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Quick Vegetable Stir Fry

May 22, 2018 By msmart Leave a Comment

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Vegetable stir fry

Frozen foods can be your best friend on a busy night. And a well-stocked freezer and pantry really come in handy on those days when dinner needs to be super fast. Quick vegetable stir fry uses mostly freezer and pantry ingredients and comes together in minutes.

Fresh or Frozen

Almost any frozen veggie mix works for this stir fry, and I keep it stocked in my freezer at all times. If it comes with a packet of seasoning, toss it and make the one in this recipe. You can also use a mixture of fresh vegetables: Broccoli, sugar snap peas, asparagus, green beans, bell peppers, mushrooms and green onions are all delicious here. Just chop the veggies until they are all roughly all the same size.

Can You Cook The Vegetables Straight From the Freezer?

Yes! Just throw them in the pan straight from the freezer. Keep the heat on medium-high and continue to sauté until they defrost and warm through. You can also use a combination of some frozen and some fresh vegetables in this quick vegetable stir fry. Just give the frozen veggies a 5-minute lead time before adding the fresh veggies to the hot pan.

What is Stir Fry?

Stir fry is a method of cooking where ingredients are sautéd over high heat while stirring briskly and almost constantly. You do not need a wok to make a stir fry––even though I admit I love mine! Although, a large sauté pan with sloped sides will help your veggies stay in the pan. I’ve used both my Staub perfect pan and a large All-Clad pan.

Stir Fry Tips and Variations

While I usually make quick vegetable stir fry with avocado oil, you can also use grape seed oil, olive oil or even ghee. Regular butter has too many fat solids and will smoke and burn.

If you don’t have green onions, substitute half a yellow, white or red onion.

Start by preparing all your ingredients: Cut the onions, peel and grate the ginger, whisk together the sauce. The cooking is relatively fast, so be prepared.

Preheat your wok and oil before you stir fry the ingredients, you want everything to hit a hot pan and crisp up in the pan.

Is Vegetable Stir Fry Healthy?

Yes! It’s chock full of a variety of vegetables and has no added sugar. The amount of fat is low because there’s relatively little oil used. It’s easily adaptable to be Whole30 and soy free (just use coconut aminos in the sauce). Ginger is anti inflammatory and delicious! Here’s a quick tip for peeling ginger:

Can I Add Meat?

Absolutely! If you’d like to add chicken breast or pork tenderloin, I’d suggest 1/2 to 1 pound. Cut it roughly the same size as the vegetables. Warm the oil in the pan and sauté the meat for about 3-4 minutes before adding the vegetables. Just season the meat with salt and pepper before cooking, it will get further seasoned with the sauce.

What to Serve with Stir Fry

You really don’t need anything else, except maybe some rice to soak up the delicious sauce. But here are some additional ideas:

  • Coconut Lime Cauliflower Rice
  • Edamame
  • Steamed Dumplings (nothing fancy, just frozen dumplings from Trader Joe’s or the freezer aisle)
  • Udon noodles or ramen
  • Miso soup

If you like this recipe, try these!

  • Egg Roll Bowls
  • Lettuce Cups
  • Honey Hoisin Pork Tenderloin
  • Tuna Poke
Frozen foods can be your best friend on a busy night. And a well-stocked freezer and pantry really come in handy on those days when dinner needs to be super fast. Quick vegetable stir fry uses mostly freezer and pantry ingredients and comes together in minutes.
Vegetable stir fry
Print Recipe

Quick Vegetable Stir Fry

Serve this quick meatless stir fry over "riced" cauliflower, jasmine rice or steamed sushi rice. Use fresh vegetables if you have them (peppers, sugar snap peas, sliced bok choy, asparagus, mushrooms or broccoli), but frozen stir fry mix works just as well. 
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Main dish
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Marcia W. Smart

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or avocado oil
  • 1 package frozen stir fry mix without sauce
  • 1 package frozen broccoli without sauce
  • 5 green onions cut on the bias into thin slices
  • 1- inch piece of ginger peeled and finely grate on a microplaner
  • 3 garlic cloves minced, about 1 tablespoon
  • 1/3 cup tamari gluten-free soy sauce, soy sauce or coconut aminos (soy-free and Whole30), or more to taste
  • Sesame seeds cilantro leaves or green onion (optional garnish)

Instructions

  • In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil.
  • Add green onions, ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Add both bags of frozen vegetables and cook until tender. Don't worry about defrosting them, just add them frozen and let the pan do the work.
  • Once vegetables have softened and thawed, add the tamari or coconut aminos and taste for seasoning. 
  • Garnish with sesame seeds, fresh green onion slices or cilantro if you'd like.

Filed Under: All Recipes, Dinner, Gluten-free/Gluten-free adaptable, Grain-free, Meatless Mains, One-Pot Meals, Uncategorised, Whole 30 Tagged With: dinner, dinner plan, easy dinner, easy family meals, family dinner, family meals, frozen stir fry, frozen stir fry mix, gluten-free, quick and easy meals, quick stir fry, quick vegetable stir fry, recipe for stir fry, recipe for stir fry sauce, stir fry, vegan, vegetarian, veggie stir fry, veggie stir fry recipe, veggies for stir fry, weeknight dinner, Whole 30

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Marcia Smart
Marcia Smart is a cooking instructor, recipe developer and food writer who wants to help you make good, simple meals for your family and friends. She craves food that's seasonal and delicious and wants to share it with you. A California girl living in a Houston world with her husband and three children.

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