This vegetarian and low carb Kung Pao Cauliflower recipe starts with marinated cauliflower and then cooked in a homemade szechuan sauce.
KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER
This might sound like the oddest combination of ingredients. I’m just gonna need you to trust me that it works. The thick, flavorful sauce is ridiculous! It requires a little bit of prep time because we are going to marinate the cauliflower first. This helps to allow the cauliflower to really be able to soak up the sauce when we go to cook it later. 
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS LOW CARB RECIPE:
- This can be served all on it’s own or with a side of rice.
- If you aren’t into the idea of making it with cauliflower, just skip it all together. This sauce works with your favorite cuts of chicken or beef. You just can’t go wrong. Just don’t skip the peanuts. You will love that small bit of crunch they add to this dish.
- This sauce is not as spicy as you might assume. Sichuan peppers (that’s not a misspelling, the peppers are spelled sichuan not szechuan) are not spicy-hot like dried chili peppers. They are almost lemon-y in flavor and just have a very slight zing to them. Nothing that is going to burn a hole in your tongue. 😉
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
for the cauliflower marinade:
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cups cauliflower florets
for the Kung Pao sauce:
⅓ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp garlic
¼ cup sesame oil
additional ingredients:
sesame oil, for skillet
6-8 sichuan peppers
¼ cup sliced green onion
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp garlic
¼ cup chopped peanuts
green onions, for garnish
HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS KUNG PAO CAULIFLOWER:
In a medium bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients: cornstarch in water, soy sauce, rice vinegar. Then coat cauliflower florets in it. Set aside for 10 minutes, turning or tossing every few minutes.
In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, garlic, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Heat a little sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat with sichuan peppers, stirring frequently, until edges begin to darken. Add in additional green onion, ginger, and garlic, and continue to cook another 5 minutes.
Add in cauliflower and sauce, stir, and cook covered for 10 minutes. You may need to reduce heat to medium-low if your stove runs hot.
Uncover, add in peanuts, stir, and cook until cauliflower is soft and sauce is thick.
Serve over a bed of rice (optional) and sprinkled with green onions and peanuts.
Enjoy!
Kung Pao Cauliflower
Ingredients
For the cauliflower marinade:
- 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
For the Kung Pao sauce:
- â…“ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp garlic
- ¼ cup sesame oil
Additional ingredients:
- sesame oil, for skillet
- 6-8 sichuan peppers, (not szechuan)
- ¼ cup sliced green onion
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp garlic
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts
- sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients: cornstarch in water, soy sauce, rice vinegar. Â Then coat cauliflower florets in it. Set aside for 10 minutes, turning or tossing every few minutes.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, garlic, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat a little sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat with szechuan peppers, stirring frequently, until edges begin to darken. Add in additional green onion, ginger, and garlic, and continue to cook another 5 minutes.
- Add in cauliflower and sauce, stir, and cook covered for 10 minutes. You may need to reduce heat to medium-low if your stove runs hot.
- Uncover, add in peanuts, stir, and cook until cauliflower is soft and sauce is thick.
- Serve over a bed of rice and sprinkled with green onions and peanuts.
Video
Nutrition
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Your Kung Pao Cauliflower recipe looks and sounds fabulous. Your notes indicate that this recipe calls for sichuan peppers, not the hotter szechuan variety. However, the printable recipe calls for szechuan peppers. Someone who has not taken the time to read your notes or the detailed recipe, might be in for a hot disappointment.
Hi Claudia! Thanks for pointing that out in the printable recipe. I got it fixed!
Is there a substitute for the sichaun peppers?. We live in a rural area with only a Walmart to buy groceries and they don’t offer a large variety of peppers.
Thank you
Hi Cheryl! There really is no substitute for dried sichuan peppers. They are actually a dried fruit – not an actual pepper. Confusing, right? So, you can just leave it out and sprinkle a touch of lemon pepper seasoning into the glaze. Believe it or not, my local Walmart carries these in the ethnic food section. So maybe you’ll have luck! 🙂
How much is a serving size?
What specific rice vinegar is in the recipe? Thanks for the recipe.
Delicious!!!! I doubled the recipe & it made for great leftovers!!! I sprinkled a fair share of sesame seeds (black & toasted varieties) on top. I might add some snow peas & shredded carrots next time too! You weren’t kidding about if your stove runs hot to turn it down…ours must run hot and it jusssssst slightly burned on the very bottom – but thankfully it wasn’t ruined. Excellent recipe!!! Thank you! I’ll add my photo to your Pinterest pin!