Vegan Mu Shu

I’ve been eating a version of mu shu since I was a child, and as an adult, it’s a dish that I’ve been making for years.  Mu shu is a wonderful Chinese cabbage dish, that is served in a thin flour tortilla-like pancake and then drizzled with hoisin sauce.

The version that I’m sharing today is a vegan Americanized version of mu shu vegetables. This recipe is a really easy way to make mu shu by using bagged ready-to-eat coleslaw cabbage mix that’s found in your grocer’s salad case. {Gasp!} Honestly, I learned this trick from my Taiwanese mother, and I think she’s a genius for figuring out this short cut!

So, lets make mu shu!

First, make some peanut powder by placing a half of a cup of peanuts (I used Costco roasted and salted peanuts) with a couple of tablespoons of sugar into the processor bowl of a food processor (or blender).

Blend the mixture until crumbly. Set aside.

Next, prepare the tofu. Recipe for baked tofu is HERE. Allow time for preheating the oven and pressing the tofu. Tofu is completely optional for this dish. Honestly, we don’t always eat our mu shu with baked tofu, but adding it to this dish will make it more of a complete meal.

Next, in a very large pan or wok, sauté three cloves of minced garlic and a couple of diced green onions in a teaspoon of unflavored oil (I used canola). Cook until fragrant. Make sure to not overcook the garlic and onions because the garlic will become bitter if it burns.

Next, add sliced crimini mushrooms. I used about four medium/large mushrooms. Often, I use rehydrated shitake mushrooms, but crimini mushrooms are easier to find at typical supermarkets so that’s a bonus! Cook the mushrooms for a minute. Then, add a teaspoon of soy sauce and a scant teaspoon of sesame oil. Now, cook the mushrooms for about 5 more minutes.

Next, chop a handful of snow pea pods, and then place them in wok with the mushrooms.

Let the mushrooms and peapods cook for about one minute.

Lastly, add the bag of slaw mix to the pan. If there is no celery already in the bag of slaw, add one stalk of thinly sliced celery (or a half teaspoon of celery seed). Season with two tablespoons of soy sauce. 

Note: Using celery seed is easier than fresh celery, but use whichever you have the energy for. It’s delicious both ways! Today, I used celery seed because I was feeling more on the lazy side… 🙂

Cook the cabbage for about four more minutes, using tongs to rotate the vegetables in the pan so that it cooks evenly. Remove from heat when cooked through.

Before serving, get out the peanut powder, cilantro leaves, mu shu pancakes, and hoisin sauce. Mu shu pancakes can be found in the freezer section in Asian grocery stores . If you don’t have time to purchase them, flour tortillas work well, too. Honestly, most of the times that I make mu shu, my family uses flour tortillas because they are a staple in my fridge… shhhh… don’t tell my mom!

To assemble, first, place a mu shu pancake/tortilla on a plate…

Then, scoop the cabbage mixture onto the tortilla. Next, add the tofu. Sprinkle on the peanut powder, garnish with cilantro, and additional green onions.

Lastly, drizzle on the hoisin sauce. Oh goodness… this is delish! I hope you enjoy it!