Today, we’re making Vegan Ants Climbing a Tree—a vegan and vegetarian version of a beloved Chinese dish!
Traditional Ants Climbing a Tree (蚂蚁上树 – mǎyǐ shàng shù) consists of glass noodles in a tasty, spicy sauce with bits of ground pork and scallions. The long strands of noodle represent the “tree,” while the bits of pork are the “ants,” and the green scallions represent the tree’s leaves.
Who would have thought that this whimsical Sichuan dish would become so popular? Chalk it up to how easy it is to make and the fact that it uses gluten-free glass noodles.
A Spicy Glass Noodle Recipe
While we may be veganizing today, the original DNA of this dish is heat, and there’s no spice lost in this recipe.
This will get your blood pumping and the sweat beading on your brow, and before you know it that lizard part of your brain that says “hey this is kinda painful, but let’s keep eating more” will kick in.
Capsaicin (the key spice-causing “protoalkaloid” that occurs in peppers, if you want to get technical) releases endorphins in the brain, creating a sensation of pleasure that keeps you going. Spicy food can feel addictive! It’s why the rule of the spicier the better applies for our Restaurant-style Salsa! IYKYK…
I say this not to discourage, but to attract spice fiends and encourage you to adjust the amount of spicy bean paste and chili oil that goes into the dish.
What Should I Use for My “Ants”?
Usually, little bits of stir-fried ground pork form the “ants,” and the tangle of glass noodles are the tree bark that they’re climbing. Here, I substituted diced tofu to give the dish a toothsome bite with the noodles.
You could also use minced seitan or mushrooms of your choice. Treat them similarly to the tofu—sauté them until they’re a little golden on the edges.
Make sure that your wok is screaming hot and smoking lightly before you start cooking. This will prevent the delicate tofu from sticking. Read my mom’s post on how to keep food from sticking to a pan or wok to find out why this works!
Make gluten-free ants climbing a tree
Mung bean noodles are naturally gluten-free, but there are some substitutions you need to make to make this dish fully gluten-free if you have a gluten allergy.
If you would like to also make this recipe completely gluten-free, check out our post on gluten-free substitutions. The main culprits to substitute here are the dark and light soy sauces and the spicy bean sauce (la doubanjiang). We’ve got tips for what to buy and how to mimic the right flavors.
Let’s get to it!
Vegan Ants Climbing a Tree Recipe Instructions
Soak the dried mung bean noodles in water for 10 minutes. You can do this while you prep your other ingredients. Drain and set aside.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it’s just starting to smoke. Reduce the heat to low, and add the oil and minced ginger. Cook the ginger for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching it closely to prevent burning.
Increase the heat to high, and add the finely diced firm tofu.
Quickly spread the tofu in a single layer in the wok, and let it brown. Do not disturb the tofu until it forms a crust and pulls away from the surface of the wok. Once golden brown on one side, stir-fry the tofu cubes until golden on most sides and infused with ginger flavor.
Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
Next, clear a space in the center of the wok. Add the spicy bean sauce and fry it for another 30 seconds.
Add the stock (or water and mushroom powder), chili oil, sugar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Bring everything to a boil.
Once boiling, add the glass noodles and scallions.
Stir everything together for 1-2 minutes. It will look soupy, but after a few minutes, the noodles should have mostly absorbed the liquid.
Serve alone, or with steamed rice!
Vegan Ants Climbing a Tree
Ingredients
- 5.25 ounces dried mung bean vermicelli/glass noodles (1.75 ounces/50g = 1 bundle)
- 2 tablespons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 8 ounces firm tofu (finely diced)
- 1 large clove garlic (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon spicy bean sauce (la doubanjiang)
- 2 cups Asian vegetable stock (can substitute store-bought vegetable stock or water mixed with 1 teaspoon mushroom powder)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted chili oil (optional, to taste; if all you have is chili crisp or a store-bought chili oil, taste often to monitor salt levels)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/4 cup scallion (chopped)
Instructions
- Soak the dried mung bean noodles in water for 10 minutes. You can do this while you prep your other ingredients. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it’s just starting to smoke. Reduce the heat to low, and add the oil and minced ginger. Cook the ginger for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching it closely to prevent burning.
- Increase the heat to high, and add the firm tofu. Quickly spread the tofu in a single layer in the wok, and let it brown. Do not disturb the tofu until it forms a crust and pulls away from the surface of the wok. Once golden brown on one side, stir-fry the tofu cubes until golden on most sides and infused with ginger flavor.
- Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Next, clear a space in the center of the wok. Add the spicy bean sauce and fry it for another 30 seconds.
- Add the stock (or water and mushroom powder), chili oil, sugar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Bring everything to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the glass noodles and scallions. Stir everything together for 1-2 minutes. It will look soupy, but after a few minutes, the noodles should have mostly absorbed the liquid. Serve alone, or with steamed rice!
