Sweet & Sour Veggie Stir Fry (Oil-Free)
This vegan oil-free sweet and sour veggie stir fry is a flavorful and healthy dish packed with fresh vegetables and a tangy homemade sauce. It’s a perfect plant-based meal that’s quick, easy, and full of vibrant flavors. It can be ready in about 40 minutes, or even less if you use precut vegetables.
Stir-fries are so easy to make and a terrific way to use up some of those veggies in the refrigerator that need to go quickly. I normally use mushrooms, broccoli, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and red bell peppers, but any veggies you prefer would be great in this recipe.
Serve it over rice or noodles for a full delicious meal. We have more veggie stir fries on this website including my rice noodle stir fry, this easy oil-free veggie stir-fry, and my simple veggie fried rice.
Reasons you will love this recipe
- Healthy and Oil-Free: This sweet and sour veggie stir fry offers all the delicious flavors without any added oils, making it a heart-healthy option.
- Vibrant and Flavorful: The tangy homemade oil-free sweet and sour sauce brings bold, zesty flavors that pair perfectly with the fresh veggies.
- Versatile and Customizable: You can easily swap in your favorite vegetables or proteins to make this stir fry your own.
Ingredients you will need
- Veggies- Onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, and any others you prefer to include.
- Sesame seeds- They add a subtle nutty flavor and a delightful crunchy texture that complements the softness of the vegetables.
- Vegan protein- Added protein is completely optional, but we like to include tofu, seitan, soy curls, or tempeh in our stir-fries. We have an article on everything you need to know about seitan and recipes to use it in.
- Sweet and sour sauce- My homemade sweet and sour sauce is made with fire-roasted tomatoes, apple juice concentrate, crushed pineapple, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.
How to make veggie stir-fry
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
It’s hard to believe, I know, but healthy vegan stir-fries can be made without using a drop of oil and still be delicious without any added fat. You’ll never miss the oil in this tangy-sweet veggie stir-fry.
STEP #1: Begin by making the homemade oil-free sweet and sour sauce which can be done by simply mixing the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
You’ll need to mix in the fire-roasted tomatoes, apple juice concentrate, soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free), rice vinegar, basil, and cornstarch or another thickener. Once it’s whisked together well, set the sauce to the side.
STEP #2: Dice up the vegetables to be used. If you really want to speed the process up, buy pre-cut veggies. Personally, I always buy bags of broccoli florets that have already been chopped up to save time cooking. Once everything is diced and chopped, set them to the side while you toast the sesame seeds.
STEP #3: Place the sesame seeds in a hot wok or pan and cook over medium heat until the seeds become fragrant and begin to pop. This takes about 2-3 minutes.
Once they begin to turn a light brown, remove them from the heat immediately or they will begin to burn. Pour them into a bowl and set them to the side
STEP #4: Place the wok back on the stovetop and add approximately 3 tablespoons of veggie broth or water to the pan then add the onions and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes. Add a little more veggie broth as needed to prevent sticking.
STEP #5: Toss in the other vegetables–broccoli, celery, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, or others that you are using–along with 3/4 vegetable broth, cover with a lid, and cook for about 3 minutes.
I like to add seitan, tofu, or tempeh to this stir-fry to make it even more hearty. If you aren’t sure what seitan is, it’s a terrific little vegan meat replacer that you can buy already cooked or make your own vegetable stock at home. I like to add it to many different recipes.
STEP #6: Stir in the sauce mixture and continue to cook until the sauce thickens. This should only take about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat, top with the toasted sesame seeds, and serve over rice or noodles.
The recipe comes from The Cancer Survivor’s Guide by Dr. Neal Barnard.
*Originally published February 2016.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some of the most common veggies used are broccoli, onion, celery, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, and water chestnuts. However, you can use any veggies preferred.
Yes. I like the fire-roasted tomatoes because they add even more flavor, but diced tomatoes will work well too.
This can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store. It is very common and should be easy to find. However, you can substitute apple juice if needed.
In an airtight container, it should last about 5-7 days in the refrigerator. It freezes well too.
More Healthy Veggie Stir Fry Recipes
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Sweet and Sour Veggie Stir-Fry
Ingredients
Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 cup onion sliced into crescents
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup celery diagonally sliced
- 1 cup carrot diagonally sliced
- 1 red or green bell pepper cut into strips
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup broccoli chopped into florets
- 6 ounces seitan strips tofu, or tempeh (optional)
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
Sweet and Sour Sauce
- 1/4 cup crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
- 1/2 cup crushed pineapple packed in juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- Begin by making the sweet and sour sauce which can be done by simply mixing the sauce ingredients in a bowl. You’ll need to mix in the fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed pineapple, apple juice concentrate, soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free), rice vinegar, basil, and cornstarch or another thickener. Once it’s whisked together well, set the sauce to the side.
- Next, dice up the vegetables to be used. If you really want to speed the process up, buy pre-cut veggies. Personally, I always buy bags of broccoli florets that have already been chopped up to save time cooking.
- Once everything is diced and chopped, set them to the side while you toast the sesame seeds.
- Place the sesame seeds in a hot wok or pan and cook over medium heat until the seeds become fragrant and begin to pop. This takes about 2-3 minutes. Once they begin to turn a light brown, remove them from the heat immediately or they will begin to burn. Pour them into a bowl and set them to the side.
- Place the wok back on the stovetop and add approximately 3 tablespoons of veggie broth or water to the pan then add the onions and garlic and saute for about 2-minutes. Add a little more veggie broth as needed to prevent sticking.
- Next, toss in the other vegetables–broccoli, celery, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, or others that you are using–along with 3/4 vegetable broth and cover with a lid and cook for about 3 minutes.
- I like to add seitan, tofu, or tempeh to this stir-fry to make it even more hearty. If you aren’t sure what seitan is, it’s a terrific little vegan meat replacer that you can buy already cooked or at home. I like to add it to many different recipes.
- Stir in the sauce mixture and continue to cook until the sauce thickens. This should only take about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, top with the toasted sesame seeds, and serve over rice or noodles.
Video
Notes
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.
In your opinion, which noodles or rice do you find the healthiest to use in this recipe?
Hi Linda- The most healthy option would probably be brown rice. One of my personal favorite options is rice noodles. Hope you enjoy it!
Tried this the other night. Love the sweet and sour flavor. Didn’t use the seitan. I added almonds.
Sietan is the protein? I have never seen this. How do we buy this?
Yum! I have a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables from Costco in my freezer now, just made a batch of seitan sausage and am thinking it’s perfect timing to make this for dinner (I usually take the mushrooms out and slice them up before cooking because they are too tough to enjoy whole (the way they come in the package)
Sounds fabulous! Enjoy! 🙂