Easy Stir-Fry Veggies
These easy stir-fry veggies with sweet and sour sauce offer a quick and flavorful meal that’s both healthy and satisfying. The vibrant mix of vegetables paired with a tangy-sweet sauce makes this dish a delicious and nutritious choice for any weeknight dinner that is ready in 30 minutes!
I love simple, delicious, colorful food, and this healthy stir fry certainly falls into ALL of those categories. Stir-fries are one of the quickest meals to make.
That’s why I have a whole page dedicated to them on my website with recipes like Tofu Teriyaki with Broccoli, Veggie Fried Rice, and Rice Noodles & Veggies with Peanut Sauce.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Bursting with Flavor: The tangy and sweet sauce enhances the fresh, crisp vegetables, creating a deliciously balanced and flavorful meal.
- Nutrient-Rich: Loaded with a variety of colorful vegetables, this stir-fry is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, contributing to a healthy diet.
- Customizable and Versatile: Easily adapt this recipe by adding your favorite vegetables or proteins, making it a versatile dish that suits your taste preferences and dietary needs.
Ingredients you will need
- Vegetables- One thing I love about stir-fries is that they are so versatile. You can use fresh vegetables or even frozen ones that are easier to keep on hand at all times. We include cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, broccoli florets, and more.
- Broth- Veggie broth helps with sauteing and keeping ingredients from sticking to the pan.
- Sweet & sour sauce- The tangy and sweet profile of my oil-free sweet & sour sauce complements the natural crispness of the vegetables. It includes apricot preserves, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
- Rice or Noodles- As a base to serve the vegetables over.
Pro tips & substitutions
- Vegetables- Fresh or frozen veggies can be used. This is a great time to use up some of those fresh veggies in the refrigerator.
- Sauce- The sweet and sour sauce used in this recipe can easily be switched to one of our other sauces like my oil-free teriyaki sauce, this amazing homemade easy Asian sauce, or our low-fat sweet ginger sesame sauce.
- Thickener- Cornstarch or arrowroot powder work great. I personally prefer arrowroot powder because it doesn’t clump.
- Gluten free- Replace the soy sauce with tamari to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Cabbage- I really like to use Napa Cabbage in stir-fries, but regular cabbage works fine.
- Cook time- Don’t overcook the vegetables. They need to be slightly crisp and not mushy at all.
How to make stir-fried veggies
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Make the sweet and sour sauce by whisking together all of the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl–apricot preserves, soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free), veggie broth, rice vinegar, and cornstarch. Set the sauce to the side.
The sweet and sour sauce used in this recipe can easily be switched to one of our other sauces like my oil-free teriyaki sauce, this amazing homemade easy Asian sauce, or our low-fat sweet ginger sesame sauce.
STEP #2: In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of veggie broth over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for approximately 3-4 minutes until they begin to caramelize. Add extra veggie broth one tablespoon at a time if needed to prevent sticking.
STEP #3: Add all of the other veggies–diced mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, etc–and sauté another 3-5 minutes. You want the broccoli to be bright green and all of the vegetables still slightly crisp.
STEP #4: Pour the sauce over the veggies and gently stir. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly. This should only take a minute or so. Remove from the heat and serve over rice or noodles.
This recipe was adapted from Power of Foods for the Brain by Neal Barnard, MD
*Originally published April 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use frozen vegetables in a stir-fry. They are convenient and often pre-cut, which saves time on preparation. Just be sure to cook them properly to avoid excess moisture, which can make your stir-fry soggy. To achieve the best results, add frozen vegetables directly to the hot pan and stir-fry them until they’re heated through and have reached your desired texture.
The best vegetables for a stir-fry include bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and snap peas, as they offer a variety of textures and flavors that hold up well to high-heat cooking. These veggies cook quickly and absorb sauces effectively, making them ideal for creating a delicious and balanced stir-fry.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. It freezes well too.
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from EatPlant-Based
Easy Stir Fry Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 cup cabbage shredded cabbage
- 1 cup broccolli florets
- 1 cup yellow squash cut into half moons
- 1 cup water chestnuts sliced and drained
- 1 cup baby corn
Sweet & Sour Sauce
- 1/4 cup veggie broth
- 1/2+ cup apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari (gluten-free, if necessary)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot powder
Instructions
- Dice all of the veggies that you plan to use in your stir fry. If you're using any of the canned Asian vegetables like water chestnuts or baby corn, drain the water from them.
- Go ahead and make the sweet and sour sauce by whisking together all of the sauce ingredients in a medium-size bowl--apricot preserves, soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free), veggie broth, rice vinegar, cornstarch. Set the sauce to the side.
- In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of veggie broth over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for approximately 3-4 minutes until they begin to caramelize. Add extra veggie broth one tablespoon at a time if needed to prevent sticking.
- Add all of the other veggies--diced mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, etc--and sauté another 3-5 minutes. You want the broccoli to be bright green and all of the vegetables still slightly crisp.
- Pour the sauce over the veggies and gently stir. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly. This should only take a minute or so.
- Remove from the heat and serve over rice or noodles.
Video
Notes
- Sauce- The sweet and sour sauce used in this recipe can easily be switched to one of our other sauces like my oil-free teriyaki sauce, this amazing homemade easy Asian sauce, or our low-fat sweet ginger sesame sauce.
- Vegetables- Fresh or frozen veggies can be used. This is a great time to use up some of those fresh veggies in the refrigerator.
- Thickener- Cornstarch or arrowroot powder work great. I personally prefer arrowroot powder because it doesn't clump.
- Gluten free- Replace the soy sauce with tamari to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Cabbage- I really like to use Napa Cabbage in stir-fries, but regular cabbage works fine.
- Cook time- Don't overcook the vegetables. They need to be slightly crisp and not mushy at all.
- Storage- This recipe keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for approximately 5 days.
- Sauce- For the sweet and sour sauce in this recipe, it makes approximately 1 cup which would be about 3 tablespoons per serving.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the 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. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
So easy to make! I added some crushed red pepper flakes to make it a bit more spicy!
How do you make a stirfry with frozen veggies without winding up with mushy veg. I usually don’t like frozen veg but seldom have time to wash, peel & chop fresh ones.
Frozen veggies should work just fine in stir fries. Just be sure not to overcook them. They do speed the prep time up significantly.
Tried this tonight. Kids loved it and my 2 adult sons whom are non-vegan, loved it and we all went back for seconds! Thanks for sharing!
Tammy- YAY! That’s wonderful to hear. I’m thrilled that your whole crew went back for seconds. For the WIN!