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 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!!!