Vegan Sweet and Sour Fakeaway
This popular Chinese takeaway dish is easy to make and tastes amazing
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Sweet and sour is probably the most popular dish on a Chinese takeaway menu. This vegan sweet and sour recipe makes it easy to cook it for yourself at home with only a few basic ingredients.
We used soya chunks – also known as textured vegetable protein(TVP) – for ours, but you can use your favourite vegan protein, or even just vegetables! Sweet and sour is a beautifully versatile dish that can use a variety of different ingredients.
This vegan sweet and sour fakeaway tastes great served with fluffy white rice, but it can also be enjoyed as part of a larger fakeaway feast. Why not add sesame toasts, spring rolls, and noodles for a real weekend treat?
What is sweet and sour made of?
Traditionally sweet and sour sauce is made by adding honey or sugar to a sour liquid, like rice wine. It’s really as simple as mixing together sweet and sour ingredients!
Ketchup is a wonderful ingredient to use in this recipe as it contains both sweet and sour flavours, and it helps to give the dish the vibrant colour that we know and love.
Sweet and sour sauce usually contains pineapple and peppers, and can be served with an array of other add-ins. Chicken is a popular option, so a meat alternative like TVP makes a great choice, but most vegan meats, plant-based prawns, jackfruit, mushrooms, or just a selection of veggies would be delicious in this flavoursome sauce.
What is TVP?
Textured vegetable protein is a soya-based meat alternative. It often comes in dried form to be rehydrated before use.
TVP can come in all shapes and sizes, from large slices to small beef mince-style granules. For this recipe we’ve chosen medium-sized chunks of TVP, to give a similar look and feel to sweet and sour chicken.
As far as meat substitutes go, it’s fairly healthy as it’s high in protein and fibre and low in fat. It’s also naturally gluten free when made from soy, however some varieties can also include wheat or oats.
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 4)
- 75 75 ml tomato ketchup
- 0.75 0.75 tbsp cider vinegar
- 25 25 g sugar
- 25 25 g pineapple chunks in juice, drained
- 0.25 0.25 tbsp oil
- 25 25 g soya chunks/TVP (textured vegetable protein)
- 0.25 0.25 bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 0.25 0.25 onion, chopped
Method
- Firstly, in a saucepan combine the tomato ketchup, cider vinegar, sugar and pineapple over a medium heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Next, in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat add the oil soy chunks, pepper and onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables start to colour.
- To the fried vegetables, add the sauce and stir well and heat through for 2-3 minutes to finish.
- Serve as part of a Chinese-inspired meal or as a meal on its own.
Why not serve this Sweet and Sour Fakeaway with our Vegan ‘Prawn’ Toast?
