Nothing makes a quicker dinner than stir-frying fresh veggies with a tasty sauce! This spicy vegetable stir fry is simple, healthy, and delicious!
{Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan}
Hello again, friends! How is your Tuesday treating you? Is it hot where you live? It’s currently 98º here! It’s been pretty hot over the last few days here, but it’s not super humid… so it doesn’t feel too crazy hot.
Once the temperatures start climbing, my motivation for cooking starts declining. Even though the house is kept cool with air conditioning, I still have no desire to cook much when it’s hot outside. I’d much rather be outside enjoying the weather than stuck in the kitchen! Plus, I tend to have less of an appetite during summer and typically want light and veggie-packed meals.
Which brings me to today’s recipe! What’s quicker and healthier than a simple stir-fry? Nothing people. Nothing at all.
Spicy Vegetable Stir Fry
Not only is this recipe really quick and easy, but it’s vegan and super versatile. I get really into plant-based dishes throughout the summer… because.. hello! Fresh veggies!
This stir-fry has the last of the asparagus for the season, the last of the fresh spinach, as well as some mushrooms. You can swap out any of those for something else depending on what you have available and what season it is. Zucchini and peppers (and mushrooms) would be perfect for midsummer… broccoli and bok choy (and mushrooms!) for fall… you get the point. Mushrooms are the common denominator here. I like that they add a meat-like component, but if you don’t like them you can use eggplant or even tofu. Or, if you don’t care if this is vegan/vegetarian, you can use chicken, beef, or shrimp!
See how versatile this is?!
Start to finish, this recipe takes about 20 minutes. That includes the chopping of the veggies! SO, that means more time spent outside enjoying the summer, and less time in the kitchen.
The sauce for this spicy vegetable stir fry is insanely simple… throw all the ingredients into a mason jar (or any container with a lid) and shake it up. Pour it over your cooked veggies and toss… then pile it on top of hot rice. Rice (white or brown) is a must, in my opinion, because it soaks up that delicious spicy sauce! You can also use quinoa, though.
Finish off this tasty stir-fry with cashews, sesame seeds, and scallions for the perfect healthy meal! There’s just something about nuts sprinkled on a stir-fry that I just love. I’m all about that texture and crunch!
Meatless recipes don’t have to be bland or boring. In fact, I think meat eaters won’t even miss the meat in this stir-fry! Everyone will love this one! ?
- 3 Cloves Garlic, very finely minced
- 1-inch Piece Ginger, grated or finely minced
- ¼ Cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Gluten-Free Soy Sauce
- 2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
- 1-2 Teaspoons Sriracha
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Sugar
- ½ Teaspoon Cornstarch
- Extra-Light Olive Oil, for drizzling
- 3 Large Scallions, white part and about half of the green part, divided
- 1 Bunch Fresh Asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (8 oz.) Container Crimini Mushrooms
- 1 (10 oz.) Container Baby Spinach, roughly chopped
- Hot Cooked Rice*, for serving
- ¼ Cup Cashews, chopped
- Sesame Seeds, for garnish
- Place the garlic, ginger, vegetable broth, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha, coconut sugar, and cornstarch in a small mason jar. Cover tightly with the lid and shake to combine. Set aside.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until the pan is very hot. Drizzle in some oil (about ½ tablespoon) and add in the white part of the scallions and the asparagus, and season with salt and pepper. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until you get a little color on the asparagus; transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add another drizzle of oil to the pan and add in the mushrooms. Stir-fry the mushrooms until they start to soften and change color to a darker brown (they will start leaving off some liquid); about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then add the asparagus back into the pan along with the chopped spinach. Turn the heat off and pour in the sauce (give it another shake first) and stir the vegetables to wilt the spinach and coat everything in the sauce.
- Serve the stir-fry over rice and top each portion with cashews and sesame seeds, plus the green part of the scallions that you chopped earlier. Enjoy!
It is definitely hot hot hoooot here today. But it’s also hella humid, so I don’t even want to play outside… unless it’s in a pool or at the beach! 😉 LOVING this stir fry! And I seriously adore that you made this spicy! Gimme all dat heat.. well, only where food is concerned and not the weather! Such a delicious dish, my dear! Cheers! <3
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I love making stir fry, especially in the summer with all of the fresh veggies! This spicy version sound delicious! And I love that this is ready in just 20 minutes…my kind of mea!
Veggie stir frys make up about 90% of my dinner recipes. I try to mix it up, but that’s easier said than done. I love the asparagus and all those tasty scallions and you can never go wrong with mushrooms.
I tried it with adding baked tofu to the finished stir-fry. It was great! I used red bell peppers in place of chiles. I recommend making sure you press the moisture from the tofu well. My was ok, but next time I’d like to get it crispier.
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