Vegetable Stir Fry – Cookie and Kate

This vegetable stir fry tastes as good as it looks! It features perfectly fork-tender, seared vegetables in a glossy sauce that leans more savory than sweet. I love the vibrant combination of broccoli, bell pepper, carrot and red onion shown here, but you can change up the vegetables with the seasons.

Serve it as a simple side dish, or turn it into a full meal by adding rice and protein, like the crispy baked tofu shown here. Add a sprinkle of green onion and just-toasted sesame seeds, and this healthy homemade dish will taste much fresher than takeout.

This Veggie Stir Fry is a Little Different

Traditional Chinese stir-fries are cooked over high heat in large woks. In fact, the stir-fry technique became popular hundreds of years ago as a way to cook food quickly to reduce fuel consumption. Cooking in a wok over high heat is an art that takes practice and skill.

Since many of us don’t have woks in our kitchens, I played around with the method and came up with an alternative preparation. It works great in a large skillet (I recommend cast iron or stainless steel), and won’t set off your smoke detector.

Like my Fajita Veggies, it involves covering the pan while the veggies briefly steam. This allows the veggies time to cook over medium-high heat without burning. I’m honestly surprised by how well this method works!

How to Make This Veggie Stir Fry

You’ll find the full recipe further below, but here’s a basic preview followed by a brief instructional video:

1. Whisk together a simple sauce. It’s made with tamari or soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, starch, garlic and optional red pepper flakes, and strikes an irresistible balance between savory and sweet.
2. Toast raw sesame seeds in your skillet until they’re turning fragrant and lightly golden. This step brings out so much extra flavor—it’s definitely worth the effort. We’ll save the seeds for garnish and return the pan to the stove.
3. Cook the onions and carrots in your preferred oil, adding a pinch of salt to enhance their flavor and help release excess moisture.
4. Add the bell pepper and broccoli, plus a splash of water, and cover the pan. The trick is to stir only every minute or so, which allows the veggies time to caramelize against the pan. They’ll be perfectly fork-tender with beautifully seared edges by the time you’re done.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the sauce. The starch will thicken the sauce as it warms from the veggies, and you’ll end up with a glossy finish. Serve the stir fry in bowls topped with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion.

Watch How to Make This Stir Fry

Vegetable Variations

Yes, you can change up the veggies! Keep the onion consistent as it offers some welcome aromatic flavor, but the rest are fair game.

Here’s how:

• Use about 4 cups of tender vegetables, cut into small, evenly sized pieces so they cook evenly. Consider zucchini or yellow squash, asparagus, snap peas, snow peas, cauliflower, baby corn or green beans.
• You can also add 1 to 2 cups chopped greens, like kale, chard or spinach.
• If you’re changing the veggies, cook the onion alone. Then, cook the tender veggies in place of the bell pepper and broccoli used here.
• If you’d like to add chopped greens, add them after uncovering the pan. Cook until wilted while stirring frequently, about 1 minute.

Note that I don’t recommend mushrooms in this recipe, as I’m not sure the steaming method will work for them.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this stir-fry as written for a lovely vegetable-based side dish. Or, turn it into a main dish by serving it over cooked rice, with crispy tofu or fried or scrambled eggs on top, or your protein of choice.

This dish keeps well for up to four days and reheats easily in the microwave.

Please let me know how your dish turns out in the comments. I love hearing from you.

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