Why I Love Vegetable Stir Fry Recipes

Stir fry cooking has all the time been a gentle thread in my life, regardless of the place I’ve lived. I grew up watching my mother stand over a wok in our household kitchen in Beijing, turning easy greens into a colourful plate that was filled with taste and nourishment. At the moment, as a working mother, stir frying helps me carry extra greens onto the desk with out overthinking. I really like how straightforward it’s to construct a balanced meal with only a few easy components, particularly when time is brief or the fridge appears uninspiring.

I believe stir fries make it straightforward to eat more healthy, get pleasure from greens in new methods, and fulfill everybody on the desk, youngsters included. It additionally has turn into my best strategy to carry the soul of Chinese language house cooking into any kitchen I step into. The acquainted sizzle of garlic hitting a scorching wok, the aromatic of recent ginger, the savory depth of soy sauce, and the brightness of scallions all the time take me again to the meals I grew up consuming in Beijing. These components are the inspiration of so many stir fry dishes in my assortment.

Since my early days of running a blog, I’ve been accumulating and refining stir fry recipes that mirror how I truly prepare dinner at house. At the moment I’m sharing my 20 favourite Chinese language vegetable stir fry recipes that I make usually. They’re prepared in half-hour or much less, and I genuinely advocate including them to your individual cooking routine. Similar to my associates who didn’t develop up with Chinese language cooking, you could be stunned by how stir frying makes even easy greens attention-grabbing. It provides a complete new dimension of taste that steaming or boiling simply can’t match.

20 Greatest Chinese language Vegetable Stir Fry Recipes

Over time, I’ve realized a number of useful tips: prep all the pieces forward because the cooking strikes quick, use a excessive warmth oil for the very best sizzle, slice greens evenly, and maintain the sauce easy so the components communicate for themselves. Now, go forward and discover my 20 stir fry dishes that spotlight greens in recent and scrumptious methods.

For me this recipe represents a real weekday dish that also holds the consolation of house cooking. I grew up surrounded by vegetable dishes on the dinner desk, and this cabbage and glass noodle stir fry jogs my memory of my mother’s meals the place easy components spoke volumes. It takes solely quarter-hour complete, sure that’s proper! Additionally, it’s removed from difficult however nonetheless rooted in the best way I realized to prepare dinner.

What I really like about this dish are the three core components that make it work. The mung bean vermicelli, or glass noodles, flip silky as they take in the sauce. The cabbage I minimize into half inch items retains its crunch and sweetness. And the garlic (with dried chili in order for you slightly warmth) provides that acquainted aroma I affiliate with Chinese language house kitchens. I usually serve this by itself for a lightweight meal or with steamed rice and a protein for one thing extra substantial.

The rationale I chosen this recipe for the gathering is as a result of it displays what I worth most about stir frying: recent components, easy steps, and satisfying outcomes which can be straightforward to share with associates any day of the week. They all the time thank me as a result of it helps them benefit from the greens they used to name boring. In the event you maintain a pack of glass noodles and a head of cabbage readily available, you will have zero excuses to not make this recipe.

You haven’t any thought how obsessed I’m with this eggplant stir fry, which is why I created a model that basically elevates the eggplant in a method I’m proud to serve. My recipe takes 25 minutes to prep and delivers crisped eggplant coated in a wealthy sauce that, belief me, is greater than worthy of serving to company.

I easy use lengthy Chinese language eggplant (or common eggplant) which I put together by soaking then coating with cornstarch so it retains texture and absorbs taste; garlic and ginger; and a sauce combining Chinkiang vinegar, mild soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and inventory which delivers the hot-and-sour savor that provides the dish its signature title.

I make this eggplant stir fry each time my dad and mom come to go to us. My dad, who will be specific about eggplant, gave it a nod the primary time he tried it and even went again for a second serving. For me, it comes right down to easy approach and the care you set into your meals. I extremely advocate making this and sharing it along with your family members when you get pleasure from eggplant as a lot as we do.

In my house we all the time had a minimum of one vegetable dish alongside the principle and steamed rice, and this 20 minute napa cabbage stir fry was one in all them. This Northern Chinese language basic makes use of the white a part of napa cabbage for crunch, and the sauce combines dried chili pepper, garlic, Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar for a scorching and bitter end I’m completely obsessive about.

The three key components I take advantage of, and that give this dish its character similar to my mother all the time stated, are napa cabbage, garlic, and Chinkiang vinegar. Napa cabbage is my primary alternative as a result of it brings a crisp quantity that stays intact throughout excessive warmth cooking. Garlic provides an important fragrant base, a should in any house type dish. And Chinkiang vinegar provides the tart edge that units this stir fry aside from abnormal vegetable sides.

It was not possible for me to not embody this facet dish in my assortment as a result of it meets all the pieces I search for in a stir fry: brief cooking time, simple approach, and full respect for taste and texture. It’s extremely straightforward to make and solely requires a scorching pan, the precise minimize of cabbage, and a properly balanced sauce. That’s all. I can’ t wait so that you can attempt it.

Once I make this dish I’m transported again to these moments at my mother’s desk when a easy vegetable plate held simply as a lot significance as the principle dish. Crisp cucumber and tender scrambled eggs are stir fried with dried lily flowers and wooden ear mushrooms so as to add layers of texture and curiosity.

My recipe highlights components that work collectively seamlessly: cucumber (Chinese language or English, sliced into diamonds) which withstands the warmth and retains a crisp but tender texture; eggs which I beat and prepare dinner till simply fluffy, and garlic after all (with scallion whites and optionally the dried mushrooms or lily flowers) which supplies the dish its fragrant spine and refined umami.

This dish is one in all is my favourite dishes to serve throughout festivals and household type meals. I included this recipe in my assortment as a result of it solely takes half-hour to make utilizing on a regular basis components that many people have already got at house. I like serving this stir fry over steamed rice as a lightweight important dish or alongside different plates in a shared meal when greens deserve their very own second as an alternative of simply filling area.

This Sichuan Dry Fried Inexperienced Beans facet dish captures the daring but house type stability I intention for in my kitchen. Once I hosted associates and colleagues again in China, dishes like these blistered inexperienced beans all the time stood out even among the many extra dramatic Sichuan mains. 

Now, allow us to speak concerning the components. In fact the star is the recent inexperienced beans, which I seared within the pan till blistered to create a crisp floor texture. Floor pork provides savory depth and richness, although it’s elective when you want a vegetarian model. And, pickled mustard greens (Sui Mi Ya Cai) carry a robust umami and fermented tang that I really like on this dish. These components work collectively to raise a easy vegetable into one thing beautiful.

Today, I all the time embody this Sichuan Dry Fried Inexperienced Beans on my desk when I’m internet hosting dinner with associates. You may by no means go flawed with this 30 minute dish that’s reasonable to make however nonetheless reachable for any house prepare dinner who makes use of a skillet or wok.

I personally love this celery stir fry recipe as a result of it balances crisp texture and savory depth in the best way I prepare dinner at house. Watching my mother put together vegetable dishes on weeknights taught me that even the only plates can carry which means to the desk. This stir fry takes me 20 minutes to arrange and provides a degree of taste that elevates on a regular basis celery with out complexity.

Utilizing easy components is my jam, and for this recipe I depend on celery sliced on a bias into thinner items so it stays crisp throughout excessive warmth cooking, garlic and minced ginger for his or her fragrant base, and fermented black beans, which introduce wealthy umami and a refined tang my husband loves. Collectively these components take celery past a filler vegetable and switch it right into a dish value taking note of.

I undoubtedly advocate this dish as a result of it’s fast to make and the approach may be very approachable. All you want is the precise minimize of celery to make it work whether or not you’re serving 2 or 4 company. I prefer to serve it alongside steamed rice and a gentle protein so the celery dish is observed and appreciated for its taste and texture.

I’ve to confess that asparagus doesn’t all the time get the eye it deserves in Chinese language type stir fries, but its crisp texture and clear taste make it a perfect vegetable for this technique. Whereas dwelling in New York and cooking with out my ordinary number of Chinese language greens, I discovered that this dish crammed that hole with magnificence and ease. My recipe takes quarter-hour complete and provides a relaxed strategy to carry one thing recent to the desk.

In case you are a fan of asparagus, this recipe is for you. I slice the asparagus on a bias so every bit cooks evenly, then add garlic and julienned ginger for an fragrant base. A splash of lemon juice on the finish provides it a recent twist. These parts come collectively to let the asparagus shine the best way I all the time hope greens will in my house cooking.

I made this stir fry the opposite night time to accompany my latest Chinese language fried rooster wings put up, and it was amazingly scrumptious. I like to recommend this facet dish as a result of it’s fast and makes use of easy components, which is what I search for in an excellent stir fry.

Cooking in New York pushed me to get artistic with greens I might discover simply, and king oyster mushrooms, usually referred to as the steak of mushrooms, rapidly grew to become a brand new favourite. I created this stir fry that I can serve in 25 minutes, and the result’s hearty, flavorful, and surprisingly satisfying.

There are important key components that give this dish its depth. King oyster mushrooms are the star, and I shred them by hand so the fibers can absorb the sauce and keep tender. The sauce is an easy mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and a splash of broth, which creates a wealthy glaze that coats every strand. And the garlic and inexperienced onion full the dish with refined aromatics that stability the savory flavors.

In my recipe I stroll you thru easy methods to make this straightforward facet dish. All you want is a scorching pan, persistence with the mushrooms, and a easy sauce to carry it collectively. I like to recommend serving it when internet hosting associates or household as a result of it significantly will impress them with its taste and look.

I needed to embody this Chinese language Cauliflower Stir Fry in my listing as a result of I took a favourite restaurant type dish and made it work from home. It takes 25 minutes from begin to end and delivers crunchy cauliflower with a daring and wealthy taste that I do know you’ll love too.

For this dish, I take advantage of Chinese language cauliflower as a result of they keep crisp even after cooking and take in the sauce in such a satisfying method. The dried chili peppers, with the choice of Sichuan peppercorns, give that unmistakable warmth and trace of smokiness you anticipate from a correct Sichuan stir fry. The sauce, constructed from doubanjiang, garlic, and a splash of broth, provides savory depth and makes the entire dish style like one thing you’d order out, however higher as a result of it’s proper from your individual pan.

I lately introduced this cauliflower stir fry to a pal’s birthday dinner, and it rapidly grew to become the dish everybody talked about on the desk. I set it down subsequent to a pot of steamed rice and a easy protein she ready, and earlier than lengthy, company had been asking how one thing so easy might style so satisfying. Whether or not I serve this for my family dinner or take it to a gathering, it confirms {that a} properly made vegetable facet can earn simply as a lot consideration as any important dish.

Once I first discovered Yu choy available in the market I knew its slender stems and tender leaves might stay past soup or blanching, and this stir fry provides it that second. It takes 10 minutes complete and is proof that greens can confidently maintain their very own on the desk.

This recipe highlights three key components that carry out the very best on this dish: Yu choy, whose stems and leaves are separated and minimize so each elements prepare dinner completely; garlic, and peanut oil which ensures the excessive warmth works properly with out the greens turning into limp. These parts mix to make the inexperienced vegetable the star while not having complicated seasoning.

I like to recommend this dish as a result of the approach is refreshingly direct, and the result’s clear, crisp, and satisfying. Belief me after I say it’s straightforward to make, and also you solely want a scorching pan and recent Yu choy for it to work whether or not you’re serving two or 4. I normally serve it alongside a lightweight important dish so the greens stand out slightly than fade into the background.

In my kitchen I all the time search for dishes which can be fast, flavorful, and grounded in the best way I grew up consuming, and this watercress stir fry matches completely. It takes me  quarter-hour from begin to end, which makes it splendid for busy weeknights.

Once I prepare dinner this dish, all the pieces actually relies on simply three easy components. The primary is watercress, which I really like for its tender stems and barely peppery leaves that flip silky in only a few minutes over excessive warmth. Then there’s garlic, the quiet anchor of the dish, releasing its perfume the second it hits scorching oil. Lastly, a fast sauce made with oyster sauce, soy sauce, and a contact of sugar ties all the pieces along with a savory end that makes the greens style each full and filled with goal.

I like to recommend this dish as a result of it’s fast to make and all the time provides one thing recent and filled with taste to the desk. It’s easy sufficient for any house prepare dinner and ideal for sharing with associates. I lately introduced this stir fry to a pal’s home, and everybody was stunned by how such a humble inexperienced might style so good.

I’m an enormous potato fan, so a potato stir fry needed to be a part of my assortment of favourite vegetable stir fries, proper? I usually problem myself to take on a regular basis produce and provides it a second of its personal, and this dish, which takes 25 minutes complete, does precisely that. The crisp shredded potatoes combined with chili and black vinegar give it vitality and depth whereas nonetheless being manageable for a weekday dinner.

For this recipe, I made a decision to make use of purple potatoes, although Yukon works simply as properly, and I all the time julienne them by hand so that they prepare dinner evenly and keep crisp after being rinsed to take away the surplus starch. I pair them with dried Chinese language chili peppers, inexperienced onion, and a pinch of Sichuan peppercorns after I need slightly further buzz of warmth and texture. The flavour actually comes alive with a fast sauce manufactured from black vinegar, mild soy sauce, sugar, and only a contact of rooster bouillon or salt. It’s the combine that provides the dish its basic scorching and bitter style, and the identical one I grew up seeing on restaurant tables and road stalls again in China.

I like to recommend this dish as a result of potatoes by no means fail, whether or not as a facet dish or perhaps a snack. To me, these style even higher than fries! Your company will probably be stunned by how crisp and flavorful they’re, similar to a colleague who couldn’t cease asking me how I made them after making an attempt a chew. Give my shredded potato stir fry a attempt to get pleasure from conventional potatoes the Chinese language method.

Broccoli and mushrooms are two components I can all the time discover in my native grocery retailer, and this mixture paired with Chinese language seasonings is an ideal strategy to bridge comfort and residential type cooking. I observed that many takeout vegetable dishes didn’t supply the freshness I needed, so I created this 20 minute model to provide the greens extra presence on the plate.

I all the time blanch broccoli florets earlier than stir frying, as a result of they maintain their vibrant shade and tender crisp texture whereas being cooked evenly. The button mushrooms play their half too, including a tender and meaty texture and absorbing each little bit of the sauce. I make a sauce that may be a easy mix of sunshine soy sauce, darkish soy sauce, sugar, vegetable broth, and a contact of sesame oil. So goood!

This Broccoli and Mushroom Stir Fry is a facet dish you’ll be able to rely on, whether or not you’re simply studying to stir fry or making a fast weeknight dinner. It solely asks for recent greens, a scorching pan, and some acquainted sauces. I really like serving it with steamed rice or pairing it with a easy protein so the broccoli and mushrooms keep within the highlight. When you attempt it, you will notice why this recipe all the time finds a spot in my weekday cooking.

Eggplant usually will get missed and I needed a model that elevates it in a method I could possibly be proud to serve. I keep in mind studying how tough eggplant will be; an excessive amount of oil, and it turns greasy; too little seasoning, and it falls flat.

This recipe options three key components that make it work: lengthy Chinese language eggplant, which I put together by soaking or salt-resting then coating in cornstarch so it retains texture and absorbs taste; garlic and ginger; and a sauce of sunshine soy sauce, darkish soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch which supplies the shiny savory end with out weighing it down.

I really like serving this dish when my household comes over for dinner as a result of it all the time surprises them how flavorful eggplant will be when it’s cooked the precise method. The final time I made it, even my greatest pal,  who as soon as swore he didn’t like eggplant, went again for seconds and requested if there was extra rice to absorb the sauce. That simply tells me {that a} good stir fry doesn’t have to be difficult to win folks over. Give it a attempt, and also you would possibly end up changing an eggplant skeptic too.

I really like this recipe as a result of it takes two on a regular basis greens and offers them actual presence on the plate. Whereas adapting to life in New York, I usually appeared for vegetable dishes that would stand beside protein as an alternative of being an afterthought. This stir fry takes 23 minutes complete and delivers taste, texture, and ease in a single plate, good for the times after I come house from operating errands and crave one thing scorching and scrumptious.

I’ve to admit that bok choy is one in all my favourite greens to prepare dinner with, which is why you’ll discover so many recipes on my weblog that includes it. In the event you get pleasure from it as a lot as I do, this stir fry is a superb place to start out. I prefer to separate the stems from the leaves so that they prepare dinner on the identical tempo and keep crisp and vibrant. The brown mushrooms add a tender, meaty chew and absorb the sauce in a method that makes each forkful full. 

I like to recommend this dish as a result of it’s fast, approachable, and all the time places greens entrance and middle. The approach to make is straightforward and works whether or not you’re cooking for 2 or getting ready a much bigger meal. I made this stir fry lately when a pal stopped by for an informal lunch, and he or she was stunned at how satisfying bok choy and mushrooms could possibly be collectively. We sat on the desk with a bowl of steamed rice and completed it multi function sitting. This one is a keeper for each on a regular basis cooking and straightforward internet hosting.

Bean sprouts are sometimes missed, however when stir fried with care as I do in my recipe, they tackle a full of life character. I keep in mind how my household would serve them in massive bowls throughout shared meals in Beijing, all the time as one of many easiest but most refreshing dishes on the desk. This stir fry takes quarter-hour from begin to end and is extremely tasty, which is precisely what I search for in an excellent vegetable dish.

My recipe makes use of three key components that make a distinction: recent bean sprouts, which I dry completely so that they keep crisp as an alternative of getting soggy; garlic and sliced inexperienced onion, which construct the fragrant base; and a sauce constituted of soy sauce, darkish soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, salt, and toasted sesame oil that provides shade, umami, and a balanced end to the dish.

So sure, I like making this dish as a result of it’s straightforward to arrange and all the time delivers a vegetable facet that will get observed. I introduced this to a pal’s dinner lately, and even the company who stated they virtually by no means eat bean sprouts went again for extra.

I really like how versatile zucchini is. You should use it in something from easy desserts to stir fried sides, and it all the time delivers. Once I moved to New York and not had entry to a few of the Chinese language greens I grew up with, its delicate taste and straightforward availability made it an immediate favourite in my kitchen.

In about 20 minutes I can put collectively this stir fry with only a few key components that make the entire dish style wonderful. I begin by slicing the zucchini and salting it so it stays crisp as an alternative of turning watery within the pan. Then I lean on floor Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili peppers so as to add a delicate warmth and the sort of perfume I all the time affiliate with house type Chinese language cooking. Garlic and minced ginger observe, together with a splash of soy sauce to tie all the pieces collectively right into a savory plate that tastes unimaginable.

In case you are new to genuine Chinese language cooking, then you need to undoubtedly give this a attempt. One night I made it when my husband’s pal stopped by for dinner and he was stunned by how crisp and flavorful the zucchini turned out. I fortunately shared the recipe with him, and I encourage you to take a more in-depth have a look at it as properly.

Inexperienced beans are sometimes handled because the quiet facet dish, however I’ve all the time believed they deserve extra consideration. When my household came over us in New York, I needed to prepare dinner one thing that was easy to make but nonetheless felt considerate and filled with taste. This recipe grew to become the reply, the very best half  it takes me solely  simply 22 minutes from begin to end which is nice after I simply need to spend as a lot time with my family members.

The ability of this dish comes from only a few well-chosen components. I begin with recent inexperienced beans, ensuring to dry them properly to allow them to blister within the pan and develop that slight char I really like. Then comes the garlic and typically I like with a little bit of ginger. To complete, I add a splash of Shaoxing wine together with soy sauce and a pinch of salt.

One weekend I made this inexperienced bean stir fry for a small household gathering at my place, and it rapidly grew to become the plate everybody requested about. Nobody anticipated inexperienced beans to steal the present, but they did. I had ready it earlier, and it held up nice on the desk subsequent to heartier dishes.

I picked this recipe for my listing  as a result of okra has all the time fascinated me, particularly watching how completely different cultures deal with it. Rising up in China, I virtually by no means noticed it cooked at house after I was little. However years later, after I was dwelling in Japan, I tasted okra ready in a method that opened my eyes to its potential. Once I returned house, I used to be decided to create a Chinese language stir fry that celebrated okra with the identical degree of care. 

My recipe takes simply 10 minutes from begin to end and has turn into one in all my favourite quick facet dishes. I blanch the okra complete so it stays agency and crisp. The dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns add the correct amount of warmth and aroma to wake all the pieces up. With so few parts, the okra’s taste and texture keep on level, which is precisely what I need.

I lately made this okra stir fry throughout a quiet weekend lunch whereas my son was napping, and my husband and I needed one thing fast however filled with taste. We served it with rice and a little bit of leftover air fryer salt and pepper tofu, and the okra turned out to be the star of the meal. If you need a straightforward facet that stands out, this one is value making.

As I discussed in one of many recipes above, I completely love bok choy and will actually eat it day-after-day. Once I first moved to New York and my schedule grew to become hectic, I wanted vegetable sides that had been fast to arrange however nonetheless tasted intentional and recent. So I created this stir fry that takes me quarter-hour from begin to end and supplies each; pace and taste in a single easy dish. A real win-win.

Making this child Bok choy stir fry is extraordinarily straightforward. I begin with recent child Bok choy, ensuring to rinse it properly and separate the stems from the leaves so all the pieces cooks evenly and stays crisp. A little bit of minced garlic goes into the pan first, then I end it with a easy sauce constituted of mild soy sauce, a contact of sugar, and a little bit of oil. It’s simply sufficient to season the greens with out weighing them down.

I like to recommend this dish as a result of it’s straightforward for any house prepare dinner who appreciates good taste. I promise you’re going to get outcomes that rise up whether or not you’re cooking for 2 or internet hosting company.

Creating this roundup felt like revisiting outdated associates in my kitchen. Every dish brings again fond reminiscences and displays the enjoyment I really feel when sharing Chinese language house cooking with my readers. I hope these recipes encourage you to select up your wok and revel in easy and satisfying meals from recent components. In the event you attempt any of those stir fries, share your ideas with me within the feedback or tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations.