This colorful vegetable stir-fry is quick, flavorful, and comes together in just 20 minutes. Crisp-tender vegetables are tossed in a simple homemade sauce for an easy side dish or light main course.
I love making stir-fries because they're quick, fresh, and versatile. This vegetable stir-fry is one of my go-to Asian-style side dishes. The veggies are crisp-tender, the sauce is perfectly balanced with just a hint of heat, and you can easily swap in whatever vegetables you have on hand. If you'd like to add protein, try my chicken stir-fry, steak stir-fry, or shrimp stir-fry recipes.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.
- For the sauce: Soy sauce, sriracha sauce, honey, and cornstarch. The cornstarch acts as an important thickener. The honey can be real or sugar-free.
- For the stir-fry: Avocado oil for cooking the vegetables, 1.5 pounds of vegetables (I typically use peppers, snow peas, red onions, and mushrooms), garlic, and ginger.
- To finish the dish: Toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds. The seeds are mostly for garnish, but the oil is an important ingredient that greatly enhances the stir-fry flavor.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Mix the sauce and set it aside for now. Briefly sauté the vegetables in a large, deep skillet or a wok. Add the garlic and ginger.
Re-mix the sauce and add it to the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are coated.
Off heat, drizzle the dish with sesame oil and sprinkle it with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- When cooking the vegetables, add the sturdiest ones first. I add the onions first and let them cook for a few seconds, followed by the bell peppers, snow peas, and finally the mushrooms.
- Cook the vegetables minimally. Stir-fry veggies should be tender-crisp and retain some crunchiness and "bite." Think about it like cooking pasta al dente. You definitely don't want them overcooked and mushy.
Recipe FAQs
Sure. You can use other sturdy vegetables like green beans, asparagus, sliced carrots, broccoli florets, and cauliflower florets. You'll need about 1.5 pounds of veggies.
No. Refined sesame oil is good for cooking, but it is nearly flavorless. Please use toasted sesame oil to truly enhance the flavor of this stir-fry.
No. Cornstarch is a staple in Chinese cooking. It thickens the sauce and gives the stir-fry a glossy finish. It's an inherent part of any stir-fry recipe, including this one.
You can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave. The photo below shows you how I usually keep them, in a glass food storage container. 
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this stir-fry as a side dish when I make Asian-style meals such as Asian salmon or sesame chicken. It pairs well with these Asian meatballs, as shown in the image below. The photo shows the stir-fry and meatballs served with rice, but you can use cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version.
Recipe Card
Easy Vegetable Stir-Fry
Video
Ingredients
Sauce:
- ⅓ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Stir-fry:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 4 ounces red onions - ½ cup, chopped
- 8 ounces bell peppers - 2 peppers, sliced; different colors look pretty
- 8 ounces sugar snap peas
- 8 ounces mushrooms - sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger - grated
Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, water, sriracha, honey, and cornstarch) in a small mixing bowl.⅓ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Heat the oil in a deep, heavy 12-inch skillet or wok (I use a cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat.2 tablespoons avocado oil
- Add the vegetables gradually, starting with the sturdier ones. Add the red onions, bell peppers, snap peas, and finally the mushrooms. Gently stir after each addition. Cook, stirring often, until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.4 ounces red onions, 8 ounces bell peppers, 8 ounces sugar snap peas, 8 ounces mushrooms
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.1 tablespoon garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- Reduce the heat to medium. Give the sauce a quick stir, then add it to the skillet. Continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are coated, about 2 more minutes. Don't overcook.
- Off heat, drizzle the dish with sesame oil and sprinkle it with sesame seeds.1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Seasonings, especially salt, are just guidelines. Please adjust to taste.
- Replacing the honey with a sugar-free sweetener will lower the carbs to about 16 grams per serving.
- Cook the vegetables minimally. Stir-fry veggies should be tender-crisp and retain some crunchiness and "bite." Think about it like cooking pasta al dente. You definitely don't want them overcooked and mushy.
- You can use other sturdy vegetables like green beans, asparagus, sliced carrots, broccoli florets, and cauliflower florets. You'll need a total of about 1.5 pounds of veggies.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave.
Nutrition per Serving
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Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate - please verify it. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
