Spicy Kung Pao Lentils with a delicious kung pao sauce, veggies and cooked lentils. Easy 30 minute weeknight dinner. Gluten-free Vegan Recipe. Note: If you find lentils too earthy, double the sauce, or use other legumes like chickpeas.
You knew this was coming right. a spicy kung pao sauce and vegetables and lentils!
The whole meal including the brown rice came together in like 40 minutes. The Lentils were put in their saucepan, brown rice in a pressure cooker. then I chopped up veggies, made the sauce, listened to some songs. Then when the lentils were almost done, I heated up the skillet for cooking the vegetables. While the vegetables got cooked, the lentils were ready and the brown rice was off heat and waiting on natural pressure release. Lentils and sauce cooked up for a few minutes then on the table.
Spice from the whole chilies, crunchy red pepper, celery and cashews/peanuts, earthy lentils and brown rice. perfect.
Use pre-cooked lentils, or other cooked beans like green mung beans, use Chickpeas! or seitan or Tofu. Add them at the step to add lentils. Use other vegetables like broccoli, snowpeas, eggplant etc. Double the sauce, add more chilies for more heat! This recipe is inspired my other popular Sweet and sour Lentils with mango.
This recipe is
Easy
spicy, sweet and sour
has least processed ingredients
is perfect for weekday meals.
More lentil recipes and asian recipes from the blog.
Sweet and sour lentils lettuce wraps
Massaman curry Vegetables
Spicy Orange Tofu and Peppers
Crispy Orange Cauliflower
Teriyaki Tempeh and shiitake mushrooms
Pad Thai
Recipe Card
Kung Pao Lentils
Ingredients
For the Lentils:
- 1/2 cup (96 g) dry brown lentils washed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) water
- a generous pinch of salt
For the Sauce:
- 2-3 Tbsp (2 to 3 Tbsp) soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dry sherry or rice wine
- 1 tsp hoisin sauce or use more soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2-3 tsp (2 to 3 tsp) raw sugar or use 1 to 2 Tbsp maple syrup or other sweetener
- a generous dash of lime zest 1/4 tsp
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp water
For the vegetables:
- 2 tsp grapeseed oil or other neutral oil
- 1/2 cup (75 g) chopped white or red onion
- 4 dried red chilies like arbol or red chinese broken into halfs (or use red pepper flakes to taste)
- 3 Tbsp cashews or peanuts
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch knob of ginger, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3/4 cup (75.75 g) chopped celery
- lemon juice and black pepper, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the Lentils: Combine the lentils, water, and salt in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender to preference. Let the lentils sit for 5 minutes before using. Drain excess water if needed and keep aside. Or use 1 1/4 cup cooked lentils or beans.
- Make the Sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients into a bowl. Mix well to combine and keep aside.
- Cook the Veggies: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add onion and chilies and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cashews or peanuts and mix for a few seconds. Add garlic and ginger and mix in. Add the peppers and celery and mix well. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add in the sauce and cooked lentils and mix well. Add a few more tbsp water, if you like extra sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce thickens and some is absorbed by the lentils. Taste and adjust spice and sweet. Add red pepper flakes to taste, if needed, and mix in. Garnish with a dash of lemon juice and black pepper. Serve with cooked rice or grains of choice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Kirsti
Hi Richa – Longtime fan, first time commenter 🙂 I want to thank you for all the hard work and care you put into your recipes. I own both cookbooks and your recipes are always, always favourites at home. The ‘awesome sauce’ way is changing my meal planning for the better! We made the kung pao lentils for dinner and they are definitely 5 star.
Richa
awesome! so glad that you are loving both the books!
Terry
This was an awesome recipe!!!! Made it exactly as written (which is really odd for me to do) only I added some chopped green onions on top. Pinned it to My Faves. Thank you so much!
Richa
awesome!
Amanda
Oh My Gosh! I just discovered your cookbook, Everyday Kitchen, and I am in love! First cookbook of many purchased and borrowed from the library where I want to make a recipe out of it almost every night! First time I made Kung Pay Lentils I was in awe of how good it was, I mean its lentils?!?! Thank you so much for your blog and books! ^_^
Richa
thats awesome!! so glad you found the book and made the lentils!!
Mamatha
Great recipe! Added Siracha to the sauce and used fresh jalapeños instead of dried peppers! Thanks!
Richa
great!
Jackie
Amazing recipe!!! We substituted carrots for the celery and loved it! So color and delicious! 🤤
Vanessa
This was so yummy! We put them in lettuce cups for asian lettuce wraps! Thank you for the recipe!
Richa
awesome!
Marie
New vegan! This recipe was amazing the flavours were fantastic, great texture, I thought oh it will be like baby food consistency but no totally fabulous, thank you x
Richa
🙂 Red lentils cook into a mush, which might make it look like mush food but whole lentils retain shape unless overcooked. Glad you loved it!!
Laura
I made this (several times now) and I truly loved it. Once you gather and prepare, it’s a breeze. Thank you for a lovely recipe.
Richa
yay!
Laura
I made this dish and it was magnificent! I will be making it again & again. Thank you so much!
Faye
Made this for supper tonight……absolutely delicious!!!!!!
Michele
I love this dish so much! I’m having company for dinner tomorrow night but we’ll be out & about all day, leaving little time for dinner prep. Do you think this recipe would work well in a slow cooker?
Thanks in advance!
Richa
i havent tried it in a slow cooker.
Jaxx The Bearded Hiker
Made this today….this was awesome! Going in the rotation for sure!
I think I added too much lime zest and it slapped me in the face …. but I liked it!
Rebecca
I’m not much of a cook so I get thrown off with “to taste” I’m never sure how much to start with. I’d like to make his but can’t seem to find the dried chiles . Would fresh red chiles work and how much ? Or what’s a good start amount for red pepper flakes? Thanks
Richa
use 1 fresh red chile and 1/4 tsp pepper flakes. Taste the lentils and add more pepper flakes for heat.
Monica
This was the first recipe that got my husband to admit that maybe lentils weren’t so bad after all. 🙂 thank you! It’s so delicious and filling!
Richa
yay!
Anne Marie
It is very hard for me to break myself away from your fabulous Indian cookbook, but was in the mood for something different, so gave it a shot. Wow! Very good. I think you are a genius in the kitchen. The flavors were fantastic, and what an easy and inexpensive meal to put together. Thanks for the bounty!
Richa
So glad you liked it!
Marijke
This recipe is yummy I are it for my church lunch.
Marilin
Wow, this was delicious! Will definitely make it again and try more recipes from your blog! Cheers!
Rachel PC
I am a newbie (3 month) vegan and my husband is omni. This is our favourite vegan meal to enjoy together. I love making it and it freezes well if I miraculously find myself with any left overs after a couple of days. I know i will make this time and time again for many years to come. Thank you!
Richa
Thats amazing! I am so glad you love it!
Eva
I have never cooked Kung Pao because I though it only works with chicken, but I found your recipe and tried for lunch today. OMG! It was amazing!!! I have to cook once a week at least! Thank you for sharing such a great recipe.
Richa
Awesome!
Ken Williams
I love the addition of lentils in a dish like this it adds great texture and works so well with the veggies and sauce. The whole dish was easy to prepare and tasted great. Thanks!! I’ll be making this often 😉
Sm
I made this tonight and it was yummy. Thank you
Richa
Awesome!
Mary
Made this tonight. So good! Used same amount of lentils. For the vegetables: 3 baby bok choys (leaves too), 1 whole onion (tennis ball sized), 4 carrots, 3 stalks celery, 1 package mushrooms, 1 yellow pepper. I doubled the sauce. It was great! Also plenty of left for my lunches this week. Thanks Richa!
Richa
yay!
jamie
I made this today and it was superb! I made a huge pot of lentils so I’ve got some cooked to freeze and use next time, the prep and sauce were superb and it came out well (as in spicy enough) using red chile flakes rather than the arbol peppers. Great idea and something new for the idea box! Thanks for sharing!!
Richa
Awesome! Lentils definitely can do more than soups and stews 🙂
Cheryl
Found this on Pinterest a good while back now, and have made it several times. It’s quick and easy to do, and tastes fantastic. I cheat and use tinned lentils sometimes when I am in a real hurry, but we all love it 🙂
Richa
Awesome!!
Amy
This recipe is amazing! Tastes just like restaurant kung pao, and the lentils are a perfect substitute to meat. My husband, who is the ultimate meat eater (and was highly skeptical when I told him what I was making) LOVED this dish!
Richa
Yay! Thats awesome!
Lyla
Made this for dinner tonight. It was super tasty, though I think next time we may kick up the heat with some chili paste.
Richa
great! Yes, add some red pepper flakes to taste if needed or a few more hot red chilies. Be sure to break into half before adding for extra heat.
Natalie
The photography on this recipe is so beautiful, I just must make it! But, as we have a little one, I will have to remove the “pow” factor, to make it not spicy. Looking at the rest of the ingredient list, I imagine it will still be wonderful without the heat.
Richa
You can add cayenne later to your bowl, or heat up a little oil and cook red pepper flakes in it until fragrant and mix it into your helping.
Zo
Made it tonight for a party of 4. Everyone loved it! Thank you!
Richa
Awesome!!
Annie
Richa, you have outdone yourself! This meal was SO delicious!
Richa
Awesome! so glad you loved it!
Vicky @ Avocdo Pesto
Love the veganized version of a Chinese classic dish. I spent 2 months backpacking through China in 2012 and while I had plenty of kung pao chicken dishes while traveling around – definitely never saw a vegan kung pao lentils on the menu. Would love to try this. Only have red lentils on hand so will give it a go with those!
Richa
Awesome! red lentils cook quickly, so cook until al-dente then add to the sauce.
Rita
This was delicious, even though I lacked a few ingredients, like ginger and hoisen sauce. Definitely a keeper!
Cherie
Love this recipe I added a whole package of firm tofu cut into cubes. Yeay extra protien!!! Loved it
julie
Made this tonight – major swooning. Bringing to a vegan lunch swap we do at work. Definitely in my rotation. Thanks!
Natalie
Excellent recipe!! Both hubby and I loved it!! I will be making it again!
Richa
yay!
Sol
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I cook just for me but still prepare the whole batch as I usually eat half of it in one sitting! thanks 🙂
Cindy
I made a double-batch of this last night. very delicious! I think I may try it with tofu the next time. It is nice to learn about sauces (as with the spicy orange tofu recipe), and then I can start subbing different proteins.
Cindy
I made this with tofu last week (just sauteed the tofu and set aside until the end and mixed back in) and really loved it. I like it with lentils, but I will probably make it with tofu more often.
Richa
Awesome! I know i like this with Tofu too!
Satya
I just discovered your site, and made the Kung Pao Lentil dish. Amazing!! I love the subtle lime taste. This recipe is a keeper 🙂 Thank you!
Kim
This was wonderful! I didn’t have any lime so left out. I made a bit too spicy – oops! I will make again & add broccoli & carrots w/ more sauce. I served over quinoa.
Kim
I’ve made this a few times now. I double the sauce and add a lot of veggies with quinoa. This is one of my favorites!
Richa
Awesome! great idea!
NYC Cooks
Super creative. I made this tonight. It was super easy to make and delicious. I found the flavors to be a bit mild for my palate. Next time I will probably add a bit more salt and vinegar. It’s a keeper.
Cheryl
Made this tonight for dinner with a few minor changes to keep it within my elimination diet guidelines and it was so delicious. My husband turned his nose up when I told him it was on the meatless Monday menu and he ended up loving it and having seconds! It’s definitely going into my rotation.
Melina
Allready made this one twice in the last weeks, it is simply delicious… <3
Staci
I didn’t have any celery so I added one cup of sliced mushrooms and used white wine instead of the sherry. It was incredible! Very flavorful and filling; my husband said I need to make it at least once a week. Thank you for another great recipe!
Shelley
I’m new to your site and this is the first recipe I’ve tried, just tonight. Delicious sauce and dish, thank you for this gift! I’ve never cooked anything like this and I’m so happy that I can actually make Kung Pao now. Thanks for your notes on subbing ideas, too, that helped me use up some leftovers too.
Christine
Really awesomely great idea! I am going to make this without cornstarch though. I’m going to substitute arrow root as a thickener…Corn = slow painful death to some of us.
Janet
I made a few mods, but the bones of it were this. I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and didn’t use any hoisin sauce (soy allergy). And I used broccoli and zucchini. But the lentils were definitely genius. Great addition.
Casey
I just made this, the sauce tastes amazing! Pre-cooked lentils made it super quick. I added some carrots and did peanuts instead of cashews. Kung pao tofu was always a favorite of mine but I’ve never made it myself. This is going on rotation for me. I think kung pao cauliflower would be really good too.
debbie
I made this tonight. It was very tasty and easy to make. Thank you for the recipe it is a keeper. I will be making this again.
Richa
yay!
Becky Striepe
Ooh now you have me craving lentils!
C. Fruity
Wow this looks delicious! I’m putting it on my list to try asap.
Ellen Lederman
OMG—this is genius! I’ve made kung pao tofu and broccoli for years, but never thought to do it with lentils! Will definitely be making this within the week. With my kung pao, I use both hoisin and brown bean, but will try yours w/o the brown bean…