We're busy people and sometimes just don't have a lot of time to cook. I get it. Which is why I made the Easiest Vegan Stir Fry Ever. It comes together in just minutes and tastes absolutely delicious! The secret's in the sauce.
I see a lot of new folks in my group, struggling to figure out what to fix for dinner. Usually, they are hoping to find something their spouse or kids will like too.
So in this week's recipe, I want to show you how EASY it is to whip up a healthy and delicious stir fry,
With a little pre-planning, like having some rice already cooked and some frozen veggies in the freezer, you can literally whip this up in just a few minutes.
And as I said, the entire secret to this recipe... is in the sauce. Are you ready for the secret?
And I wish I could say that this was my idea, but I can't.
You see, I was watching this video by Vegan YouTuber, "Monson Made This", and saw where he had marinated his tofu in Mason Jars.
Mason Jars? Brilliant! I had to try it.
So I made this quick and easy stir-fry sauce - in a Mason Jar. And that is truly what makes this recipe so convenient. You can make it up ahead of time, mix all the ingredients right in the jar with a little shake, and then store it in the fridge until needed.
In this week's recipe, I used it to marinate Tofu (right in the jar), but if you're not a fan of Tofu, you could also make this stir fry with mushrooms, soy curls, or whatever else you like.
Ready to give it a whirl?
Let's go make a stir-fry.
Easiest Vegan Stir Fry Ever
This recipe is really all about the sauce.
It's super flavorful and can be tweaked to suit your tastes. When I first made it, it was a little too spicy, even for me, so I had to tone it down a little. Feel free to adjust the heat level to your own liking.
I will be showing you how I made this stir fry using Tofu and Mushrooms. But I know some of you cannot eat either of them, so modify the stir fry to suit your own needs - the sauce is the key ingredient and will still work.
I mean honestly, you could just stir fry a bag of frozen veggies in some veg broth and a wok, and add this sauce and it would be amazing served over brown rice.
It really is that simple.
But here is how I made MY stir fry the last 2 nights.
The Tofu
I used Tofu AND mushrooms.
If you're not a fan of one or the other (or either), simply leave them out and move on to just making the sauce.
But if you DO use Tofu, now is the time to get it prepped.
I buy the packages of Organic, EXTRA-FIRM, Tofu packed in water. You want to drain all that water out, and then I like to turn it on its side and cut the entire block into 2 slabs with about the same thickness.
With 2 thinner slabs of Tofu, it's easier to press all the water out.
Lay them on some paper towels or a clean, lint-free kitchen towel, and then cover your tofu with more paper towels before you lay something flat on top, like a cutting board. Then weigh that down with a cast-iron skillet or something that's kind of heavy.
Let that press for a good 20 minutes, changing the paper towels once or twice in between.
Now you can cut your slabs into equal-sized cubes and set them aside.
The Sauce
Here's the super-easy part and the star of the show.
Simply add all the ingredients listed in the recipe box below to a mason jar, screw on the lid, and give it a shake.
Done. Fast & easy.
Note: If you are using Tofu in your stir fry and want to marinate it in this sauce, use a 1-quart jar. That will hold both the sauce and a 12oz package of cubed tofu. Marinate your tofu at least 1 hr.
If you simply want to make the sauce, it will fit in a 1-pint jar.
Back to the Tofu again
Again, IF ... you are using Tofu, and have been marinating it all day in the sauce as I did.... now you can cook it before you actually start the stir fry.
You could do this a day ahead of time too so you have your cooked tofu cubes in the fridge ready to go.
You can bake it, or air-fry it, your choice.
First, drain the tofu in a strainer to collect the sauce. We'll reuse that when we make the stir fry.
Then, I would start baking at about 375° F and bake or air-fry about 15-20 minutes. Flip about midway though or when they begin to brown.
Note: If baking - parchment paper helps prevent sticking. If air-frying - I've been told that preheating your air fryer helps too.
They are NOT going to get crispy.
There's no breading or oil in this recipe. But they will firm up and take on the wonderful flavor of the sauce.
The Veggies
To keep this as simple and easy as possible, I used a Kroger brand of frozen veggies called Stir Fry Starters. There is no sauce in the bag - just veggies.
Of course, you could add or use whatever veggies you have on hand, but I used this for the sake of convenience.
The Stir Fry
I hope I have shown you how easy it is to make a quick and simple stir fry. All you really need is a bag of frozen veggies and the sauce.
Adding the Tofu is completely optional, and will require a little more time to prep and cook, but I like it in my stir fry so that's why I included it here.
I also used about 1lb of Baby Bella Mushrooms. I cleaned them off and cut them in half. Done.
To start the stir fry I added my mushrooms to a wok with a little veggie broth to prevent sticking, and turned the heat up to high.
Once the broth begins to bubble, I added my frozen veggies and stir-fried them just a few minutes, or until they were just crisp-tender.
Toss in your Tofu cubes now if using, and add the sauce. The corn starch in the sauce will immediately begin to thicken. One it gets to the consistency you like, remove from heat and serve over your favorite rice.
I hope I didn't make this more confusing than it really is, but again, you can have a quick and easy stir fry in just minutes.
Make the sauce ahead of time and keep some in your fridge.
That's it for this week and don't forget, for those of you in my FB Group we are starting a new Friday Afternoon Chat with Chuck live video at 4 pm PST this Friday, Feb 28.
Hope to see you there!
Easiest Vegan Stir Fry Ever
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup sauce 1x
- Category: Sauce, Stir fry
- Cuisine: Asian, American
Description
We're busy and sometimes just don't have a lot of time to cook. I get it. Which is why I made the Easiest Vegan Stir Fry Ever. The secret's in the sauce...
Ingredients
The Sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
- 2 Tbs rice vinegar
- 2 Tbs maple syrup
- 1 Tbs minced garlic
- 1 Tbs minced ginger
- 3 tsp sriracha
- 1 Tbs corn starch
The Stir Fry
- 1 cup of sauce
- 12-14 oz package extra firm organic tofu (optional)
- 1 lb baby bella mushrooms (optional)
- 12 oz package frozen stir fry vegetables
Instructions
- Add all the sauce ingredients to a mason jar, attach lid, and shake thoroughly
- If using tofu in your stir fry, press first to remove as much moisture as possible, then cut into cubes
- Use a 1 qt mason jar to marinate tofu cubes with the sauce - at least 1 hour
- Drain tofu and reserve sauce.
- Bake or air fry the tofu - 375°F - about 20 minutes total - flipping midway
- Clean mushrooms and cut in half
- Add mushrooms to wok with a splash of veg broth or water - turn heat to high
- Once broth begins to boil, add frozen veggies and stir-fry juat a few minutes - until crisp-tender
- Add baked tofu cubes and remaining sauce
- Stir until sauce has thickened
- Serve over your favorite rice
Monica
This is one of my ’go to’ quick meals.
Kathy Holmes
Wonderful and so easy!
Colleen
This is so quick, easy and delicious. It's in regular rotation on our menu and a great option for serving to friends who eat a non-plant-based diet.
Sharon
Excellent recipe - very easy & very tasty! I didn’t use the tofu but did add the mushrooms! Everyone loved it! Thanks, Chuck, for a great recipe.
MK LeMay
Holy Cow was this ever so good! We've been WFPB for 8 months and have eaten lots of stir fry recipes but this one takes the cake! Takes just like stir fry from our favorite restaurant we used to visit before we went WFPB. Will make again and again on heavy rotation, Did have to make 1/2 more sauce to equal that one cup but that was easy to do on the fly. Highly recommend!
Molly
Made this tonight and loved it! Had veggies in the freezer we needed to use and this was he perfect recipe for it. Had no sriracha so used gochu jang which worked well
Kimberly Clark
This was so good and my 12 year old even ate it! The directions are spot on. Thank you.
Lin Wood
Awesome sauce. Great on left over rice the next day too!
Lisa
I received my Misfits box today, chocked full of fresh beautiful vegetables, and then stumbled across this recipe, so thought I would give it a try. YUM!!! Super easy - even with cutting up all my own veggies. What a delicious dish! It's all in the sauce! Baking the marinated tofu gives it a perfect texture, and locks in that beautiful sauce. The parchment paper tip is an essential step; don't skip it, or you'll have a baked-on mess on your cookie sheet! I only had time to allow the tofu to marinate for one hour, but it fully soaked in that delicious sauce! Next time, I will make this ahead of time; cut all my veggies, marinate the tofu, and pre-cook the rice - then when I am ready to cook, it's just a matter of tossing it all in a pan, and heating up the rice! For my dish, I used fresh onion, celery, carrots, green beans, and green pepper (all from my Misfits delivery - I LOVE this company!!!! - misfitsmarket.com). I also added some whole peanuts to the pan, just before it was finished cooking - super good! Thanks for sharing this lovely Asian recipe - it is going in my favorites file!!!
Debra
Do you find the prices are good for the produce you get? I’m debating ordering a misfits box....
Vicki
We get Misfits box weekly and love the convenience of fresh, organic veggies/fruits delivered to my home. They have changed things up a bit and you choose the produce you want now.
Sita
Hi Chuck, As always, thanks for this recipe. I can’t wait to try it. I am confused about the sauce measurements. It seems like the recipe will make just over 1/2 cup of sauce but then you say to add one cup of it. Should we double the sauce recipe?
Thanks!
Sita
Daryl Ann Crosby
Looks to me like the ingredients all together should equal about a cup (3tsp = 1T, 4T = 1/4c).
Kathy
HI Sita! Just FYI, 3 teaspoons make a tablespoon and 4 tablespoons make 1/4 cup so added together the recipe makes 1 cup. If you make it, give us all an update on how you liked it!