Inspired by one of my former favourite Chinese takeout meals, these vegan sticky 'ribs' are full of flavour and take less than 30 minutes to make. Here is my recipe for the perfect vegan Chinese style sticky ribs, served on a bed of rice with pak choi.
For this recipe it is all about the sticky sauce. I like to first marinate my 'meat' in the sauce, and save what is left over in the bowl to pour on top at the end - there is no waste in my house! When veganising recipes I always want to keep as close to the traditional recipes as possible. For the sauce I was inspired by ingredients used by incredible Chinese food bloggers such as The Woks of Life and Cinnamon Society.
For the 'ribs' I used vivera plant steaks for the perfect meaty texture and flavour. I have also made this recipe using tofu, and my homemade seitan beef, and it tastes incredible every time! Feel free to experiment with your meat replacements depending on what you have available in your house, along with the vegetables you serve with this dish.
Vegan Chinese Style Sticky Ribs
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings: 2
Ingredients
200g vegan 'meat' - I used vivera steaks
200g cooked rice
2 pak choi
To serve - Spring onion, chilli, sesame seeds
For the sauce:
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp mushroom sauce (vegan 'oyster' sauce)
1 tbsp agave/maple syrup
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chinese five-spice
Instructions
Mix together the ingredients for the sauce in a small jug and set aside.
Slice your choice of 'meat' replacement into strips to resemble ribs and coat in the sauce, leave to marinade for 10-15 minutes.
Heat a frying pan with a little oil and fry the 'ribs' over a medium heat for 10 minutes, making sure to keep turning them so all sides cook evenly.
Prepare the pak choi by separating the leaves, and either boiling, steaming, or frying for 2-3 minutes until softened slightly. I like to fry them in the same pan as the ribs so they get flavour from the marinade.
Serve the ribs and pak choi on a bed of cooked rice, drizzle with any remaining marinade, and top with spring onion, sliced chillis, and sesame seeds.
Notes
This recipe is designed to make 2 portions, however it can easily be doubled depening on how many people you are feeding, or if you want a little extra!
If you aren't feeling the rice, you can easily substitute for noodles for a delicious noodle dish.
For the mushroom sauce I use Lee Kum Kee Mushroom Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce, which my favourite substitute for oyster sauce.
Feel free to add in whatever vegetables you have available in your fridge!
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy these making my vegan sticky ribs. If you do try any of my recipes I'd love to know how they turn out - tag me on Instagram @josiewalshaw!
Josie xox