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Made with high-protein seitan, buddha’s delight is a classic Chinese New Year’s dish that makes the perfect quick dinner. It’s the ultimate veggie-packed dish that features loads of flavor and is one of our favorite meat alternatives!
save this recipe!Buddha’s Delight is a Chinese recipe served during the Lunar New Year. Its ingredients vary but often include dried shiitake mushrooms, dried lily buds, and bean curds (to name a few).
This Buddha’s delight recipe is filled with everything from carrots and broccoli to sesame seeds and sliced green onion. For the protein source, we’re using seitan – a meatless alternative with a great texture and an even better taste (thanks to all of the spices and flavorings we’re using!).
Reader rating
“Made the seitan first and then this recipe. Loved it. Made some rice also. The sauce was just right and the seitan was crispy good. Every recipe I’ve used from Sarah has been consistently great.” —Sus
here’s what you’ll need
- Veggies: You can go choose-your-adventure here, but I recommend mushrooms, bok choy, broccoli florets, snow peas, carrots, and/or bell peppers for the vegetables.
- Sauce: This is a blend of five ingredients: toasted sesame oil, freshly grated ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, and honey. You can use low sodium or light soy sauce as needed.
- Seitan: The seitan is sautéd in a splash of oil before adding the veggies back to the pan
- Garnish: Before serving, add in a can of drained bamboo shoots (for crunch) and top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds (for flavor)!
make it vegan
Some vegan eaters say honey is okay, while others prefer to leave it to the bees. If you don’t eat honey but want to enjoy this bowl in all of its vegan goodness, simply replace the honey with equal parts brown sugar, agave nectar, or maple syrup.
let’s make it
Step 1: Cook The Veggies
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or wok (the largest you have) over medium/high heat. Add the sliced veggies, salt, and pepper. Cook until the veggies are slightly softened and golden at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare The Sauce
Meanwhile, add sesame oil to a small pan and heat over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients to warm, remove from the heat, and set aside.
Step 3: Cook The Seitan
Remove the veggies from the large sauté pan and add another splash of oil. Heat over medium/high and then add the seitan.
Step 4: Assemble The Dish
To the pan with the seitan, add the cooked veggies, bamboo shoots, and sauce. Toss evenly to combine. Serve warm, topped with sliced green onions or scallions and sesame seeds.
Easy Buddha’s Delight (Vegetarian Lo Han Jai)
Ingredients
Veggies
- 1 Tbsp oil, 15 mL
- 6 cups chopped veggies, can include mushrooms, bok choy, broccoli florets, snow peas, carrots, peppers etc.
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
Sauce
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 15 mL
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce, 60 mL
- 1 Tbsp honey, 15 g
Assembly
- 8 oz seitan, cut into bite-sized pieces, 226 g
- 1 Tbsp oil, 15 mL
- 1 8-oz can bamboo shoots, drained, 226 g
- To serve: sliced green onions, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Veggies: Heat oil in a large saute pan or wok (the largest you have) over medium/high. Add sliced veggies, salt, and pepper. Cook until veggies are slightly softened and golden at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Sauce: Meanwhile, add sesame oil to a small pan and heat over medium. Add ginger and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients to warm, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Seitan: Remove veggies from the large saute pan and add another 1 Tbsp of oil. Heat over medium/high, then add seitan. Cook, shaking often, until seitan is golden around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Assemble: To the pan with the seitan add back in the veggies, bamboo shoots, and sauce. Toss to evenly combine. Serve warm, topped with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Made the Seiten first and then this recipe. Loved it. Made some rice also. The sauce was just right and the Seiten was crispy good. Every recipe I’ve used from Sarah has been consistently great. Started with the Kombucha
So happy to hear it, Sus! Enjoy! 😀
Hi Sarah: Love your recipes and this morning is the first time I’ve seen them. Will become a daily reference point for cooking.
Also writing as I see you went to Penn State. So did my oldest daughter, Kelly Golden. Many years before you, I’m sure.
Anyway, your site is impressive and as “Young Seniors” (Only in late 70’s), we’ll visit your site daily.
P.S. Notice my email—Irish
So happy you found my site, Joe! And small world – We Are! 😀
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I just made this for dinner, and it is VERY good! I made it without the seitan, because I’m allergic to it, but I will definitely hang onto this one for a fast, easy dinner. If you buy precut veggies, it’s literally 5 minutes to get this on the table.
Awesome recipe! Thanks!
Great idea to use precut veggies! Happy eating 😀
I made this yesterday and it is great. I have never used seitan so I used Impossible Burgers (2 patties) instead and it was perfect.
It sounds great with the Impossible Burgers. So glad to hear it was a hit, Barbara! Happy eating!