Quick and easy is the name of the game for this recipe. A stir-fry is a great way to combine an assortment of vegetables, perhaps ones that you don’t know what to do with in your fridge. For example, if you are low on groceries and have some vegetables you need to use before they spoil, a stir-fry is your best bet. The sauce gives everything a uniform flavor, making it an integral component of the dish. The key to a great sauce, as you’ll learn in this recipe, is balancing both sweet and salty flavors.
The Sauce
Let’s begin with the sauce, which contains rice vinegar, sesame oil, coconut aminos, garlic powder, fresh ginger root, and pepper. Now, that is a thin sauce, which won’t yield that classic thick, sticky sauce that you want from a classic stir-fry. For this reason, you mix corn starch and water in a separate bowl, and then add that to stir fry. This corn starch slurry helps to thicken the sauce during the cooking process. The last thing to remember is to constantly mix it once you add the corn starch slurry to the pan. NEVER ADD CORN STARCH TO A SAUCE BY ITSELF. Always dissolve the corn starch in water first, otherwise you will end up with chunks of corn starch in your meal.
If you don’t have all of the vegetables in this recipe, that is completely fine. You can swap out vegetables for ones that you have on hand, but this combination of vegetables makes for a great stir-fry. The addition of seitan is a great option for vegans who want to increase their protein intake without intaking a lot of fat and carbs. Additionally, seitan is a great source of selenium and iron, two nutrients that can be difficult to get on a vegan diet.
- Prep Time:10m
- Cook Time:15m
- Total Time:25m
- Serves: 3 servings
- Category: Entrees, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Stir-Fry
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 c baby carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 c green beans, roughly chopped
- 1/2 c scallions, roughly chopped
- 2 c broccoli florets, thinly sliced
- 8 oz seitan
For the Sauce
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp. coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp. raw agave nectar
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. ginger, freshly grated
- pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp. corn starch
- 2 tbsp. filtered water
Instructions
For the Stir-Fry
- Warm the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a couple minutes, or until translucent.
- Add the bell pepper, carrots, green beans, scallions, and broccoli florets to the pan and toss to combine. Cook for an additional five to seven minutes, stirring throughout to evenly cook the vegetables.
- Add the seitan to the pan and toss to combine. Cook for an additional three to five minutes, tossing a couple times during the cooking process.
For the Sauce
- While the vegetables are cooking, add all of the ingredients, except the corn starch and water, to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk the corn starch and water to create a slurry.
- Pour the sauce into the pan and toss to combine. Cook for one or two minutes and then add the corn starch slurry.
- Continue mixing until the sauce is thick and then remove from heat. Serve in bowls and top with optional sesame seeds. Enjoy!
