5-Minute Chinese Meatless Meals: Quick Vegetarian Recipes

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Easy meatless meals

For Ash Wednesday we made a very simple meatless dinner: homemade-style General Tso’s mixed vegetables. It’s my go-to when we want the flavor of takeout without leaving the house.

Here’s how we do it: I ask my husband to pick up General Tso’s sauce from any nearby Chinese restaurant. He calls and orders “Two orders of General Tso’s sauce — just the sauce, for pickup.” That provides enough sauce for a generous family dinner plus leftovers for his lunch the next day.

I prepare brown rice — I prefer the boil-in-the-bag variety because it’s quick and easy. While the rice cooks, I heat frozen stir-fry vegetables in a skillet and stir in the General Tso’s sauce until everything is hot and well coated. I buy a large bag of frozen mixed vegetables when they’re on sale to keep this meal economical; you can also add tofu for extra protein.

To serve, spoon the rice onto plates and pile the saucy vegetables on top. That’s it — a fast, flavorful, meatless dinner that tastes like takeout.

If you want a non-meatless option, add thinly sliced chicken breast to the skillet and cook until done before combining it with the sauce and vegetables. The kids enjoy this version too; on meatless nights during Lent I often serve their portion with fish sticks.

This method is flexible, budget-friendly, and easy to scale for leftovers. Enjoy!

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