Description
Better than take-out, this bold and spicy Szechuan Veggie Stir Fry is so fast, easy, and utterly delicious your family will think you’ve been holding out on them! Brimming with nourishing veggies, all bathed in rich umami yumminess, and packed with heat, it will make your taste buds come alive, making it this week’s awesome Whip It Up Wednesday recipe.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, and no highly processed ingredients.
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons low sodium tamari *
- 3 Tablespoons organic maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons molasses
- 1 Tablespoon tahini
- 1 to 3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (+/-) *
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flake (+/-)
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
Other Optional Ingredients:
- 10 to 12 oz. package frozen Asian Blend *
- 1 cup fresh veggies of choice *
- Steamed rice or 8 to 10 oz. fast cooking rice noodles *
Optional Toppings
- Sesame seeds
- Sliced green onions
- Sriracha sauce (or chili garlic sauce)
Instructions
- Add all the Sauce Ingredients into a small saucepan and heat to boiling. Stirring constantly add the cornstarch and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside.
- In an enamel/ceramic lined skillet, add the frozen Asian Vegetables, increase the heat to high, add a tablespoon of water (or broth), cover with a lid and steam veggies until thawed out, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add any additional veggies that you wish. Sauté until they reach the desired tenderness and no liquid is left in the pan, then add the Szechuan sauce. You want all the excess moisture out of the pan before you add the Szechuan sauce. Stir to coat all the veggies. Sauté for one or two minutes.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings and sides.
Notes
*Frozen Asian Blend: We used a frozen Asian Blend that had carrots, mushrooms, red bell peppers, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, and red onions.
*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
*Chili Garlic Sauce: You can use Huy Fong Foods Chili Garlic Sauce brand since the amount used is so tiny, or you can make your own by placing 4 spicy chili peppers, seeded (use gloves) into a food processor along with 1 heaping Tablespoon of minced garlic (about 4 to 5 cloves), 1 ½ teaspoons of maple syrup, 2 Tablespoons of white vinegar, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 Tablespoon water, and a pinch of sea salt. Blend until smooth, do not puree, you want some texture. Place in a small pan and simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed jar. We used 4 Fresno peppers. If you use hotter peppers, cut back on the cayenne pepper.
*Fresh Veggies: If you prefer more sauce, then do not add in any extra fresh veggies. We added in a tiny amount of each of the following: carrot sticks, thinly sliced red bell pepper, and thinly sliced red onion. Or instead of fresh veggies, you can add in more frozen veggies if you want more veggies than sauce.
*Fast Cooking Rice Noodles: You’ll want to use less veggies so that the noodles have some sauce to soak up (omit extra cup of fresh veggies). Cook the rice noodles according to package directions, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Shake to remove any excess water. Set aside. Follow step 2 and add noodles after the sauce, stir until completely coated. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.
*TIP: Liquid in the pan from Frozen Veggies: Sometimes frozen veggies hold, then release a lot of water into the pan. You want this liquid to help steam/sauté the veggies; however, you don’t want any liquid left in the pan when you add the Szechuan sauce, or it will water it down. If you have excess liquid, spoon it out before adding the sauce to the pan.
*Serving: 3 (makes 2/3 cup sauce)
*Storage: Refrigerate for up to one week.