Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry

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Quick, flavorful, and full of vibrant veggies—this Chinese-style stir-fry is the perfect healthy side or vegetarian main course.

Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry

As much as I know it’s true, I’m always amazed by how quick and easy it is to make great Chinese food at home—like this vegetable stir-fry, which features meaty shiitake mushrooms, crunchy broccoli, and sweet bell peppers in a gingery, garlicky brown sauce. To save time, buy pre-cut veggies if you can. And, like any stir-fry, have all your ingredients ready before you start cooking—it comes together fast. This dish serves four as a side, or two to three as a vegetarian main course.

“This is my go-to Chinese stir fry sauce now. It’s so easy and the whole family loves it.”

Carolyn

What You’ll Need To Make Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry

Stir-fry ingredients including soy sauce, sesame oil, and ginger.
  • Soy sauce, dry sherry (or Chinese rice wine), and water: Form the base of the savory sauce.
  • Asian/toasted sesame oil: Adds a nutty, aromatic richness to the sauce.
  • Sugar: Balances the flavors with a touch of sweetness.
  • Dry mustard: Adds a mild tang.
  • Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce for a smooth, glossy texture.
  • Red pepper flakes: Adds a bit of heat and spice to the dish.
  • Vegetable oil: Used for stir-frying the vegetables at high heat.
  • Broccoli, shiitake mushrooms, and red bell pepper: These veggies provide a mix of crunch, earthy flavor, and sweetness, making up the bulk of the stir-fry.
  • Garlic and fresh ginger: Provide fragrant, aromatic depth of flavor.
  • Scallions: White/light green parts flavor the base of the dish, while the dark green parts are used as a garnish.
  • Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

Step-by-Step Instructions

Before you get started, chop the scallions, ginger, and garlic. You’ll need them at your fingertips once you start cooking.

Diced vegetables on a cutting board.

Next, whisk the soy sauce, water, dry sherry, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, red pepper flakes and dry mustard in a small bowl. Set aside.

Whisk in a bowl of sauce.

In a large nonstick skillet, blanch the broccoli by bringing an inch of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for a few minutes, until tender-crisp. Strain in a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to drain completely for perfectly cooked, bright green broccoli.

Broccoli in a skillet.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the skillet over high heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms and red peppers, and cook, for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned and the peppers have softened. Then add the garlic, light-colored scallions, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Skillet of vegetables cooking.

Return the broccoli to the pan and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute.

Broccoli in a skillet with seasonings and other vegetables.

Add the reserved sauce to the skillet and cook until it is slightly thickened and the vegetables are nicely coated. Transfer the stir-fry to a serving dish and sprinkle with the dark green scallions. Serve with rice, if desired, and enjoy!

Stir fry sauce in a skillet with vegetables.

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Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry

Filled with meaty shiitakes, crunchy broccoli, and sweet bell peppers, this Chinese vegetable stir-fry always satisfies.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • 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 (see note)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, water, dry sherry, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch, red pepper flakes and dry mustard together. Set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • love this queenie. i took a few liberties but your sauce was phenomenal.

    • — Jessamin Ato on September 25, 2024
    • Reply
  • Hello Jenn,
    After trying many of your fabulous sauces with raw vegetables, I was looking for a change. This one is now in the recipe box. Yum.
    When I first looked at it, there’s a lot of things going on in a short period of time which felt a bit intimidating. Anyway, got all the stuff including some sweet cooking rice wine, “Mirin?” When I tasted your sauce, pre-cooking, it was very tasty. I chopped a variety of veg, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower instead of all broccoli… Blanching completed.
    Then, doubt set in about the fast cooking times as I feared everything would be raw. So for the pepper and shitake I let go longer. Wrong. Confidence renewed, I followed the other times. The process is so much fun with the high heat, vent fan, steam, noise, and smells from all the ingredients. At the end, I almost forgot the dark green scallions.
    An out of this world flavor even with my mistakes accompanied an exciting/intense preparation.

    • — Keith Taylor on December 20, 2023
    • Reply
    • I love the description of your experience cooking this! So glad you enjoyed it. 😊

      • — Jenn on December 21, 2023
      • Reply
    • In the UK we have light soy sauce or dark soy sauce and when recipes only describe SOY sauce I’m never sure which one to use. Can you clarify for me?

      Thanks

      • — Bill on October 3, 2024
      • Reply
      • Hi Bill, I’m honestly not sure! I looked online and see some conflicting information. I’m hoping someone else from the UK can weigh in. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!

        • — Jenn Segal on October 3, 2024
        • Reply
  • I made this tonight and I just snuck a taste! It is the best recipe for stir fry I’ve ever made and I’ve tried a lot of recipes. Thank you for this incredible recipe!

    • — Mary Miller on October 17, 2023
    • Reply
  • Just made this recipe and loved it so easy to prepare and cook. Had to substitute cayenne pepper for the red pepper flakes. Served it with salmon. Will definitely be making this again.
    Thank you

    • — Lin Hitchins on June 27, 2023
    • Reply
  • I love Jen’s recipes so much! But this came out so salty i had to throw it out.
    I followed the instructions so i dont understand why this happened. Maybe i did something wrong and didnt realize it?
    I am not sure what went wrong.

    • — AC on May 28, 2023
    • Reply
  • It was fun to make. I made a slightly pared down version of this by skipping the red peppers and using dehydrated green onion- , but wow this recipe was very tasty, plus it was also well appreciated by my (picky) 70 yr old husband!

    • — Ali J on February 17, 2023
    • Reply
  • 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!

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