount?
JJ coconut aminos is only listed once in the marinade and the other time is in the sauce. I separated the marinade ingredients from the sauce to make it more obvious. Thanks
I made this today, it was delicious.
Awesome, I’m so happy you enjoyed Natasha!
Added some rice wine vinegar, orange peel, and some veggies- thank you for the recipe!
You are welcome Becky, hope you enjoyed!
I am on Isagenix and I can’t have tapioca/corn starch – is there another alternative?
Thanks!
I’m not sure but how about kudzu root or arrowroot to use as thickeners.
Such a great idea! Pinned!
Super yum. I added sriracha sauce to give thr recipe some spice. I also doubled the amount of sauce so we could serve it over broccoli. Will definitely make again. Thanks.
Love the spicy kick from the sriracha sauce, so happy you enjoyed it with broccoli!
Looks amazing. Never used the amnios (or whatever lol) but maybe I should try getting it.
This is perfect. I have fresh made garbanzo beans and some left over home mad General Tso sauce!!! I would have NEVER thought about making a dish out of the two. Awesome!!!
We love General Tso’s, GF? Even better!! Great recipe.
I tried this recipe last night. I was missing some of the ingredients, but decided to just go ahead with it. I substituted where I could, but left some things out. My hopes weren’t too high, but how bad could it be? It was delicious! I can’t wait to try it again with all the correct ingredients – especially ginger. Thanks for the recipe – it’s one of my new favorites!
Also, I have to say that Gen Tso’s Chicken was one of my favorite dishes, but when I gave up meat, it never crossed my mind that I’d get to have it again. Thank you! :) ;) :)
I’m happy you were able to make the recipe your own and still enjoy it!
I made this tonight eliminating the sesame oil to keep it low fat. Delicious! I doubled it and we have no leftovers. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hoping to make this tonight!! Can’t wait!!
That’s great Wendy, hope you enjoy!
This was so delicious. I think I am in love!!!
I’m so happy Christa :)
We have a vegetarian Chinese restaurant close by that makes a General Tso fake chicken using soy. It is so good, but I really don’t want to eat the soy. I can’t wait to try this recipe! thanks for sharing it.
This recipe was awesome! Normally I taste my food before I serve it others, but I didn’t have enough time. I served it at a Healthy Living event and the people loved it. I quadruple the recipe, I always have to go above and beyond haha. I’m glad I did, because there was just enough left for me to eat some. Thanks Michelle!
It is hard to find the aminos in the stores.
Hello B. Johnsa, it can be purchased on Amazon instead.
Tapioca starch, what is that? Any substitutes?
Tapioca starch is the starch from tapioca, manioc or cassava root. You can substitute with cornstarch or arrowroot.
You are welcome Catherine!
Dear Michelle, What a marvelous idea…very creative and delicious. My family loves general tsos…a must try. xo
Catherine
http://www.LivingtheGourmet.com
Thanks Blessing, its so delicious!
Yes it is an excellent alternative Heather!
Thank Kristen, I will be checking on your dish. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks Kristy, hope you enjoy this recipe!
Can’t wait to see your finish dish Alyssa. Hope this recipe helps!
Marye, I also love chickpeas and love to use them to create many dishes!
I love Chick Peas and adding it to this meal is just a perfect combination.
Looks palatable and healthy.
http://www.globalfoodbook.com
this sounds like a delicious alternative to a meat filled dish, and we certainly love our chickpeas.
I love using chickpeas as a source of protein and heartiness in a vegetarian dish. In fact, tomorrow I am posting a recipe using them as well. I love the idea of general tso dish! Great thinking!
What a fantastic use of chickpeas! LOVE this and am definitely putting it on our menu.
I was just thinking yesterday about how I was graving an international-inspired chick pea dish. Well, I think I’ve found it! Can’t wait to try this :)
I love chickpeas in almost anything. Using them like this is brilliant!