• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet
  • Recipes
  • Cooking Classes
    • Gift Certificates
    • Testimonials
  • Videos
  • Lifestyle
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Lifestyle
  • Cooking Classes
    • Gift Certificates
    • Testimonials
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    • Cinde wearing a white Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet apron; standing at the counter chopping tomatoes, peppers and cucumber.
      How To Cook A Meal For A Celiac
    • Food Allergy Survival Kits made with an eraser, a penny, a marble, a elastic, a paper clip and a small heart to match the saying on the printed card inside.
      Food Allergy Club at School
    • Someone holding a full sheet of pasta in front of the hand-cranked pasta machine.
      Homemade Gluten Free Pasta Dough
    • Gluten Free Chicken Pesto Pasta in a blue bowl
      Chicken Pesto Pasta
    • A card listing many edible flowers you can grow surrounded by fresh edible flowers from my garden.
      How to Use Edible Flowers in the Kitchen
    • If you went to the trouble of cutting brownies with perfect edges you get to eat all the leftover edge pieces. I say it's worth it every time!
      Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies
    • Gluten free recipes for Cinco De Mayo
      Cinco De Mayo Recipe Ideas
    • A metal rack with cheese buns and someone pulling one apart showing how stretchy they are.
      Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)
    • A bottle of Balsamic Glaze vs Balsamic Vinegar surrounded by fresh tomatoes, basil, bocconcini and olive oil.
      Balsamic Glaze vs Balsamic Vinegar
    • Grilled Salmon with West Coast Dill Barbecue Sauce on top of cooked asparagus with a purple pansy garnish.
      Grilled Salmon with West Coast Dill Barbecue Sauce
    • Asparagus with Black Bean Butter Sauce
      Asparagus with Black Bean Butter Sauce
    • Dinner Club Thai Menu
      Dinner Club: A Thai Menu
    Home » Recipes » Main Course

    Easy Vegetable Stir Fry

    Published: Feb 27, 2023 · Modified: Jul 12, 2023 by Cinde LittleThis post may contain affiliate links1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A wok filled with two wooden spatulas stirring colourful cooked vegetables.
    A board with all the sauce ingredients; a plate of cut raw vegetables, and a wok filled with the cooked vegetable stir fry.

    I make this easy Vegetable Stir Fry in twenty minutes while my rice is cooking. It's a clean-out-the-fridge recipe that's a little bit different every time and I can have dinner on the table in thirty minutes.

    Contents show
    1 What is Stir Fry
    2 Gluten Free Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients
    3 Best Vegetables For Stir Fry
    4 How Can I Make Dinner Faster
    5 PIN for later...
    6 Is It Better to Cook in a Wok
    7 More Wok Recipes
    8 Vegetable Stir Fry (Gluten Free)
    8.1 Ingredients 1x2x3x
    8.1.1 VEGETABLES: 8-10 cups total
    8.1.2 SAUCE
    8.1.3 THICKENING
    8.1.4 GARNISH: any or all of the following
    8.2 Instructions
    8.3 Notes

    What is Stir Fry

    Stir frying is simply a Chinese cooking technique using high heat and a small amount of oil. The food is typically cut into small, uniform pieces that become crispy as you stir them.

    I love firm stir fry vegetables but some people like them a little softer. If that sounds like you I added an instruction in the recipe notes of how to steam them for a few minutes.

    Gluten Free Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients

    There are endless sauce recipes for a simple stir fry but this is the one that has stood the test of time in my kitchen.

    Cups and spoons with all the ingredients for a vegetable stir fry sauce.
    Ingredients for Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce

    When you're new to gluten free you've got to upgrade your pantry to include the ingredients you need to make the dishes you want. Here are a few tips specific to the ingredients in this recipe.

    • GINGER ROOT: Keep a knob of fresh ginger root in the freezer. I buy and use fresh ginger but it dries up when left open to the air and goes slimy in an airtight container. By keeping a piece in the freezer I always have that ingredient on hand.
    • SAUCES: Gluten free oyster sauce and hoisin sauce are two ingredients commonly used in Asian cooking. For me hoisin is easy to find but oyster sauce takes effort. Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce with the GREEN label is the one that's gluten-free. They also sell a gluten-filled version so look for the GREEN label.
    • CHINESE BLACK BEANS: This is a unique ingredient. The beans can be used right out of the container or rinsed and chopped to go into a sauce. It isn't essential for this vegetable stir fry but I often have a jar of my homemade black bean sauce in the fridge.
    • SHERRY: I buy W&H Dry Sack Sherry at any liquor store and use it in recipes calling for Chinese cooking wine, cooking sherry or sherry.

    For a detailed list of ingredients I use for many Asian dishes and every fusion combination you can think of, check out this post, Gluten Free Asian Pantry. It has recipe links for each individual ingredient.

    Best Vegetables For Stir Fry

    Fresh vegetables are loaded with vitamins and nutrients and are important for every diet. At the same time it's a juggling act to keep them in the fridge and use them before they spoil.

    A tray of chopped bok choy, mushrooms, red pepper, broccoli, onion, carrot and cherry tomatoes ready to stir fry.
    Colourful vegetables ready to stir fry.

    Keep some canned and frozen vegetables on hand so you can supplement when you don't quite have enough fresh veggies. Here's a list to choose from and you can probably think of a few more to add to it.

    Firm VegetablesSoft VegetablesCanned, Frozen & Dried VegetablesFinishing
    oniongreen onionscanned baby cornsalted peanuts
    pepperscherry tomatoescanned water chestnutssesame seeds
    carrotmushroomsfrozen edamame beanscilantro or Thai basil
    celerysnow peasfrozen snow peas
    cabbage / coleslaw mixbok choyrehydrated dried mushroomsPROTEIN: leftover cooked meat or tofu
    cauliflowerzucchinifrozen mixed vegetables
    broccolifresh spinach
    I could make this recipe once a week and it would be different every time.
    A wok full of colourful vegetables and two wooden spoons stirring them.
    Easy Vegetable Stir Fry
    A bowl of my everyday Vegetable Stir Fry served on rice
    Vegetable Stir Fry

    How Can I Make Dinner Faster

    People always want to know what they can cook in less than thirty minutes. My first answer is stir fry!

    I put rice on the stove, set the timer for twenty minutes then open the fridge and start chopping. As I chop I have that list above in my head. With over twenty vegetables to choose from I think of what I need to use up and how to get variety.

    Quick cooking recipes are a good place to start but there's more to cooking dinner fast. Here are my best tips.

    • Put some effort into organizing your kitchen. Notice what trips you up and focus on fixing it.
    • Life in the kitchen is always about juggling food; fresh, frozen and canned. A well stocked pantry is key.
    • Collect a handful of reliable recipes and keep the list handy. Eventually they'll be in your head but start with a small list and add to it. When the list is long you'll be glad you can refer to it.
    • Save recipes and learn to vary them. I have this basic stir fry recipe written on a recipe card taped to the inside of the cupboard door beside the stove. It's called Anything Stir Fry. 
    • Make any recipe three times and notice how it suddenly seems a bit easier. I still refer to the recipe to cook but I can start cooking without looking at it.

    PIN for later...

    A wok filled with two wooden spatulas stirring colourful cooked vegetables.
    Easy Vegetable Stir Fry (gluten free)

    This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase using these links your cost is the same, but I receive a few cents for every dollar spent. I appreciate your support for this website.

    Is It Better to Cook in a Wok

    Yes, it's better to cook in a wok! If you don't have one these are my top reasons why you should buy one today.

    • A basic flat-bottom wok is inexpensive and can be used for stir fries, curries, non-Asian recipes and even as a deep-fryer.
    • The high sides of a wok increase the cooking surface which is perfect for a stir fry.
    • The shape makes it easy to stir food without flipping onto the stove or floor.
    • My wok is also my deep fryer. The large surface area at the top makes it easy to flip Chinese Chicken Balls or Cinnamon churros when they're bobbing in oil. The smaller base means you use less oil than you would in a pot with straight sides.

    Buy a wok and find a place to store it. Mine is in the cupboard above the fridge where it's easy to grab and easy to put away.

    Let me know in the comments below if you tried this stir fry or bought a wok.

    Originally published 2015, revised February 2023.


    __________________________________________________________________________________________

    New here? Join our community and get your FREE resource, the tips I wish I knew when I started cooking gluten free.

    Yes, I need 29 Tips For Cooking with Gluten Free Flour.

    Still haven't mastered gluten free cooking? Check out our online Cooking Classes.

    More Wok Recipes

    • Beef and Bok Choy Stir Fry
    • Thai Pork and Vegetable Curry
    • Chicken Fried Rice
    • Thai Mussels in Coconut Curry Sauce
    • Shrimp Pad Thai
    A wok full of colourful vegetables and two wooden spoons stirring them.

    Vegetable Stir Fry (Gluten Free)

    Cinde Little
    Make this easy Vegetable Stir Fry and have a healthy dinner on the table in 30 minutes. It's a clean-out-the-fridge recipe that's fast, healthy and different every time.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 4 people

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
    • 1 garlic clove, chopped
    • 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon gluten free Chinese black bean sauce* (substitute hoisin or oyster sauce)

    VEGETABLES: 8-10 cups total

    • firm vegetables: carrot, celery, onion, peppers, cauliflower or broccoli
    • soft vegetables: zucchini, mushrooms, bok choy, snow peas, spinach or tomato
    • canned vegetables: baby corn or water chestnuts
    • frozen vegetables: snow peas, edamame beans or mixed vegetables

    SAUCE

    • ¼ cup Sherry
    • 2 tablespoon gluten free oyster sauce (or more black bean sauce or hoisin sauce)
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper

    THICKENING

    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon water

    GARNISH: any or all of the following

    • 1 green onion, chopped
    • 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
    • 2 tablespoon chopped peanuts

    Instructions
     

    • In a measuring cup combine Sherry, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar and pepper. Set aside.
    • Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
    • Place wok on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
    • Add the oil, garlic, ginger and black bean sauce. Stir-fry for 30 seconds.
    • Add the firm vegetables and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
    • Add the softer vegetables and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.**
    • Pour sauce over vegetables, stir to coat and cook 2-3 minutes.
    • Pour cornstarch-water mixture into wok and immediately stir as the sauce thickens, 1-2 minutes.
    • Serve on rice or toss with softened rice noodles.
    • Sprinkle with garnishes of your choice. Serve.

    Notes

    *Chinese black bean sauce: Click to see my recipe for Chinese black bean sauce.
    **If you prefer your vegetables softer add 1 tablespoon water and put the lid on to steam vegetables for a few minutes.
    Black bean sauce, hoisin sauce and oyster sauce are all very different yet any combination will work in this recipe. Find you favourite!
    Protein options: Of course you can add meat or tofu. Cook the protein of your choice in the wok after cooking the garlic and ginger or add leftover cooked meat just before adding the sauce.
    Keyword gluten free vegetable stir fry
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Main Course

    • A white plate with futomaki, homemade sushi rolls, with pickled ginger and wasabi.
      Homemade Sushi Rolls
    • A piece of hazelnut lemon halibut garnished with arugula and lemon slices.
      Hazelnut Lemon Halibut
    • Close up of cooked rice noodles with red and green pepper garnished with chopped peanuts.
      Rice Noodle Stir Fry
    • Serving up Mexican Pork Carnitas
      Mexican Pork Carnitas
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Cinde Little

      September 06, 2023 at 9:23 pm

      5 stars
      A favourite everyday recipe for me!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Cinde Little, Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet

    Welcome! I’m Cinde, a foodie who loves teaching people to cook and have fun in the kitchen. I know you can learn to make the foods you miss and create a gluten free lifestyle you love.

    More about me →

    You might also like

    • A boule of Gluten Free Crusty Bread right from the oven.
      Homemade Crusty Bread
    • A stack of Chocolate Chip Cookies with teff flour.
      Chocolate Chip Cookies with Teff
    • Four bowls of gluten free flour for my EGFG flour blend; millet, sorghum, sweet rice flour and potato starch.
      EGFG Gluten Free Flour Blend
    • Three gluten free Banana Muffins resting on a turquoise tea towel waiting to be eaten warm.
      Banana Muffins

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Cinde
    • New to Gluten Free?
    • Contact

    Newsletter

    • Sign up here for updates and free resources

    Cooking Classes

    • Class Calendar
    • Gift Certificates

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Disclosure Policy

    Copyright © 2023 Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet