This 30-min healthy vegetable stir-fry is a perfect fast recipe for when you need to clean up the veggies in your fridge! The simple savory and sweet Chinese stir-fry sauce is so delicious and this recipe makes for a healthy weeknight dinner idea for busy families. Naturally vegan and vegetarian.
This healthy vegetable stir fry is one of our favorite easy and healthy meals to make during the week! The vegan stir fry sauce is quick and easy and it transforms old veggies into a delicious meal before they turn bad.
And who doesn’t like a yummy veggie stir fry? Our favorite vegan stir-fry recipes are this vegan chow mein, bok choy tofu stir-fry, Thai basil tofu stir fry, and this veggie-loaded classic stir-fry all are in a regular rotation in our house. We are obsessed with stir-fries!
What's so great about this healthy vegan stir fry recipe is that you can really use any veggies you want! The sauce comes together so quickly using straightforward ingredients and will be ready by the time the veggies are done cooking. This recipe is done in under 20 minutes, making it such an amazing plant-based weeknight dinner!
Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy & quick recipe with simple steps
- Ultra flavorful stir fry sauce
- Versatile: use any veggies you want!
- Healthy and loaded with good-for-you and high-fiber veggies
- Great way to re-purpose older veggies
- Perfect meatless dinner for your whole family, even kids!
- Amazing dinner for busy weeknight dinners
- Naturally vegan, dairy-free and vegetarian
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Vegetables of your choice: I used onion, red peppers, broccoli, carrots and napa cabbage, but use your favorite ones! Check out below for more ideas.
- Soy sauce: makes for the base of the sauce. Choose low-sodium if possible.
- Rice vinegar: adds a nice tangy taste to the stir fry. Can be swapped for lime juice.
- Maple syrup: I love maple syrup for stir-fry sauces for its mild caramel-ish flavor, but agave nectar works too. I haven't tried, but brown sugar should work as well.
- Fresh ginger root: do not substitute for powdered ginger, fresh ginger gives the sauce such an amazing flavor.
- Garlic: adds so much flavor, also do not swap for garlic powder. I used only 1 clove, but feel free to use more for an extra garlicky sauce.
- Cornstarch: helps thicken the sauce. Arrowroot powder should work too.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients (+ quantities) down below in the recipe card!
✅ Best vegetables for stir-fry
Most vegetables will work great for this recipe, but my favorite vegetables are sweet or yellow onion + carrot + broccoli florets + bell pepper + napa cabbage. Look for a blend of colorful veggies!
Other good choices of fresh vegetables include:
- Cauliflower
- Green beans, snap peas or snow peas
- Mushrooms
- Baby corn
- Green cabbage or bok choy
- Water chestnuts
- Leafy greens, such as spinach or kale
- Bean sprouts
- Bamboo shoots
📝 Variations
Pair this meal with your favorite plant-based protein, such as:
- Roasted tofu: try combining them with this smoky tofu, coconut-crusted tofu or check out this sweet and sour pineapple tofu and this sesame ginger tofu for inspiration!
- Canned chickpeas
- Tempeh: such as this pan-fried marinated tempeh or this baked miso tempeh
- Frozen shelled edamame
- Nuts, like peanuts or cashews. You can roast them first, then add over the stir fry for best texture
How to make this vegetable stir fry recipe
Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the water with the cornstarch. Whisk well until there are no clumps anymore. Then, add the rest of the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and ginger) and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Step 2: Start by preparing all your veggies: peel, clean and chop in bite-size. You want to have everything ready to go! Then, warm up a large wok (or large skillet) on medium-high heat and heat up a little bit of sesame oil (optional). Add your sturdy veggies first and cook for a few minutes while stirring often.
Step 3: Then, add the tender veggies (such as cabbage or leafy greens) and keep stir-frying until they are mostly done, but still crunchy.
Step 4: Whisk in your jar with the sauce (the cornstarch tends to sink to the bottom) and then, pour the sauce mixture over the veggies while stirring constantly.
Step 5: Keep cooking until thickened, which should take about 3-5 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary.
Step 6: Remove from the heat and serve over rice or noodles. Sprinkle your healthy vegan stir fry with green onions and sesame seeds.
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!
💡 Cooking tips
- Plan ahead: whisk the sauce first so it is ready to go once the veggies are done and chop all the veggies before getting started, the cooking process will go fast and it helps to be ready!
- Chop all the veggies about the same size. Also, prepare them all before starting to cook, you don't want to burn or overcook anything while preparing the next veggie to go in. Once you start cooking, it will go fast!
- Work in batches: you will have to add the veggies to the pan at different times depending on how quickly they cook. For example, carrots, onions and peppers should go first, then go the broccoli and cabbage.
- Use high heat: cooking the veggies on higher heat while moving them in the pan often is best when making stir-fries.
- Do not overcook your veggies! This meal is best when they are still crunchy.
- Toasted sesame oil: use it when cooking the vegetables to add flavor.
🍴 Serving suggestions
You can serve this simple vegetable stir fry in a few different ways, it is so versatile! But here are a few ideas:
- Noodles: Asian-style noodles, such as rice noodles, udon, ramen or soba. Zucchini noodles ("zoodles") are great for a gluten-free meal that's packed with even more veggies!
- Rice: Brown rice is a favorite for us, but white rice or cauliflower rice works too.
- Other whole grains: like quinoa, farro or barley.
You can also pair your meal with vegan tofu egg rolls, garlic udo noodles or vegan rice paper rolls!
Storage tips
This recipe makes for great leftovers! Keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can batch-prepare a few lunches to bring to work, simply reheat using the microwave.
❓ FAQs
Frozen veggies work fine, but typically, frozen veggies turn softer after cooking, just something to keep in mind. Let them cook just until thawed and then add the sauce, so you don't end up with soggy veggies!
Yes! Cooking vegetables quickly to keep them crunchy also helps retain their health benefits, plus the homemade stir fry sauce is lower in sodium compared to store-bought stir fry sauces, making this easy dinner very healthy!
🌱 Similar easy healthy meals you might like
I hope you will love this healthy vegetable stir-fry recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let us know how it was.
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Vegetable Stir-Fry (Saucy and Easy)
Equipment
- Large wok or pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Stirring spoon or spatula
Ingredients
For the stir fry sauce:
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ½ cup soy sauce - choose low-in-sodium if possible
- ⅓ cup maple syrup - (+ 1 tablespoon) or agave nectar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 large clove of garlic - crushed
- 1 inch fresh ginger - grated
For the stir-fry:
- 1-2 tsp toasted sesame oil - optional, to cook the vegetables
- 8-9 packed cups vegetables (broccoli, carrot, onion, red pepper, bok choy, snap peas, green cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, etc) - chopped
- cooked brown rice or asian style noodles - for serving
- sesame seeds - for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the water with the cornstarch until there are no clumps anymore. Then, add the rest of the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and ginger) and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Clean and chop the veggies all about the same size.
- Warm up the sesame oil in a wok or a large pan on medium-high heat. Then, add the vegetables and cook by stirring often until tender, but still crispy. Start by adding the tougher veggies such as carrot, and add the tender veggies later on.
- When the veggies are about done, pour the sauce over while stirring (whisk well the sauce in the bowl just before pouring in the pan to dissolve the corn starch as it tends to stick to the bottom).
- Keep cooking on medium-high heat until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and serve over brown rice or noodles. Top with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If your pan is too small for the amount of vegetables, then cook them in two batches. You should be able to return the first batch of cooked veggies to the pan after the second batch is cooked before adding the sauce since the veggies will cook down a lot.
- The leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Ensure not to overcook the veggies! This meal is best when they are crunchy.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Made a version of your stirfry, and we loved it!
I made this tonight and it is delicious. And surprisingly easy to make. Yummy!
On vient de manger ce stir fry! Tout le monde a adoré, délicieux.
This is by far the most delicious stir fry I have ever tasted!! I never cooked with rice vinegar or sesame oil before and I'm sure these ingredients added so much flavour to this dish. Thanks for another great recipe Jessica-- I will have this with some friends once I'm allowed to have people in the house again : )