Vegan Moo Shu Vegetables
I discovered moo shu vegetables a few decades ago, after I graduated from college and was working a corporate job.
My husband and I had weekend rituals. On Saturday, the routine was always workouts in the morning, then heading to the library to work a bit before spending the evening and nighttime with friends and family. Sundays, my favorite, were for sleeping in, brunch, chorus and reading.
On Sunday evenings, we’d almost always have Chinese food for dinner, then watch a movie at the theater. We love Chinese food, especially dishes loaded with vegetables. That’s when I discovered moo shu. For me, it was a guilt-free meal, especially when we’d ask for sauce on the side.
My moo shu vegetable recipe is vegan, loaded with vegetables, and comes together in 30 minutes.
What I love about this dish is that I can prepare it ahead of time, and on a busy weeknight when I have less than 10 minutes to make dinner, I can quickly stir-fry the vegetables with the sauce, and voila! I have a delicious, healthy, warm dinner ready.
What Is Moo Shu?
Moo shu is a traditional northern Chinese stir-fry made with meat, cabbage, scrambled eggs, shiitake mushrooms, and green onions, seasoned with minced ginger and garlic, soy sauce, and rice cooking wine. It’s served with rice or noodles in China or warm tortillas in the U.S.
This version, though, is vegan. We leave out the egg and meat, and instead let the veggies (carrots, shiitake mushrooms, red bell pepper and cabbage) shine.
I do not add tofu to this dish. I have tried it in the past, and honestly, I did not like it. Instead, I love the crunchy texture of the celery, carrots and cabbage. In this way, it’s similar to my pad thai salad bowl; they both don’t need it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Some veggie stir fry recipes are all about the sizzle. You know the moment. The wok is smoking hot. The garlic hits the oil. The whole kitchen smells like your favorite takeout spot. That’s moo shu night at my house.
Ribbons of carrot and celery. Silky shiitake mushrooms. Sweet red pepper and tender cabbage. All tossed in a glossy hoisin-soy sauce with a little white pepper heat.
Everyone grabs a warm wrap, swipes on a little extra hoisin and rolls their own. It’s interactive, it’s colorful, and it disappears fast.
But as well as being fun to make and eat…
- They’re crunchy and savory: Wrapped up in a warm pancake or tortilla wrap, they’re a takeout night made at home, sort of like my vegan pad thai and broccoli with garlic sauce!
- They’re quick to make: You can have them ready in 30 minutes, and in under 10 if you prep ahead.
Why Cook Each Vegetable Separately?
Using my method for vegan moo shu vegetables, we first stir-fry each vegetable on its own before bringing them together.
There’s a reason for this. Each vegetable cooks at its own pace, so cooking each one independently makes sure that it stays crunchy.
Throw them in all together, and you may end up with some veggies that are perfectly crunchy but others that are overcooked.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
This recipe uses:
- Shiitake mushrooms: Fresh, thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms work best. If you only have dried shiitake mushrooms on hand, that’s also fine. Dried mushrooms need to be soaked in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, then sliced. Save the soaking liquid! It’s packed with flavor and is delicious when added to soups.
- Hoisin sauce: Check the label, as some brands aren’t vegan! I like to save a bit extra for serving at the end, too.
- Chinese cooking wine: If you don’t have this, dry sherry is the closest swap. For an alcohol-free option, use one tablespoon of vegetable broth with a few drops of rice vinegar.
- Carrot and cabbage: They’re nice and crunchy, and on busy nights, a bagged coleslaw mix is a great shortcut.
- Light soy sauce: If you want the dish to be gluten-free, swap it for gluten-free soy sauce.
- Tortillas: I use flour tortillas to wrap my moo shu vegetables, but thin Mandarin pancakes are traditional and it’s also lovely over rice or noodles.
Can You Make Moo Shu Gluten-Free?
My moo shu vegetable recipe can easily be made gluten-free. The three main problem-makers are the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and Chinese cooking wine.
Swap out the soy sauce for a gluten-free soy sauce. Check the label for the hoisin sauce to make sure it’s gluten-free before you add it in. Finally, use dry sherry as a substitute for the Chinese cooking wine.
When it’s time to wrap the stir-fried veggies in something, you can use gluten-free tortilla wraps instead of the standard flour version. A few small swaps and you’re all set!
What To Wrap Moo Shu Vegetables In
Wrapping the veggies is the fun part! I personally use tortilla wraps because they’re so easy to reach for, and smaller flour tortillas also work beautifully.
For a lighter wrap, try crisp lettuce cups (it’ll work similarly to my tofu peanut lettuce wraps!)
The traditional way to wrap moo shu is using thin Mandarin pancakes, which are very delicate and light wraps made from just flour, water and a light coating of oil.
Honestly, moo shu is also lovely over rice or noodles, so even if you don’t have wraps ready to use, you can make this dish with the rice in your pantry.
Meal Prep and Storage
I love to prep my moo shu vegetable recipe ahead of time. Doing this makes for a quick 10-minute dinner!
- Julienne and slice all the vegetables up to three days in advance.
- Store each vegetable in its own airtight container in the fridge, with a damp paper towel to keep them crisp.
- Mix the sauce and keep it in a small jar.
- On busy nights, stir-fry the vegetables as directed, then combine them with the sauce.
Any leftover cooked vegan moo shu can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
When you want to use it again, reheat it quickly in a hot pan so that the veggies stay crisp, and warm the wraps just before serving.
Vegan Moo Shu Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, (plus extra for serving)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, (minced)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil, (divided)
- 3 cups carrots, (julienned)
- 3 cups celery, (julienned)
- 1 red bell pepper, (thinly sliced)
- 10 fresh shiitake mushrooms, (thinly sliced)
- 2 cups cabbage, (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoons leek, (finely chopped, optional)
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
- Tortillas or gluten-free tortillas
Instructions
- Stir together light soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, white pepper, and salt. Set aside.
- Heat wok over high heat with ½ tablespoon oil, then stir-fry julienned carrots for 90 seconds, remove and set aside.
- Using the same method, with ½ tablespoon oil each, stir fry celery, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms, and cabbage all separately, then set aside. (Be careful not to overcook the vegetables; you want them crunchy!)
- Heat wok over high heat again with remaining tablespoon oil, then add minced garlic and leeks.
- Stir fry until the leeks are just wilted (about 2 minutes), then add carrots, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, and cabbage back to the wok.
- Spread Chinese wine around the perimeter of the wok, then add in the sauce mixture.
- Stir fry everything together for another minute.
- Serve immediately with hot tortillas.
BON APPÉTIT!
Nutrition
FAQs
Traditionally, Chinese moo shu is made with meat, egg, cabbage, mushrooms and green onion. This vegan version doesn’t use any meat or egg, only vegetables.
To make moo shu vegetables, first make the sauce by combining light soy sauce, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, white pepper, and salt together. Each vegetable should be cooked separately, beginning with the carrots, celery, red bell pepper, shiitake mushrooms and cabbage. Finally, cook the minced garlic and leeks for about two minutes and then combine them with the original veggies and sauce for another minute.
This recipe includes carrots, celery, red bell pepper, cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms. It also contains sesame oil, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce; the nutritional values will depend on the brands and wraps you use.
The restaurant versions of moo shu are not naturally vegan. They typically contain eggs and meat. At home, you can make moo shu vegan by leaving out the eggs and meat. Make sure to check the label for the hoisin sauce, as not all brands are vegan.
Moo shu is traditionally wrapped in Mandarin pancakes. However, you can also use flour or gluten-free tortilla wraps to reduce the preparation time. For a lighter version, serve it in lettuce cups. Moo shu can also be served over rice or noodles.
Yes. You can slice the veggies up to three days in advance and make the sauce and keep it in a jar ready for those busy weeknights. Then, when it’s time to stir-fry the vegetables, it should take you less than 10 minutes to cook them through and mix in the sauce. Any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy and may vary depending on ingredients used. This content is not intended as medical or dietary advice.
