Weeknight Vegetable Stir-Fry

Weeknight Veggie Dinners

Ready to help your family eat even more veggies? Of course you are. Us too! This week we're sharing family-friendly vegetarian recipes that will inspire and show you the ease and versatility of including a meat-free night in your meal plan. These are the dinners that are easy to pull together on busy weeknights and will satisfy adults and kids alike.

Choosing the Vegetables

A variety of vegetables will not only make for a more colorful stir-fry (let's be honest — it feels like a little victory when dinner looks good too), but also change up the texture, which makes dinner more interesting.

This version uses a combination of broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper, and snow peas. Use these or swap in some of your favorites. The method for this stir-fry is adaptable to just about any and all veggies. Try swapping the broccoli for cauliflower or carrots, the mushrooms for eggplant or asparagus, or the peppers for celery or zucchini. Get creative — there's so much flexibility here.

Weeknight Vegetable Stir-Fry

Serves 4

• For the sauce:
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey or packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon white or red miso paste
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• For the stir-fry and serving:
• 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli (about 2 medium heads), cut into small florets
  Kosher salt
• 8 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
• 2 medium bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 8 ounces snow peas
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
• 1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Make the sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, making sure the cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.

Make the stir-fry: Heat a flat-bottomed wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water vaporizes immediately on contact. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the oil around the pan, add the broccoli, and season with salt. Using a metal spatula, stir-fry until it begins to soften and brown around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.

Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in the pan, add the mushrooms, and season with salt. Stir-fry until browned and softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the broccoli.

Drizzle the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in the pan, add the peppers, snow peas, garlic, and ginger, and season with salt. Stir-fry until the garlic and ginger are fragrant and the vegetables are softened, about 1 minute.

Add the reserved broccoli and mushrooms and any accumulated juices back to the pan and stir to combine. Stir the sauce one more time, pour into the pan, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened and coats the vegetables, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles and top with the peanuts.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The sauce can be made 1 day in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Let the sauce sit at room temperature while preparing the stir-fry, and stir to dissolve the cornstarch again before adding to the pan.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.