Spicy Sichuan Vegetarian Dishes in Toronto: Mapo Tofu & More

Start with Mapo Tofu and Tea Tree Mushroom Pot

If you order only two spicy vegetarian dishes, order these. Mapo Tofu is soft tofu in chili sauce and pepper sauce, hot and savoury and best over rice. Tea Tree Mushroom Fragrant Spicy Pot is a heavier, drier dish built on tea tree mushroom, cauliflower, potato, rice cake, lotus root, green pepper, red onion, Chinese celery and a house spicy paste. They are the two dishes that guests who like real heat ask for first, and the reason we added them to the catering planner as automatic picks when a customer chooses a spicy level.

The two dishes feel different on the table:

• Mapo Tofu is saucy and silky, so it needs rice and rewards a spoon.
• Tea Tree Mushroom Pot is chewy, aromatic and varied in texture, so it works as the centrepiece dish.
• Both are vegetarian with no meat or pork, and both are meant to be shared.

The tea tree mushroom pot contains nuts, and we say so on the menu. If anyone at your table has a nut allergy, tell us when you order and we will confirm the dish, because the kitchen handles nuts.

Add the rest of the spicy Sichuan-style lineup

Two dishes make a meal, but a table of spicy eaters wants range. VegeDelight’s other chili dishes cover different kinds of heat:

• Spicy Double Saute: diced lotus root, veggie ball, chili and pepper, crunchy and dry-fried.
• Sauteed Dried Tofu in Chili Bean Sauce: dried tofu sheet, green pepper, carrot and Chinese chives in a chili bean sauce, firm and deeply savoury.
• Fragrant Eggplant: braised eggplant and textured vegetable protein in a Sichuan-style spicy and sour sauce, softer and tangier than the others.
• Sichuan Cold Noodles: noodles in a Sichuan seasoning sauce, served cold, which makes the heat feel lighter.

A well-built spicy order mixes textures. Pair a saucy dish such as mapo tofu with a dry one such as Spicy Double Saute, add the cold noodles as a starter, and put plain rice or fried rice in the middle. Our fully vegetarian menu works as a stand-alone meal and also fits alongside Thai dishes, which our guide to vegetarian catering in downtown Toronto explains in more detail.

Order by tray size and price for catering

Spicy vegetarian dishes suit catering because they are dense, reheat well and suit rice. VegeDelight trays come in the same two sizes as our Thai dishes: a small tray serves 5 to 6 people and a large tray serves 10 to 12.

For a group of 20, a sensible spicy vegetarian order is one large Mapo Tofu, one large Tea Tree Mushroom Pot, one small cold noodles and rice. Prices are before tax, and our catering page shows the full list.

You can add these trays to any Evergreen Thai order, since the two kitchens are next door and deliver together. Our corporate catering and office catering pages explain delivery within 5 km of 175 Dundas St W and how to combine the two menus.

Keep it vegetarian and honest about ingredients

VegeDelight is fully vegetarian, so there is no meat, and we describe it as no meat or pork. We do not describe it as halal certified, and we do not claim any dish is allergen-free. Evergreen Thai next door is 100% halal, with halal meat sourced from FoodsUp, halal seafood and no pork on the menu, and our halal Chinese vegetarian food guide explains how the two restaurants fit together.

A few ingredient notes for spicy orders:

• Nuts: the tea tree mushroom pot contains nuts. Peanuts and nuts can be packed on the side where they are a topping.
• Egg and seafood: if you have an egg or seafood allergy, tell us and we leave it out.
• Soy and wheat: sauces such as chili bean sauce and soy sauce contain soy, and some contain wheat, so ask if you are avoiding either.
• Heat level: the dishes come with real heat. We can cook mild with spice on the side if your group is mixed.

For a plain-language breakdown of what to ask any caterer, read our ingredient transparency guide.

Build a spicy vegetarian group order

The best use of these dishes is the mixed table, where a few guests want heat and others do not. Put the spicy vegetarian dishes in the middle with a mild Thai curry and a noodle dish, label the heat, and let guests choose.

Three steps make it work:

1. Count the spicy eaters. One large spicy tray feeds 10 to 12, so a group with five spicy eaters needs a small tray, not a large one.
2. Add a mild vegetarian option. Mixed Vegetable Curry or Fried Rice gives cautious guests a full plate.
3. Say the heat level when ordering. Our planner has a spice level field, and choosing spicy puts mapo tofu and the tea tree mushroom pot in your menu.

Our Thai spicy food guide covers the Thai side, so you can pick dishes from both menus.

Understand the different kinds of Sichuan-style heat

Sichuan-style cooking does not have one kind of spiciness, and knowing the difference helps you pick dishes your table will enjoy. The chili is the same ingredient, but the sauce it is cooked into changes how the heat feels.

Four kinds of heat show up across VegeDelight’s spicy dishes:

• Fermented chili bean heat. Chili bean sauce is a salty, fermented paste made from broad beans and chili. It gives a deep, savoury heat rather than a sharp one. You taste it in the Sauteed Dried Tofu in Chili Bean Sauce, and mapo tofu is built on the same idea.
• Dry-fried heat. Ingredients are fried with chili and pepper until the edges crisp, so the heat clings to the surface. Spicy Double Saute, with diced lotus root and veggie ball, is the example.
• Spicy and sour heat. Vinegar and chili together give a brighter, tangier heat that feels lighter. Fragrant Eggplant, in a Sichuan-style spicy and sour sauce, sits here.
• Pot heat. A fragrant spicy pot layers a house spicy paste through many ingredients, so each bite is a little different. The Tea Tree Mushroom Fragrant Spicy Pot works this way.

A good rule for a group is to pick dishes from at least two kinds. Two fermented, saucy dishes taste similar side by side, while a saucy dish next to a dry-fried one gives the table contrast. Cold dishes such as Sichuan Cold Noodles carry heat too, but the cold temperature makes it feel milder, which helps guests who are new to the style.

You can also order these dishes one at a time. VegeDelight is open next door to Evergreen Thai at 173 Dundas St W, and its full menu shows the dishes you can order individually.

Buy dried mushrooms in Toronto to cook these dishes at home

Mushrooms carry much of the flavour in Sichuan-style vegetarian cooking, because they give the savoury depth that meat gives elsewhere. Several of VegeDelight’s dishes are built on them: tea tree mushroom in the spicy pot, lion’s mane in the sweet and sour dish, bolete in the sauteed bolete, chanterelle in the chanterelle fried rice, and cordyceps flower with black fungus in the braised lily and snow pea. Dried mushrooms are the practical way to cook these at home, since drying concentrates their flavour and keeps them for months in the pantry.

If you want to cook with them in Toronto, our partner Fungi Origin sells dried mushrooms and fungi from an Ontario warehouse. Their range lines up closely with the dishes above:

• Tea tree mushroom, the base of the fragrant spicy pot.
• Lion’s mane, firm and meaty once soaked.
• Chanterelle and sliced porcini, for fried rice and sauteed dishes.
• Cordyceps flower, black fungus and cloud ear fungus, for braises and cold dishes.
• Morel, oyster mushroom and antler mushroom, for something different.

Fungi Origin describes its goods as sourced from Asia’s leading growing regions and quality-checked before they are stocked. Delivery is free within the Greater Toronto Area on orders over C$350, which suits a restaurant kitchen, a large household or a few friends ordering together.

A few tips for cooking with dried mushrooms:

1. Rinse, then soak. Rinse off any grit, then soak in warm water for 20 to 40 minutes until soft. Thicker mushrooms take longer.
2. Keep the soaking water. Strain it and use it in the sauce or braise, because it holds much of the flavour.
3. Cook them through. Rehydrated mushrooms should be fully cooked before eating.
4. Store them dry. Keep dried mushrooms sealed in a cool, dark cupboard.

Ready for a spicy vegetarian order?

Tell us your headcount and heat level, and the planner will build the menu. Get a catering quote, or call +1 416-581-8668 and we will help you pick between the dishes.