Vegan Egg Foo Young Without Tofu

Does Vegan Egg Foo Young sound impossible? It's not! Find out why this delicious recipe is one of my favorite go-to dishes for an easy Chinese dinner.

If you want to avoid tofu, you'll be happy to know these tender, veggie-filled pancakes smothered in mushroom gravy don't contain any bean curd.

Now don't get me wrong. The ever-versatile tofu is still a mainstay in my kitchen. But sometimes you want variety.

Or perhaps you have a family member that prefers not to eat tofu. Thus, this entree is for everyone, including those who are not a fan of the beautiful, jiggly bean curd.

Jump to:

• 🏆 Top tip
• ⭐ Why it works
• 📋 Ingredients
• 🔪 Steps
• 🔑 Key seasoning
• 🧂 Is Himalayan salt the same as black salt?
• 🥚 Vegan egg substitute
• 🍄 Shiitake mushroom sauce
• 🍽 Serving
• 🥙 More vegan International favorites
• 📖 Recipe

🏆 Top tip

Blend the vegan egg foo young batter until it's very smooth, light, and fluffy.

⭐ Why it works

• Vegan egg made from all-natural ingredients.
• Crunchy bean sprouts and water chestnuts.
• Easy Asian-inspired dinner.
• Makes delicious leftovers and freezes well.

📋 Ingredients

🔪 Steps

🔑 Key seasoning

There's one indispensable ingredient in this recipe. That star seasoning is kala namak black salt. I love how the aromatic quality from naturally occurring sulfur compounds in kala namak fools your senses into thinking you are eating eggs. It's truly amazing!

🧂 Is Himalayan salt the same as black salt?

But maybe you are wondering what kala namak salt is? Kala namak also called black salt, starts out as pink rock salt mined near the Himalayas. You can purchase pink Himalayan salt as it is, but it won't have the magical culinary qualities of black salt.

To create the pungent sulfurous aroma of kala namak, pink rock salt is fired in a kiln with charcoal. The high heat transforms compounds in the salt giving the finished product a dark purple-black color as well as its distinct smell.

Once it's finely ground, the "black" salt turns a pinkish color. So, don't confuse gourmet black salts from places other than India with Himalayan black salt. Fortunately, your nose will give you the final confirmation!

🥚 Vegan egg substitute

The blended batter made from yellow lentils and basmati rice is an incredible egg substitute and an excellent source of plant protein.

Ginger and white pepper complement the eggy flavor of the black salt, making each bite of vegan egg foo young scrumptious.

These delicious pan-fried cakes are stuffed with bean sprouts, sweet carrots, and crunchy water chestnuts.

The moong dal batter holds the crunchy fillings together and turns light and springy as it all cooks in a skillet.

The savory vegan pancakes fry up in minutes. I always make a double batch because they make the best leftovers. I pop them in a toaster oven straight from the freezer, if they make it that far!

🍄 Shiitake mushroom sauce

The finished pancakes are topped with a silky baby shiitake mushroom sauce. It's light and glistening, more like a glaze than a heavy gravy. Arrowroot in place of flour or cornstarch is the thickener that gives the sauce its clear appearance.

Look how the precious shiitake mushrooms shine in the finished sauce. The gravy moistens the vegan egg foo young just the right amount without overwhelming the delicate flavors of the water chestnuts and bean sprouts inside.

🍽 Serving

I like to serve this for dinner with steamed rice and bok choy flash braised in vegetable broth. Ladle your mushroom gravy over the pancakes and sprinkle everything with sliced green onion for a complete and satisfying meal.

🥙 More vegan International favorites

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📖 Recipe