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.
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. rn”
What You’ll Need To Make Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry
- Soy sauce, dry sherry (or Chinese rice wine), and water: Form the base of the savory sauce.
- Sesame oil: Adds a nutty, aromatic richness to the sauce. Look for toasted (Asian) sesame oil, which is dark in color and nutty in flavor, not the light, untoasted variety.
- 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.
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, 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.
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.
Return the broccoli to the pan and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute.
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!
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Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 lb broccoli, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) florets (or ¾ lb/340 g 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
- 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 in (2.5-cm) of water to a rapid boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 to 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 to 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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.
Comments
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I improvised the recipe a little. I had no vegatables, but I had chicken. It was delicious. My hubby approves. My 2 year old daughter ate all the chicken first. The sauce is excellent! Definitely will use this recipe in the future.
Easy so delicious! Best stir-Fri recipe I’ve tried.
Excellent as is, or with addition of Chicken to make it more filling. I carefully seared the breasts, in strips, seperately and mixed it to the stir-fry at the last step.
loved it, easy to make, added chicken as suggested in one review, cooked it first
This wasn’t a hit in my home. Usually the recipes here are a home run so I had to double check to make sure I didn’t forget and ingredient or something. I used Mirin instead of the Chinese rice wine since it was recommended by someone working in the Asian section at Wegmans. The flavor just wasn’t appealing to any of us.
Hi Maryann, I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy it. Unfortunately, I think you got bad advice on the mirin – it’s not the right substitute for Chinese rice wine.
I was glad to see this recipe was vegetarian. So many times I look at a recipe, thinking it is something I would like to make, only to find one of the main ingredients is chicken stock or that it is heavy on some sort of meat. This is a simple, yet delicious, combination of ingredients that are easy to find and combine together to make a delicious and satisfying meal. Excellent!
Made it yesterday, it was delicious!!! Thank you!
Delicious made exactly as written. Liked the idea of blanching the broccoli. Served over Jasmine rice with some leftover grilled chicken. Perfect dinner.
What a delicious vegetable stir fry. And it’s so easy for a weeknight dinner. This will be in my dinner rotation with the addition of chicken or beef at times.
Secret is in the sauce! Have made this twice already (by request :). The sauce is delicious. I did use low sodium soy sauce (what I usually use) and it tasted great (but saltiness really depends on what you are used to). Can probably mix in almost any combination of vegetables (and tofu/shrimp etc.). I used white button mushrooms instead of shiitake and added snow peas. Blanching the broccoli is worth it and prevents it from being soggy. Fast once you get into the cooking – have everything cut and measured beforehand. Had it once with brown rice and then on its own. Thank you for another great tasting and easy to make recipe!