Vegetables are a very important part of Chinese food culture. In the past I’ve shared pictures of our dinner table back in China. You can see how colorful the table is, because of the abundance of veggie dishes. When you want to add a quick side to your main dish, one that is not only fast to prepare, but also bursting with flavor, dishes like the 4-Ingredient Cabbage, Bok Choy in Garlic Soy Sauce, and Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce are the best choices. Today I want to introduce a Chinese vegetable stir fry formula, so you can mix and match whatever you have on hand to create a super delicious veggie dish.
Vegetable stir fry formula
To make a great vegetable stir fry, you only need three components: Mixed vegetables + fresh aromatics + stir fry sauce However, to make the BEST vegetable stir fry, I added another component to the formula Mixed vegetables + fresh aromatics + stir fry sauce + “Umami bomb” Let me explain them one by one:
1. Mixed vegetables
Some of my favorite vegetables include: onions, peppers, carrots, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. Because I can find them year-round and they are very affordable. When in season, I also use ingredients such as asparagus, snow peas, and summer squash. I included quite a few types of vegetables in this recipe just to give you an example of the workflow. You can skip or replace any of the veggies with whatever you have on hand. Please note:
2. Aromatics
Fresh aromatics are one of the most important elements of any Chinese stir fry. They add tons of fragrance to a dish that dried and powdered ingredients cannot come close to. When possible, I always add ginger, garlic, and green onion to my stir fry. But if you only have one of these on hand, simply double or triple the volume and skip the others. If you do a lot of stir frying like me, I highly recommend you prep aromatics in bulk on the weekend. Doing so will shorten your cooking time by a lot.
3. Secret sauce
To make the BEST stir fry sauce, my secret is to add one super flavorful ingredient. It can be: These three ingredients are what I call “flavor bombs”, because all my simple stir fry dishes taste better if I add one of them to it. If you like a slightly spicy taste, use Doubanjiang. As for me, I like Sui Mi Ya Cai the most because it adds a subtle sweetness to a dish. All of them are vegan. The fermented black beans and Sui Mi Ya Cai are gluten-free. If you don’t have any of these at home, no worries. You can simply use some salt instead. Your dish will still come out delicious.
A final thought
A plate of vegetables will be a real delight if you prepare it properly with a good sauce. When I want a light dinner, I simply serve a vegetable stir fry with some steamed rice and I’m good to go. Happy cooking and I hope you enjoy the dish!
More delicious veggie recipes
Sichuan Eggplant Stir Fry Vegetarian Thai Curry Kung Pao Tofu Chinese Broccoli with Mushrooms
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
