Category: spicy

Spicy Hummus

This spicy hummus is a spin on the classic dip with a little heat! It comes out ultra creamy and…

This spicy hummus is a spin on the classic dip with a little heat! It comes out ultra creamy and spiced to perfection, a great snack with veggies or pita bread. Add a spicy garnish if you like!

Spicy Hummus

We could eat hummus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner over here. (So could our children!) But sometimes you need a little variation to keep things interesting. Introducing…spicy hummus! Adding a little hot sauce to hummus makes it truly sparkle.

Use your favorite hot sauce to add the heat here: we like Cholula, but Sriracha or Franks are also nice. If you’d like, top with oil from a jar of Calabrian chilis or even chili crisp: the added pop of heat really takes it over the top! Use it for dipping veggies, pita chips, and more.

Tips for this spicy hummus recipe

If you’ve got 5 minutes and a food processor, you can make spicy hummus! It’s fun to whip up this dip at home, knowing that you made it with your bare hands. The best part about spicy hummus is that you can customize the heat level to taste. Here are a few tricks:

  • Use a food processor. This tool makes the best hummus because the mixture is too thick to make in a blender.
  • Use aquafaba to make a creamy texture. The liquid from a can of chickpeas is called aquafaba—you can also use it as a vegan replacement for eggs in some recipes. It gives the hummus a creamy, smooth body.
  • Blend the garlic with the lemon juice first. This helps to mellow the garlic flavor a bit before blending.

Hot sauce ideas

This recipe is a spin on our classic hummus recipe, made with chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin and salt. All you have to do is add hot sauce to taste! Each hot sauce adds a different flavor and heat level, since not all hot sauces are created equal. We like using Cholula, but here are a few other choices:

  • Mexican-style hot sauce: Cholula is our favorite; it has a medium heat and tangy flavor. Or try Valentina, which has smoky notes.
  • Tabasco: This popular sauce has a sharp, vinegary flavor.
  • Frank’s hot sauce: This American style hot sauce is known for its use in Buffalo wings, so you could call this Buffalo Hummus if you use Frank’s.
  • Sriracha: This iconic Thai sauce with a rooster logo has a garlicky, slightly sweet flavor.
  • Chili garlic sauce: It’s similar to Sriracha but tastes brighter, with a thicker and chunkier texture, made with chilies and lots of garlic.
  • Sambal oelek: This Indonesian chili sauce is made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger and lime. It has a chunkier texture than Sriracha and little to no sugar.
  • Gochujang: This Korean fermented chili paste makes a nuanced, funky spicy hummus.

More ways to make spicy hummus

There are a few other ways to make a spicy hummus that are more true to its Mediterranean roots. Here are a few ideas:

  1. Chili peppers: You can add slices of fresh hot pepper to this hummus before blending to make it spicy. Or, you can add jarred Calabrian chilis by the spoonful. 
  2. Hot paprika: Sprinkle in hot paprika to taste.
  3. Harissa: This spicy North African chili paste can add a bold body to spicy hummus.

Ways to serve it

This spicy hummus is such a fun party food idea and easy appetizer recipe! You can also use it in other ways for meals, like in bowl meals and sandwiches. Here are a few ideas:

Storing leftovers

This spicy hummus recipe lasts 5 days refrigerated. You can also freeze hummus: place it in an freezer-safe container and drizzle a little olive oil on top before sealing. Here’s How to Freeze Hummus.

Dietary notes

This spicy hummus recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

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Spicy Hummus

Spicy Hummus

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  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 ½ cups
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Description

This spicy hummus is a spin on the classic dip with a little heat! It comes out ultra creamy and spiced to perfection, a great snack with veggies or pita bread. Add a spicy garnish if you like!

Ingredients

  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup tahini
  • 1 15-­ounce can chickpeas, plus aquafaba (can liquid)
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Cholula or your favorite hot sauce (see Notes), or more to taste
  • Optional topping: oil from a jar of Calabrian chilis (see Notes)

Instructions

  1. Drain the chickpeas into a liquid measuring cup, saving the aquafaba from the can.
  2. To the bowl of a large food processor, blend the garlic with the lemon juice until fully chopped. Add the tahini and ¼ cup of the aquafaba and blend again.
  3. Add the chickpeas, cumin, salt, and hot sauce and blend. Add a few more tablespoons aquafaba if desired to come to a creamy consistency. Serve immediately or store for up to 5 days refrigerated.

Notes

Ways to make hummus spicy:

  1. Chili peppers: You can add slices of fresh hot pepper to this hummus before blending to make it spicy. Or, you can add jarred Calabrian chilis by the spoonful. 
  2. Hot paprika: Sprinkle in hot paprika to taste.
  3. Harissa: This spicy North African chili paste can add a bold body to spicy hummus.
  4. Mexican-style hot sauce: Cholula is our favorite; it has a medium heat and tangy flavor. Or try Valentina, which has smoky notes.
  5. Tabasco: This popular sauce has a sharp, vinegary flavor.
  6. Frank’s hot sauce: This American style hot sauce is known for its use in Buffalo wings, so you could call this Buffalo Hummus if you use Frank’s.
  7. Sriracha: This iconic Thai sauce with a rooster logo has a garlicky, slightly sweet flavor.
  8. Chili garlic sauce: It’s similar to Sriracha but tastes brighter, with a thicker and chunkier texture, made with chilies and lots of garlic.
  9. Sambal oelek: This Indonesian chili sauce is made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger and lime. It has a chunkier texture than Sriracha and little to no sugar.
  10. Gochujang: This Korean fermented chili paste makes a nuanced, funky spicy hummus.

  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
  • Diet: Vegan

A few more hummus recipes

Try our classic hummus recipe, then branch out to beet hummus, green hummus, pumpkin hummus, and the ever popular chocolate hummus!

Mapo Tofu (Vegan)

This Mapo Tofu recipe is a vegan twist on the classic Sichuan dish. It’s made with tender tofu and meaty shiitake mushrooms simmered in a spicy, umami-packed sauce.

The post Mapo Tofu (Vegan) appeared first on Sweet Simple Vegan.

This Mapo Tofu recipe is a vegan twist on the classic Sichuan dish. It’s made with tender tofu, and meaty shiitake mushrooms simmered in a spicy, umami-packed sauce. All you need is 11 ingredients, plus fluffy white rice for serving! 

pot of saucy vegan mapo tofu

Table of Contents

Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to love tofu recipes, but since adopting a plant-based diet over 10 years ago, we’ve found tofu to be one of our favorite ingredients! It’s so versatile and comes in several types of firmness that allows you to recreate several different kinds of flavor profiles and cuisines. 

From our favorite Filipino favorites, including our Tofu Sigsig Recipe, Japanese recipes like Tofu Katsu and Tofu Musubi, Mexican like Tofu Taco Meat, and several Chinese recipes, including General Tso’s Tofu, Orange Tofu, and this spicy Mapo Tofu – Tofu really can do it all.

bowl of vegan mapo tofu served over white rice

What is Mapo Tofu?

Mapo Tofu is a popular Chinese dish best known for it’s bold, spicy, and mouth-numbing flavor, thanks to the doubanjiang (chili bean paste), Sichuan peppercorns, and soft cubes of tofu. It’s traditionally prepared with both tofu and pork or beef, but our version is of course 100% vegan and swaps the meat with meaty shiitake mushrooms.

We think you’ll find this vegan version just as flavor-packed and perfect for weeknights when you’re craving Chinese food! 

shiitake mushrooms, broth, sugar, tofu, sichuan peppercorns, ginger, scallions (whites and greens divided), cornstarch, garlic, red chilis, oil, water, chili bean paste

Ingredients You’ll Need 

  • Sichuan peppercorns: Used to create that signature, tongue-numbing sensation (known as “mala”) you’d experience with a mapo dish.  
  • Vegetable oil: Used to sauté the aromatics and infuse their flavor and aroma into the dish. We prefer vegetable oil in this recipe because it is completely neutral and perfect for sautéing at higher heats. 
  • Aromatics: You’ll need scallions or green onions (both white and green parts), fresh garlic, and fresh ginger to add a savory, spicy flavor base. 
  • Red chilis: The source of spice in the recipe. We recommend using 3-6 red chilies, chopped with seeds included. Decrease this if you are sensitive to heat. 
  • Shiitake mushrooms: Adds umami flavor and meaty texture to the vegan dish. We haven’t tested it, but a 1/2 pound of vegan beef such as Impossible would likely work really well here! 
  • Chili bean paste: Also known as doubanjiang, is essential for a deep, spicy, salty flavor profile. You can typically find doubanjiang at Asian markets or grocery stores; if not, purchase it online!
  • Broth: We used vegan chicken broth to make the dish extra savory, but a vegetable broth of choice would also work well. If you haven’t already, check out our Homemade Vegetable Broth Recipe. 
  • Sugar: A bit of sweet sugar balances the spicy flavors and deepens the overall flavor profile. 
  • Tofu: We find firm tofu to be the perfect firmness for this mapo tofu recipe. It’s soft enough to absorb the flavors in the sauce, but firm enough to hold it’s texture and not break down during the cooking process. You may be able to use medium tofu, but be extra careful to keep it intact when stirring.
  • Cornstarch: A cornstarch slurry helps to thicken the sauce, making it cling to the tofu. We have not tested substituting this with an arrowroot powder slurry, but it may work.  

Full ingredient measurements are found at the bottom of this post in the complete recipe card. 

wok filled with mapo tofu before serving

Equipment Needed

toasting peppercorns in a pan
ground peppercorns
adding ginger to the wok
sautéing green onions, garlic, gingerm and chili peppers
adding diced shiitake mushrooms to the wok
cooked mushrooms and chili peppers in the wok
adding chili bean paste to the wok
adding peppercorns to the wok
adding broth to the wok
mapo sauce in a large wok
adding tofu to mapo sauce in a pot
mapo tofu in a skillet before adding cornstarch slurry

How to Make Vegan Mapo Tofu

  1. Toast the peppercorns. Add the Sichuan peppercorns to a dry pan over medium heat. Toast for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 
  2. Grind the peppers. Transfer the cooled peppers to a mortar or spice grinder. Grind the peppercorns as fine as possible and set aside. 
  3. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and red chilis. Sauté, stirring frequently, until very fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. 
  4. Add the mushrooms and chiles. Add the mushrooms and stir together. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked down and softened about 6-8 minutes. Add the chili bean paste and ground Sichuan peppercorns and mix together.
  5. Bring to a simmer, then add tofu. ​Pour in the broth and sugar and mix to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and gently add the tofu cubes. Shake the wok to nestle the tofu into the sauce, being careful not to break the tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes. 
  6. Add the cornstarch slurry. ​Drizzle the cornstarch slurry around the sauce and tofu. Gently stir and shake the wok to distribute the cornstarch without breaking the tofu. Remove from the heat. 
  7. Garnish and serve! ​Top the vegan mapo tofu with scallion greens and serve over white rice. Finish with chili oil for extra spice, if desired, and enjoy! 
adding cornstarch to water
mixing cornstarch slurry
adding cornstarch slurry to mapo tofu
finished mapo tofu being lifted out of a wok with a white spoon

Serving Suggestions 

Mapo tofu is commonly served as a standalone main over fluffy white rice. However, if you’re looking for a few side dishes to enjoy alongside mapo tofu, here are a few of our favorite suggestions: 

Storage Instructions

Leftover mapo tofu will keep best in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, store the mapo tofu separately from white rice and combine right before serving. 

Freezing is not recommended as it will change the texture of the tofu.

More Vegan Chinese-Inspired Recipes You May Enjoy:

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos! 

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wok filled with mapo tofu before serving

Vegan Mapo Tofu Recipe

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  • Author: Sweet Simple Vegan
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This Mapo Tofu recipe is a vegan twist on the classic Sichuan dish. It’s made with tender tofu and meaty shiitake mushrooms simmered in a spicy, umami-packed sauce. All you need is 11 ingredients, plus fluffy white rice for serving!

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 4 scallions, whites, and greens divided
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
  • 3–6 dried red chilis, chopped, seeds included
  • 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped* (see notes for substitute)
  • 2 tablespoons chili bean paste (doubanjiang)
  • 1½ cups vegan chicken broth (or vegetable broth) 
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 16 oz firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes 
  • Cornstarch slurry (2 tsp cornstarch + ¼ cup water)
  • White rice, for serving

Equipment

Instructions

  1. Toast the peppercorns. Add the Sichuan peppercorns to a dry pan over medium heat. Toast for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 
  2. Grind the peppercorns. Transfer the cooled peppercorns to a mortar or spice grinder. Grind the peppercorns as fine as possible and set aside. 
  3. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add the scallion whites, garlic, ginger, and red chilis. Sauté, stirring frequently, until very fragrant and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. 
  4. Add the mushrooms and chiles. Add the mushrooms and stir together. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are cooked down and softened about 6-8 minutes. Add the chili bean paste and ground Sichuan peppercorns and mix together.
  5. Bring to a simmer, then add tofu. ​Pour in the broth and sugar and mix to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low and gently add the tofu cubes. Shake the wok to nestle the tofu into the sauce, being careful not to break the tofu. Simmer for 5 minutes. 
  6. Make a cornstarch slurry. Mix 2 tsp cornstarch and ¼ cup water in a small bowl until uniform.
  7. Add the cornstarch slurry. ​Drizzle the cornstarch slurry around the sauce and tofu. Gently stir and shake the wok to distribute the cornstarch without breaking the tofu. Remove from the heat. 
  8. Garnish and serve! ​Top the vegan mapo tofu with scallion greens and serve over white rice. Finish with chili oil for extra spice, if desired, and enjoy!

Notes

  • Spices: Sichuan peppercorns aren’t very spicy but have a tongue-numbing sensation. The red chilis have a more traditional “spice”. Adjust both to your preference!
  • Grinding peppercorns: If you don’t have a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, you can add the toasted peppercorns to a ziplock bag and smash with a rolling pin.
  • Mushrooms: You can substitute these with 8 ounces of vegan ground “beef”.
  • Storage: Leftovers will keep best in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, store the mapo tofu separately from white rice and combine right before serving. 
  • Freezing: Not recommended as it will change the texture of the tofu.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Entree
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Chinese

The post Mapo Tofu (Vegan) appeared first on Sweet Simple Vegan.