These easy and delicious Kung Pao chickpeas are made mostly with pantry staples. The spicy, tangy sauce is reminiscent of Chinese takeout, but healthier and vegan! Easily gluten-free and comes together in a snap.
In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, vinegars, agave nectar, and chili sauce. Taste the mixture and adjust quantities as desired.
Whisk in the water and cornstarch, taking special care to dissolve any lumps of cornstarch. Set the sauce aside.
For the Kung Pao chickpeas:
Heat the toasted sesame oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add the celery and half of the scallions, and cook, continuing to stir, for another 60 seconds until the celery is softened.
Add the Sichuan pepper, red pepper flakes, and peanuts, stir, and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds until the pepper is roasted and fragrant.
Continuing to stir, add the bell pepper and cook for about 2 minutes until the bell pepper is crisp-tender.
Stir in the chickpeas, collard greens, and prepared Kung Pao sauce. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the collard greens are bright green and tender; and the sauce has thickened to coat the chickpeas and vegetables. At this point, the dish is ready. The longer you cook it, the thicker the sauce will get, so this is a matter of your preference.
Serve over rice or accompaniment of choice, garnished with the other half of the scallions, and more peanuts if desired.
Notes
It's very important for this (and my other stir-fry recipes) to have all of your ingredients and seasonings prepped and ready to go. The cooking steps go in quick succession.MAKE AHEAD: In advance you can whisk together the sauce ingredients except for the water and cornstarch. You can also slice the bell pepper and scallions in advance. Rice can be pre-cooked and reheated.VARIATIONS: Add different vegetables of choice. Hearty greens should be added when the recipe says to add the collard greens. Other vegetables (e.g. broccoli, onion strips, snap peas, etc.) should be added when the recipe says to add the bell peppers. Quick cooking greens like spinach should be wilted in right at the end.