Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry
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There is much to love about this Chinese vegetable stir-fry: meaty shiitake mushrooms, crunchy broccoli, sweet bell peppers and a gingery, garlicky brown sauce.
As much as I know it’s true, I’m always amazed by how quick and easy it is to make excellent Chinese food at home — and homemade is so much healthier than take-out. There is much to love about this Chinese vegetable stir-fry: meaty shiitake mushrooms, crunchy broccoli, sweet bell peppers, and a gingery, garlicky brown sauce. Go ahead and buy your veggies ready-cut (if possible) to minimize prep time. And, as with any stir-fry, be sure to have all of your ingredients ready before you start cooking. The dish easily serves four as a side but if you’re making it as a main course, count on two or three servings.
What you’ll need to make a Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry
How to make the stir-fry
Before you get started, chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic. You’ll need them at your fingertips once you start cooking.
Next, whisk the soy sauce, water, dry sherry, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, red pepper flakes and dry mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, bring 1 inch of water to a rapid boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until tender-crisp. (Blanching the broccoli ensures that it is perfectly cooked and bright green.)
Strain the broccoli in a colander and then run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside and allow to fully drain.
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the skillet over high heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and the peppers are softened.
Add the garlic, light-colored scallions, and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Return the broccoli to the pan and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute.
Add the reserved sauce. Toss and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the vegetables are evenly coated, about 30 seconds.
Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the dark green scallions. Serve with rice, if desired, and enjoy!
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Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry
There is much to love about this Chinese vegetable stir-fry: meaty shiitake mushrooms, crunchy broccoli, sweet bell peppers and a gingery, garlicky brown sauce.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
- 1 teaspoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets (or ¾ pound florets)
- 7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white/light green and dark green parts separated
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, water, dry sherry, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, red pepper flakes and dry mustard together. Set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet, bring 1 inch of water to a rapid boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Strain the broccoli in a colander and then run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside and allow to fully drain.
- Wipe the skillet dry. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat over high heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and the peppers are softened. Add the garlic, white/light green scallions, and ginger; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the broccoli to the pan and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Add the reserved sauce. Toss and cook until the sauce is thickened and the vegetables are evenly coated, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with dark green scallions. Serve with rice, if desired.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: About 1-1/4 cups
- Calories: 173
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 1240 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Delicious!!
Hi Jenn,
Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes. I just had a quick question. Can I make this dish in advance, or does this recipe only work well fresh out of the pan?
Warm regards,
Jason
Hi Jason, I think it’s at its very best right after it’s cooked, but this is definitely something you can make ahead and reheat. Hope you enjoy!
I made this last night. I used less mushrooms, added carrots, onions and a can of stir fry vegetables, well-drained. I also doubled the sauce since I added more veggies. For gluten-free, substitute soy sauce for tamari sauce. Served over white rice with green scallions and sesame seeds. It was delicious.
Hi Jen, do you have a recommendation to replace the sherry? Could I use rice wine instead? I just don’t have a bottle of sherry but would love to use this recipe. Thank you so much!
Hi Alison, it’s fine to use Chinese rice wine in place of the sherry. Enjoy!
So very delicious! Made this tonight with veggies on hand — zucchini, yellow onion, baby portobellos, orange bell pepper. Sauce as written (except cognac sub for dry sherry). Served up with rice and added Bibigo beef bulgogi Mandu fried dumplings (Costco freezer section).
Spectacular! Thank you so much for this keeper recipe!
Once again I turned to Jen as my go to site when looking for a recipe. I needed to use up some chicken and some of my garden vegetables (eggplant, red peppers) and other vegs I had on hand (zucchini, red onion & mushrooms). I had found a recipe for most of these same items from a different site, but when I looked at the sauce, it seemed it would be bland. Looked to see what Jen had and found this recipe. Decided to use Jen’s sauce with what I had on hand and it was perfect!
Bottom line, use this sauce for any of your stir fry meals. Excellent base for chicken and pretty much any veggies you have on hand.
Thanks Jen, none of your recipes have ever disappointed.
Definitely cooking this tomorrow as I have fresh vegetables from my garden ready for harvesting. Your recipe made me hungry at 1.55 am. Anyway, I’ll be in touch with the results. Cheers IRO T.
Made this dish and it was delicious!!
This is my favorite stir fry recipe ever. You are my kitchen guru, Thank you!
💗
This is the first recipe on this site which was not a hit for me. I have made many of Jen’s recipes and agree with follower’s ratings, but this one is unfortunately not a winner in my book. There was enough sauce, but it was to salty…albeit even made with Kokkoman’s reduced salt soyasauce.
This is delicious. I’ve been looking for a stir fry sauce that was a little bit spicy. I now have found one. This recipe is easy to make and very quick.
Great recipe. The sauce compliments the broccoli SO well!
This is a delicious recipe! The sauce is spot on. I swapped zucchini for the mushrooms, but didn’t change the taste. I will definitely make it again 🙂
Great recipe, family loved it.
This is my go-to Chinese stir fry sauce now. It’s so easy and the whole family loves it. Thanks for the recipe!
Love, love, love this. A quick healthy meal that is tasty, and beautiful; food for the body and the soul during this cold winter. Thanks.
Not good
This is another one that is on rotation in my home. An excellent brown sauce that can go on all sorts of different stir frys (stores well in an airtight jar in the fridge for 3-4 weeks). Super adaptable in that you can throw in whatever veggie you have. I always add water chestnuts for crunch but you can add almost anything, including a browned meat or shrimp.
I just tried this recipe for the first time a few weeks ago and I’ve already made it twice! I am always on the hunt for good vegetarian recipes and this one is now going in our rotation! The only thing I’ve changed is I use a low sodium soy sauce but otherwise I keep the recipe as is! Thanks for a wonderful vegetarian option!
Very adaptable recipe. I left out the red pepper flakes (don’t like hot spicy) and substituted baby Bella mushrooms for shiitakes. I also added some chopped chicken since my husband can’t live without some meat. It was delicious.
This has become a weeknight staple! So simple and delicious and a great way to use up any veggies we have on hand.
This is my absolute favorite stir fry recipe! So easy and such a hit in my family. I have a shellfish allergy, so I generally do not eat at Chinese and Thai restaurants which often use lots of shellfish in their entrees and sauces. Thanks, Jenn, for including so many great recipes here so that I can tweak them for my needs and get my Asian-style food fix at home!
I doubled the sauce, used snow peas and red peppers, onions, broccoli and tofu. The sauce was great.
You saved lunch today. This was delicious. I’ll be adding it to my go-to stack of recipes. This was so good that my husband who hates mushrooms ate them without a second thought. I can’t wait to try another one from this website.
It was delicious! I used a variety of veggies including red pepper, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, onions and zucchini. May have added a little too much red pepper flakes. Cut the recipe in half for 2 people. It was really good!!!
This stir fry is delicious and is now on my meal rotation! It’s flexible enough you can add additional veggies, chicken and meat if you want. Plenty of sauce with great flavor and tastes great the next day for lunch! We also serve it with coconut rice. Thanks Jen for your great recipes!
Hi Jenn! Do you have any non-alcoholic alternative to suggest instead of using Chinese rice wine?
Hi Maria, I’d just omit it – it will still be good. Enjoy!
I’m guessing you do realize alcohol cooks out of recipes.
We love this recipe. We often add shaved steak or diced chicken, which we marinate in some of the sauce. If you’re a person who enjoys a lot of sauce, double it. We’ve found the veggie combination to be flexible, as long as the quantity remains the same, and we’ve subbed cognac for the wine – turned out great! We highly recommend adding shredded carrots, shredded cabbage and/or canned bamboo/water chestnuts.
Thank you, Jenn, for all your fabulous recipes! My husband thinks my cooking has improved, but I suspect it is just the quality of your recipes!
First time I tried this recipe. My daughter wanted chinese vegetable stir fry. I changed some of the vegetables with no problems. It was delicious and easy to make.
Cooked this today. I’m not used to cooking stir-fry dishes but it was delicious. Thank you. I’ll definitely be making this again….and again…..
I am new to your site. I am a proficient cook, willing to try anything and mostly make it up as I go although I also love new recipes. I was looking for something with a Chinese flavor and came across this recipe.
It was fabulous! My husband and son negotiated for the last of the sauce.
It is a true keeper!
I did not have Sherry so I used an equal amount of good brandy. I also used coconut aminos and monk fruit for the sweetener.
Thank you.
Just made this now!!! Delicious!! That sauce is perfect!!! Thank you for the recipe and all your good recipes!!!
Made this for dinner last night-really good! This will be my go-to recipe for stir fry sauce!
Better than takeout, absolutely delicious. I added chicken and marinated it in a tablespoon or two of the sauce before stir frying it. Nicely balanced recipe, the vegetables were crisp-tender, and I loved the colorful visual appeal of the dish.
Hi Jenn! Is rice vinegar a substitute/the same thing as “chinese rice wine”? If not, what else (non-alcoholic please!) would make a good substitute for it? Do you also have suggestions to substitute the dry mustard? Thank you!
Hi Maria, rice vinegar and Chinese rice wine are two different things. If you don’t want to use any alcohol, I’d just omit the sherry/rice wine. And for the dry mustard, I’d substitute with a scant teaspoon of regular/prepared mustard. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Delicious! Easy to prep ingredients in advance then bring together and cook at mealtime.
Excellent recipe, with some tweaks. No dry mustard so estimated regular mustard, no dry sherry so used mirin & omitted sugar, not a mushroom fan so added asparagus (which I had leftover from your asparagus soup recipe) & edamame. It all worked!!
My husband said it was in top 5 of all I make, & trust me, after being together 40 yrs, one’s cooked plenty! Knowing your recipes, I have no doubt the original will be even better! He loves the asparagus soup too. Have made it 3 times recently. I appreciate your website, the recipes using recognizable ingredients, your prompt feedback to questions. Thanks, Eve
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Flavors were spot on and not too spicy. I added pea pods, water chestnuts & steak. Next time I’ll add chicken and cashews. This also was a very colorful presentation. My family couldn’t wait to try it after they asked me if it was one of your recipes!! All are big hits!! Thanks again.
Can this be made ahead of time and microwaved?
I think it’s probably at its very best right after it’s prepared, but this is definitely something you can make ahead and reheat!
This was great! No one in the house likes mushrooms, so I just made it with chicken & 1.5x the veggies/sauce for a full meal (for 4) over rice. Perfect easy weeknight meal I can whip up somewhere between work & sport practices. I might double it next time so that I can have some leftovers for lunch… I used to have leftovers from recipes like this & then my pre-teen boy turned into a bottomless pit.
Delicious and the sauce was spot on!!!!!!! Wish I had this recipe, long ago.
This will be my main stir fry recipe and I will just alter the ingredients!
Thank you!
I thought this was simple and delicious. I might use 1.5 times the sauce next time which is just a preference. This recipe is a great launch pad for adding other things to your liking, in which case, I would definitely recommend upping the amount of sauce. I used regular soy sauce and didn’t find it too salty. It was not spicy made as written either. I shredded some white meat chicken, and served this over white rice. A nice change of pace and very tasty.
I tried this out today and my husband really liked it. Next time I might add a bit of chicken as a side dish to the vegetables and rice.
I used pea pods, bok choy, green and red peppers, regular mushrooms and a bit of red onions for vegetables in this stir-fry as I had no broccoli.
It was flavourful and just as good as a meal out.
Thanks Jenn.
It’s pretty neat how almost all your recipes are doable by novice cooks.
Great recipe and great results! Blanching the broccoli prior to stir-frying is a great idea.
This soup is great. Was looking to use up a head of cauliflower and this was a big hit with the family!
Just made this and it was super simple and delicious. I found shiitake mushrooms on sale so I looked online for a recipe. The sauce was delicious. I can’t have soy so I used coconut aminos instead and reduced sugar by 1/2 since aminos are a little sweet. I also added zucchini, carrots and snow peas because I wanted more veggies.