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.”
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
Filled with meaty shiitakes, crunchy broccoli, and sweet bell peppers, this Chinese vegetable stir-fry always satisfies.
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 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
- 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.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
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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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.