Winter Vegetable Stir Fry (Printable Version)
Vibrant winter vegetables cooked in a savory ginger-garlic sauce for a healthy, colorful dish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally
02 - 1 small parsnip, peeled and sliced
03 - 1 cup Brussels sprouts, halved
04 - 1 cup cauliflower florets
05 - 1 cup broccoli florets
06 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
07 - 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
08 - 2 tablespoons scallions, sliced, for garnish
→ Sauce
09 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
10 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
11 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
12 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
13 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
14 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
15 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
→ Cooking
16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola or sunflower)
# How to Make It:
01 - Whisk together soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, and cornstarch slurry in a small bowl and set aside.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat.
03 - Add carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower; stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes until they begin to soften.
04 - Incorporate broccoli, red bell pepper, and snow peas; stir fry an additional 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender.
05 - Push vegetables aside, add remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan center and pour in the sauce; stir quickly to evenly coat all vegetables and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until sauce thickens.
06 - Remove from heat, garnish with sliced scallions, and serve immediately, optionally with rice or noodles.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- It transforms winter vegetables you might have overlooked into something genuinely exciting, where every bite has texture and purpose.
- The whole dish comes together in 30 minutes, which means dinner on your table when the evening feels too short.
- The ginger-garlic sauce is bright enough to make you feel nourished, savory enough to feel indulgent, and completely adjustable to whatever you find in your vegetable drawer.
02 -
- Cut your vegetables as evenly as possible. Uneven pieces cook at different rates, and you'll end up with some mushy and some still hard. Diagonal cuts on carrots and parsnips aren't just pretty—they increase surface area so they cook faster and more evenly.
- Don't add all your vegetables at once. I learned this the hard way by crowding the pan, which dropped the temperature and turned everything steamed instead of stir-fried. The order matters, and patience with it changes everything.
- That cornstarch slurry is essential, but it needs to be mixed with cold water, not hot, or you'll get lumps. And never add it directly to the hot pan—whisk it in while the pan is off heat or you'll have a grainy sauce instead of silky.
03 -
- If your sauce seems too thin even after the cornstarch, it's usually because your pan temperature dropped or the sauce didn't cook long enough. Let it bubble for a full minute and it will thicken visibly—patience is the secret.
- Prep everything before you turn on the heat. Stir frying moves fast, and there's no time to be chopping garlic when your carrots are about to burn. This is called mise en place, and it's the difference between enjoyment and panic.