A Chinese-Style Vegan "Beef" and Broccoli -- ready in 30 minutes for a quick weeknight dinner!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably craved that glossy Chinese take‑out beef & broccoli at least once this week. This plant‑powered version hits all the umami notes—minus the meat—and comes together in 30 minutes with pantry staples.
I also used to love Chinese-style Beef and Broccoli dishes from restaurants especially if they’re served with a hot bowl of freshly cooked rice. There’s something so satisfying about the dish with its thick, savoury sauce so I knew I had to make this vegan Chinese-Style No Beef and Broccoli!
For this recipe, you'll need:
- A few basic ingredients
- 30 minutes, or less
- Rice to enjoy the finished dish!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You need one‑pan, zero fuss = so less washing up!
- It has 21 g of complete plant protein from humble soy chunks
- Easily made gluten‑free with tamari instead of soy sauce
- Meal‑prep friendly—tastes even better the next day as the chunks and broccoli soak up more of the sauce!
I made this recipe both with mushrooms and other plant-based protein. I personally prefer using soy chunks for the 'meatiest' outcome, that's really similar to beef. My non-vegan family loves both versions but prefer the one with soy chunks the most.
See below the version made with soy chunks or soy meat for the 'beef'.
Ingredient Spotlight
Soy Chunks (Textured Soy Protein)
Why I love it: Soaks up sauces like a sponge & gives that “beefy” chew I missed from my pre‑vegan days
Alternative Ideas: Frozen soy curls, seitan, or plant-based protein strips
Broccoli
Why I love it: Crisp florets, a good vitamin C & fiber boost, and that gorgeous green pop of color!
Alternative Swaps: Broccolini, asparagus, or bok choy
Of course it's ultimately up to you what you'd like to use for the 'beef', but I wanted to share a few options you can choose from.
FOR THE PROTEIN: A FEW OPTIONS
1) REHYDRATED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
For this vegan version of the recipe, I used shiitake mushrooms instead of beef. I love shiitake mushrooms for this recipe in particular because they absorb flavour really well, are super versatile, and packed full of umami.
2) FRESH SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS
You can also opt to use fresh shiitake mushrooms, if you'd like.
OTHER PROTEIN OPTIONS
If you're not a very big fan of mushrooms, feel free to use tofu or even tempeh for this recipe. You can press your tofu well and pan-fry it before cooking it with the broccoli later on.
3) EXTRA FIRM TOFU
4) TEMPEH
5) REHYDRATED SOY CHUNKS OR PLANT-BASED MEAT ALTERNATIVES
I find this to be the closest to the texture of beef.
SOY CHUNKS
Here’s the exact soy meat I used! PS. Link is not an affiliate link. I purchased these from Shopee and can be shipped in the Philippines.
For my US-based friends, here are similar meat substitutes that you can find on Amazon:
(these are affiliate links)
I simply rehydrate my soy meat chunks overnight until its doubled in size. From there, I broke these apart into smaller pieces.
Pro‑tip: Rehydrate soy chunks in veggie broth + a splash of soy sauce so they’re flavourful from the inside out.
FOR THE SAUCE
The sauce requires a few basic ingredients with a little cornstarch to get it to thicken when cooked.
You'll need:
- soy sauce or to taste
- vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce
- room temp. water
- cane sugar or other sweetener, adjust according to desired sweetness
- Shaoxing wine or other rice wine, optional but highly recommended
- Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar
- cornstarch
- sesame oil
- sriracha other chili sauce, for spice
OTHER INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ medium onion sliced
- 1 inch/small knob of ginger finely grated or minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups (250g) raw broccoli florets
- ¼ cup vegetable broth or water from soaking mushrooms
- 1 small red bell pepper , sliced into strips
- 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce optional, for the protein
BROCCOLI
For the broccoli florets, I used raw broccoli. I opted to cook the broccoli without steaming it beforehand to ensure it’s perfectly cooked and still crispy after being sautéed.
You can opt to use frozen broccoli, too!
HOW TO COOK THIS 'BEEF' AND BROCCOLI
- Heat a large non-stick, cast iron pan, or wok over medium high heat.
- When hot, add in the neutral oil. Sauté the onions, ginger, and garlic until tender and aromatic, around 1-2 minutes.
- Add in the broccoli florets. Pour ¼ cup vegetable broth and then cover the pan.
- Leave the broccoli to cook over medium high heat until half-cooked or cooked and crisp to your liking.
- Add more oil. Then add in the bell peppers and sauté for a few more minutes until tender.
- Add in the mushrooms or plant-based protein of choice. Season the mushrooms/protein with dark soy sauce, if desired. Allow the mushrooms/plant-based protein to get a nice sear or light browning.
- Give the sauce a good mix again to make sure the cornstarch doesn't stick to the bottom. Pour in the sauce mixture.
- Mix everything together and leave to simmer over medium heat until the sauce has thickened from the cornstarch.
- Taste the broccoli and feel free to season with more soy sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce, if needed. Turn off the heat.
Serve with some steamed rice for a really hearty and satisfying meal.
If you try out this recipe, I’d appreciate if you leave a rating or simply click on the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on my recipe card!
I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe. It's great for sharing, enjoy!
Get the full recipe below!
You might enjoy these other Asian-inspired recipes:
- Black Pepper Tofu Steaks
- Cold Silken Tofu with Sweet Chili Sauce
- Tofu Sisig
- Shredded Tofu 'Bulgogi’
- Filipino "Pork" Barbecue
- Pad Thai
- Ginger and Scallion Noodles
- Stir-Fried Tofu and Basil Noodles
- Maple Hoisin Tofu
- Orange Tofu
- Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes?
You can get a copy of my cookbook, Vegan Asian!
If you crave vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East Asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home and those I’ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more!
Chinese-Style Vegan Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
Protein (Pick one!)
- 10 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in hot water for 12-15 minutes
- 15 fresh shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms of choice
- 1/2 lb extra firm tofu , pressed
- 1/2 lb tempeh
- 1/2 lb rehydrated soy chunks or other plant-based 'meat' alternative
For Cooking
- 1 tbsp neutral oil , plus more as needed
- ½ medium onion sliced
- 1 inch ginger finely grated or minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups raw broccoli florets
- ¼ cup vegetable broth or water from soaking mushrooms
- 1 small red bell pepper , sliced into strips
- 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce optional, for color (for protein)
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or to taste (sub with Tamara for a gluten-free option)
- 2 tbsp vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce
- 1/3 cup room temperature water
- ¼ cup sugar or other sweetener, adjust according to desired sweetness
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or other rice wine, optional but highly recommended
- 1/2 - 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar, adjust to taste
- 1 ½ tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha or other chili sauce, optional for added spice
To Serve
- Sesame seeds for topping
- Chopped scallions for topping
- Steamed rice for serving
Instructions
PROTEIN
- If using dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water. Squeeze out excess liquid from each mushroom and then slice them into 1/2-inch thick strips. Don't discard the water from soaking since you can use this for the stir-fry later on.You can also opt to soak the mushrooms overnight in room temp. water.If using fresh mushrooms, simply slice them into strips. Set aside.
- If using tofu or tempeh, slice them into strips or cubes. Heat a large non stick pan or skillet over medium heat with oil. Once hot, pan-fry these until lightly brown on all sides. Set aside.
- If using soy chunks, you can rehydrate these by soaking them hot water or vegetable broth (for extra flavor!) for 15-20 minutes or until doubled in size. You can also just leave them overnight in room temperature water. Squeeze out excess liquid from each piece afterwards. You can break these apart into smaller peices if you'd like.
SAUCE
- In a bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients together until the sugar is diluted. Set aside.
TO COOK
- Heat a large non-stick, cast iron pan, or wok over medium high heat. Add the oil.
- When hot, sauté the onions, ginger, and garlic until tender and aromatic, around 1 minute.
- Over high heat, add in the broccoli florets. Pour ¼ cup vegetable broth and then cover the pan. Leave the broccoli to cook over medium high heat until half-cooked or cooked and crisp to your liking. Move to the side of the pan.
- Add some more oil. Add in the bell peppers and sauté for a few minutes until tender. Move to the side of the pan.
- Add in the mushrooms or plant-based protein of choice. Season the mushrooms/protein with dark soy sauce, if desired for color. Allow the mushrooms/plant-based protein to get a nice sear or light brown before mixing everything together.
- For the sauce: be sure to give the sauce a good mix again to ensure the cornstarch doesn't stick to the bottom. Pour in the sauce mixture.
- Lower the heat. Mix everything together and leave to simmer over medium heat until the sauce has thickened from the cornstarch.
- Taste the broccoli and feel free to season with more soy sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce, if needed. Turn off the heat.
TO SERVE
- Serve with some steamed rice. Garnish with some sesame seeds and chopped scallions, if desired. Enjoy while hot!
WATCH Video
Notes
SOY CHUNKS
Here’s the exact soy meat I used! PS. Link is not an affiliate link. I purchased these from Shopee and can be shipped in the Philippines. For my US-based friends, here are similar meat substitutes that you can find on Amazon: (these are affiliate links)NUTRITIONAL INFO
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