This Easy Vegetable Teriyaki Stir fry is a healthy and delicious plant-powered meal on the table in thirty minutes! Makes even better leftovers. Vegan and gluten-free option.
We must begin by praising the cashews. I simply cannot get over their nutty, buttery splendor.
In this heaven-sent stir fry they almost taste like...chicken? It's kind of weird and kind of amazing. I don't even like chicken!
But they take on this incredible chewy, juicy texture as they soaked up the teriyaki sauce. It's emotional and riveting and another breed of fabulous.
Whenever I ask clients what their go-to meal is, they say stir fry. I mean, same.
The question is, why don't I make stir fry more often? I went from being a near stir fry virgin to eating it every day for two weeks straight. Still.Not.Sick.Of.It.
The best part about this meal is that is has everything you need in one bowl and the leftovers taste even better the one day. Truly favorite kind of dish!
You've got a boatload of veggies, whole grain brown rice, fabulous fats, and oodles of protein from the edamame. You don't have to waste precious brain power thinking about side dishes because this veggie stir fry has everything you ever need and more!
My predicament when creating this guy was developing a bomb teriyaki sauce that doesn't sending your blood sugar into outer space. I solved the dilemma by turning to fruit, using a full can of pineapple tidbits (does anyone say tidbits?) to cash in on the natural sweetness of pineapple.
Then I sweetened the sauce a wee bit more with my good pal maple syrup and it was a done deal. If you're looking for more of a peanut sauce vibe, try this Quinoa Veggie Stir Fry or my Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce. Total winners.
A healthy teriyaki sauce for the ages, ya hear?
How to make teriyaki sauce
Homemade teriyaki sauce is typically some combo of soy sauce, water, and sugar thickened with cornstarch or another thickener.
To make a slightly healthier version, we're going for pineapple plus a splash of honey and maple syrup, then thickening it with chia seeds. It works like magic! This pineapple teriyaki sauce couldn’t be easier to make and it’s hella flavorful.
You have lots of options here, like using honey or agave instead of maple syrup or apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar. Taste and adjust as needed, but know that the flavor will be much more mellow once it’s combined with all the veggies and grains.
If you love spice, increase the sriracha or add a pinch of red pepper flakes. If you love garlic, add a minced clove or two. Sometimes I'll add ginger, too!
Time-saving cooking hacks
The reason stir fry is amazing is because it's so darn customizable. And hard to mess up! You can use whatever produce you have on its last leg in the fridge or freezer and as long as the sauce is delish, you're golden.
Pre-cooked grains: If you don't wasn't to wait for rice or quinoa to cook, go frozen or buy the pre-cooked packets! They're a bit pricier but time is often money, so no shame in prioritizing convenience sometimes. I like to cook my grains in the Instant Pot.
Frozen veggies: You know those tempting bags of stir fry veggies in the freezer section? Those would work swell here! Sometimes you just don't want to chop---I feel you.
Use leftovers: This recipe is super forgiving. Peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, green beans, zucchini, asparagus, slightly wilty greens...throw 'em into the mix. The more veg the merrier.
Is this stir fry gluten free?
So glad you asked! Indeed it is, as long as you use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, which contains wheat.
CRAVING MORE ASIAN-INSPIRED GOODNESS? DON’T MISS MY OTHER GO-TO DINNER RECIPES:
- Instant Pot Pad Thai Stir Fry
- Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce
- Quinoa Veggie Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
- Peanut Noodles with Broccoli
- Quinoa Fried Rice
Easy Vegetable Teriyaki Stir Fry
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Main Meal
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
This Easy Vegetable Teriyaki Stir fry is a healthy and delicious plant-powered meal on the table in thirty minutes! Makes even better leftovers. Vegan and gluten-free option.
Ingredients
For the veggie stir fry:
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger (I use this bottled one)
- 2 heaping cups shredded carrots
- 1 cup sliced bell pepper (I used frozen)
- 1 large head broccoli, chopped into florets
- 1 ½ cups sugar snap peas
- 2 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa (I used frozen)
- ½ cup roasted salted cashews (more to taste)
- 1 cup edamame (I used frozen)
- Sliced green onions, optional for garnish
For the teriyaki sauce:
- 1 (8oz) can pineapple chunks in pineapple juice, not drained
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (sub tamari for gluten-free)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp chia seeds (optional, for thickness)
- 2 tsp sriracha
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger to pan and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, and snap peas and sauté for another 5-7 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Stir in cooked brown rice, cashews and edamame, stirring until heated through.
- While veggies are cooking, make the sauce by placing sauce ingredients in a blender (I used my Nutribullet). Blend until smooth and set aside. Pour sauce on top and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions and extra cashews.
