Healthy Vegetable Stir-Fry — Even if you’re not a big broccoli or vegetable lover, or if you have veggie-resistant family members, this vegetable stir-fry recipe is packed with so much flavor that everyone will forget how healthy it is and how many stir-fry veggies they’re eating!
Healthy Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe
This Asian vegetable stir-fry reminds me of a dish I recently ate at while out, except with way less salt, fat, grease, and it’s much more budget-friendly. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and loaded with so many wonderful textures and amazing depth of flavor.
There are the soft, tender, caramelized sweet Vidalia onions with a bit of garlic, steamed crisp-tender broccoli, chewy baby portobello mushrooms, and crispy red bell peppers.
The vegetables are coated with a simple stir-fry sauce made with apple cider vinegar, honey (use agave to keep vegan), ample fresh ginger, and white miso, also known as sweet or mellow miso.
If you want to add a protein like tofu, tempeh, edamame, chicken, or beef, feel free. I was so satisfied from all the stir-fry vegetables and the salty-sweet, gingery sauce that everything is coated in, that I wouldn’t change a thing.
What’s in Mixed Vegetable Stir-Fry?
For the stir-fry veggies themselves, you’ll need:
- Vidalia onions
- Garlic
- Broccoli
- Baby portobello mushrooms
- Red pepper
- Rice (for serving)
And for the vegetable stir-fry sauce, you’ll need:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Fresh ginger
- White miso paste
- Cayenne pepper
How to Make Vegetable Stir-Fry
The first thing you’ll need to do is chop the onions and garlic and add them to a large wok or skillet to caramelize (this will take roughly 15 to 20 minutes). While the onions are caramelizing, prep the rest of the stir-fry veggies. Chop and steam the broccoli in the microwave, dice the bell pepper and mushrooms, and prep any other vegetables you plan on including.
Once the onions have caramelized, remove them from the skillet and add in the peppers and mushrooms, plus any other vegetables you’re including. Stir together the sauce and pour that in as well, then let the mixture cook for a few minutes until slightly reduced.
Add the broccoli and onions into the skillet and let cook for another minute or so, just to warm everything up and coat the broccoli in the sauce.
I like serving this healthy vegetable stir-fry over a bed of kale or rice!
Can I Use a Miso Substitute?
Miso is widely available in the refrigerated case of natural foods grocery stores, at my Trader Joe’s near the tofu and tempeh, and many mainstream stores. There are no substitutions for the unami flavor it creates. If you want to feel like this DIY stir fry is coming straight out of the kitchen of your favorite Asian restaurant, you need miso.
Soy sauce or tamari may be substituted, but the final flavor of the dish isn’t the same.
Can I Add Other Stir-Fry Veggies to This Recipe?
Yes, of course! You can use this vegetable stir-fry recipe as an excuse to clean out your produce drawer or pantry. There are so many foods that would work well as stir-fry vegetables, including:
- Sugar snap peas
- Snow peas
- Carrots
- Baby corn
- Bamboo shoots
- Water chestnuts
Tips for the Best Vegetable Stir-Fry
Don’t over cook the stir-fry vegetables — you want them to retain some texture and bite! If you cook the veggies in the order I’ve listed in the recipe below, your vegetable stir-fry will turn out perfectly.
Fresh ginger is a key ingredient in this recipe, so I don’t recommend omitting it or replacing with powdered ginger.
Please note the recipe requires you to have moderately fast knife and chopping skills because you’ll be chopping and slicing most of the ingredients while the onions caramelize, including stirring together the sauce. If you’re newer or slower in the kitchen, I recommend chopping everything and making the sauce before beginning to caramelize the onions so you’re not scrambling or stressed.
This Asian stir-fry is best enjoyed right away, but it will keep in the fridge for up to three days. I actually like it cold as well!
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Skinny Broccoli and Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
Vegetable Stir-Fry
- 2 large/extra-large sweet Vidalia onions, sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, minced finely
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ to 2 cups lightly steamed broccoli, from about 1 small/medium stalk of broccoli; I use florets and stalk
- 1 cup sliced baby portobello or white mushrooms
- ½ cup red pepper, diced small (from about 1/2 large red pepper)
- up to 1 cup additional vegetables, optional (such as sugar snap peas, snow peas, carrots, baby corn, bamboo shoots, or water chestnuts)
- up to 1 cup cooked protein, optional (such as seared tofu or tempeh chunks, steamed edamame, chicken, etc.)
- bed of fresh kale or cooked rice for serving, optional
Stir-Fry Sauce
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup honey or agave to keep vegan
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger, reduce if you’re very sensitive to ginger
- 2 teaspoons white miso paste, also know as sweet or mellow miso*
- generous pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste (add more if you prefer a spicier stir fry)
- salt, to taste (will depend on preference and type of miso or soy sauce used)
Instructions
- Stir Fry
- To a large non-stick skillet, well-seasoned cast iron skillet, or wok, add the onions, garlic, sprinkle with salt, drizzle with olive oil, and cook covered over high heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized and as browned, soft, and tender as desired. Stir mixture intermittently, especially towards the end of cooking, to ensure nothing burns.
- While onions are cooking, chop and steam the broccoli. To a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the broccoli, cover with water, cover bowl with plasticwrap, and cook on high power for 3 to 4 minutes, or until broccoli is crisp-tender; don’t overcook. Drain and set aside.
- While broccoli steams and onions continue to caramelize, slice the mushrooms, peppers, prep any optional vegetables or protein you’re using; set aside.
- Sauce
- To a small bowl, add all ingredients and stir to combine; set aside.
- After onions are caramelized, remove them from the skillet and place in a medium bowl; set aside.
- To the skillet (no need to wash it), add the mushrooms, peppers, optional additional vegetables, optional protein, the sauce, and allow mixture to simmer uncovered over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly reduced.
- Add the onions, broccoli, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, just enough to rewarm the onions and broccoli and coat with sauce.
- Taste and if you think it needs a splash of apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, etc., add to taste.
- Serve over a large handful of fresh kale (placing the hot stir fry on the kale allows it to wilt perfectly) or over a bed of rice. Stir fry is best warm and fresh, but leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days and I enjoy leftovers chilled.
Notes
- *A note about the miso paste: I use reduced sodium. No substitutions for the flavor created and highly recommended, however reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari may be substituted
- Please note the recipe requires you to have moderately fast knife and chopping skills because you’ll be chopping and slicing most of the ingredients while the onions caramelize, including stirring together the sauce. If you’re newer or slower in the kitchen, I recommend chopping everything and making the sauce before beginning to caramelize the onions so you’re not scrambling or stressed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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