Stir Fry Vegetables Recipe
Veggie lovers, rejoice! These stir-fry vegetables are jam-packed with veggie goodness and smothered in a lip-smacking sauce. Serve over rice or with noodles for a great option for “Meatless Mondays” or any time you want to get more veggies in your diet. Your family will be gobbling it up in no time!
While I like to indulge in hearty dishes like my Copycat Wendy’s Chili recipe, I also like dishes that are loaded with vegetables, like my Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry.
There are times that you just need to load up on veggies – know what I mean? This recipe will be your new favorite way to get in lots of nutrients while filling you up.
You can make a pot of rice and this dish all in about half an hour. That’s quicker and healthier than getting takeout!
How To Make Stir-Fried Veggies
There are two components of this recipe: the stir-fry sauce and the vegetables. Making the sauce ahead of cooking is important because once you get the wok going, you’ll need to keep an eye on it. There’ll be no spare time for measuring and mixing.
- Soy sauce or tamari – Look for low-sodium soy sauce. If you avoid gluten, use tamari which is usually gluten-free soy sauce.
- Ginger – You can mince ginger or buy preminced in the produce section. (I like to simplify, so I buy pre-minced. It also lasts for quite a while.)
- Garlic – The same as ginger – you can mince fresh garlic or use pre-minced.
- Rice vinegar – Don’t substitute other kinds of vinegar for this. Rice vinegar has a slightly sweet flavor and it helps to provide balance.
- Sesame oil – You can use regular or toasted sesame oil.
- Honey
- Chili paste
- Cornstarch
The stir-fry sauce directions are quite simple: whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.
For the stir-fry vegetables, I recommend the following veggies:
- Red bell pepper – Slice the red bell pepper into thin, long strips.
- Carrots – I prefer to use matchstick carrots that you can find in the produce section. You can also use regular carrots cut thinly on the bias.
- Celery – chop it into moon-shaped pieces. If you don’t like celery, you can substitute sliced green cabbage.
- Button mushrooms – These are the little white mushrooms that you see in the store. You can also use Baby Bellas or creminis. (They are all in the same family.)
- Baby corn – If you use canned baby corn, be sure to drain it before adding it to the stir fry. (Look for fresh baby corn at Trader Joe’s.)
- Bamboo shoots – I recommend using canned shoots. Again, be sure to drain them prior to using.
- Water chestnuts – Look for canned, sliced water chestnuts. Drain before using.
For cooking and the garnish, you will need:
- Olive oil
- Sesame oil
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Fresh cilantro – This will be used as a topping/garnish. Remove the stems and chop.
- Sesame seeds – This is another garnish and you can use white or black sesame seeds or a combination of both.
(See the recipe card for the quantities.)
Instructions
First things first – make sure you have the stir-fry sauce made, the vegetables chopped, and the cans drained. It will save you so much frustration later on. (If you like French cooking, then you probably recognize this as mis en place – having everything in its place.)
Begin by heating a large wok on medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sesame oil. Stir fry ginger in the wok for 30 seconds
Next, add red pepper, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add corn, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts to the wok. Stir fry the veggies for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add garlic and stir fry for one minute or until fragrant. Pour the stir fry sauce over the vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes to heat the sauce.
Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.
Hint: If the sauce is not thick after adding it to the stir fry, you can add additional cornstarch in 1/2 teaspoon intervals to thicken the sauce.
Variations
Have diet restrictions? This recipe is pretty flexible. Feel free to modify it to make it work for you.
- Gluten-free – use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce.
- Vegan – use agave nectar instead of honey.
- Spice lover? – add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of chili pepper flakes while cooking to increase the heat in the dish.
Equipment
For this recipe, I recommend using a large wok. If you don’t have one, a large (and I mean LARGE) skillet should do the trick. You want to have room to move those veggies around.
Food safety
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at the CDC.
Stir Fry Vegetables
Equipment
- Wok or skillet
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- ยผ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- ยผ cup rice vinegar
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili paste
- 1 ยฝ – 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Stir Fry Veggies
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ยฝ cup chopped celery
- ยฝ cup button mushrooms sliced
- 5 ounces baby corn
- 8 ounces bamboo shoots
- 8 ounces water chestnuts sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ยผ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Stir Fry Sauce
- Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, honey, garlic, chili paste, and cornstarch in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
Vegetable Stir Fry
- Heat a large wok on medium-high heat and add olive oil and sesame oil.
- Add ginger to the wok and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add red pepper, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add corn, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts to the wok. Stir fry for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and stir fry for one minute or until fragrant.
- Pour stir fry sauce over vegetables and cook for 1-2 minutes to heat the sauce.
- Serve warm topped with cilantro and sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Be sure to come back and tell us how your stir-fry turned out!