Slow Cooker Kung Pao Cauliflower
Slow Cooker Kung Pao Cauliflower is ridiculously easy to make in your crock pot and the best alternative to Chinese takeout. My homemade Sichuan-style kung pao sauce is brimming with spicy, sweet, and salty flavors, slow-cooked with veggies for a satisfying meal that’s gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan.
Kung pao is a spicy Chinese dish you may recognize from your local takeout menus. It usually comes stir-fried, with kung pao chicken being the most common variation made with cubed chicken, veggies, and classic, tongue-tingling kung pao sauce.
The Sichuan-style sauce has a strong, sweet, and complex flavor that comes from ingredients like soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and chilies. It’s mouthwatering in a stir-fry and even more delicious when it’s slow-cooked!
Ingredients:
For the Kung Pao Sauce:
- ½ cup tamari or gluten free soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup agave nectar or honey
- 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes
For the Cauliflower:
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 16 ounces) 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1” pieces
- 4 green onions, cut into 1" pieces
- 6 dried red chili peppers
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup peanuts or cashews, crushed