The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Sticky Kung Pao Tofu with Brown Rice & Cucumber Salad
Our vegan version of the kung pao classic! Sizzle crispy tofu with tangy vinegar, peanut butter and chilli, until glazed and sticky. Serve with a crunchy cucumber slaw and brown rice to soak up all the sauce.
High protein
5 plants
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 10g roasted peanuts (Peanuts, Nuts, Sesame)
- 1 handful of fresh coriander
- 1 midi cucumber
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (maple syrup(100%))
- 2 tbsp tamari (Soya) (water, soybeans, salt, spirit vinegar)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (Rice Vinegar, Salt)
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce (Soya) (Water, Miso Paste (Water, Soybeans, Rice, Salt), Date Syrup, Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans Salt, Rice, Ethyl alcohol), Tomato Paste, Cornflour, Salt, Garlic, Acidity Regulator: Acetic Acid, Chinese Five Spice (Fennel Seed, Cassia, Black Pepper, Star Anise, Cloves), Cayenne Pepper)
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 spring onion
- 80g brown rice (100% Brown Rice)
- 1 pepper
- 280g tofu (Soya) (Tofu (Water, Soya Beans, Nigari))
Nutritional Information
Calories: 573
Protein: 30g
Carbs: 54g
Fat: 25g
Ingredients
- 1 handful of fresh coriander (use half)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (use half) (maple syrup(100%))
- 1 tbsp cornflour (use half)
- 10g roasted peanuts (use half) (Peanuts, Nuts, Sesame)
- 1 midi cucumber (use half)
- 2 spring onion
- 280g tofu (use half) (Soya) (Tofu (Water, Soya Beans, Nigari))
- 80g brown rice (use half) (100% Brown Rice)
- 1 pepper (use half)
- 0.5 tsp chilli flakes (use half)
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce (use half) (Soya) (Water, Miso Paste (Water, Soybeans, Rice, Salt), Date Syrup, Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans Salt, Rice, Ethyl alcohol), Tomato Paste, Cornflour, Salt, Garlic, Acidity Regulator: Acetic Acid, Chinese Five Spice (Fennel Seed, Cassia, Black Pepper, Star Anise, Cloves), Cayenne Pepper)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (use half) (Rice Vinegar, Salt)
- 2 tbsp tamari (use half) (Soya) (water, soybeans, salt, spirit vinegar)
Nutritional Information
Calories: 576
Protein: 30g
Carbs: 54g
Fat: 25g
Sticky Kung Pao Tofu with Brown Rice & Cucumber Salad
Our vegan version of the kung pao classic! Sizzle crispy tofu with tangy vinegar, peanut butter and chilli, until glazed and sticky. Serve with a crunchy cucumber slaw and brown rice to soak up all the sauce.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Bring a medium saucepan filled with salted water to a boil
- Pull out a large frying pan, a large bowl, a medium bowl, sieve & a measuring jug
Cook the rice & prep
- Add the rice to the saucepan and boil for 25-30 mins, until cooked, then drain
- Drain the tofu, pat dry with paper towel and cut into 2cm cubes
- Dice the pepper into 2cm chunks. Thinly the slice the spring onions, keeping the white and green parts separate
Pan-fry the tofu
- Add the tofu and cornflour to the large bowl. Season with a generous pinch of salt. Toss to coat the tofu
- Heat the large frying pan with 1 tbsp oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and cook for 8-10 mins, turning occasionally, until golden. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside
Make the kung pao sauce
- Combine the hoisin, tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, chilli flakes (for those who'd like the heat) and 50ml water (25ml for 1 person) in the medium bowl
- Reheat the frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pepper and spring onion whites and cook for 4-5 mins, until soft and lightly charred
- Add three-quarters of the kung pao sauce and the tofu to the frying pan. Toss to coat and simmer for 4-5 mins, until the sauce thickens and coats the tofu
Build the cucumber salad
- Cut the cucumber into quarters widthways, scoop out the seeds, then slice lengthways into thin strips
- Add the cucumber and spring onion greens to the bowl with the remaining sauce. Toss to coat
- Roughly chop the coriander, then stir half through the salad and set aside
Plate up
- Roughly chop the peanuts
- Share the kung pao tofu between bowls, with the rice and cucumber salad alongside. Scatter over the peanuts and remaining coriander
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