I may or may not have confessed this before, but side dishes are hard for me. If I’m making a big meal, I don’t want to spend a lot of time/energy/resources/money/dirty dishes on a fancy side dish. If I’m making something super simple, there’s usually a good reason behind it (I’m sick/tired/not in a cooking mood/wishing everyone would find a way to feed themselves). So if we’re going to have something besides a simple green salad, fruit, baked potatoes, steamed veggies, or frozen fries, it’s gotta be a) easy and b) requiring very little of my time and energy. And clean dishes. In case you haven’t noticed, I reaaaaally don’t like to do dishes.
So yes, this side dish does involve a frying pan, but it also involves a lot of shortcuts and make-ahead options. You’ll need a 12-ounce bag of fresh or frozen veggies (I used a fresh stir-fry mix from the produce department, but I really, really, really like just straight up broccoli), fresh ginger and garlic, about half of a small red onion, honey, beef broth, Sriracha (optional, but not in my world), sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, and some kosher salt.
Measure out 1/4 cup of beef broth (I just used 1/4 cup water with 1/4 teaspoon beef base dissolved in it) and whisk in 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Sriracha, 1 tablespoon honey, and 3 tablespoons soy sauce. Set it aside. You can also whip this up ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to stir-fry your veggies.
Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When it’s hot and shimmery, add the onion, ginger, and garlic in that order. Stir fry it for about 20 seconds and then add your veggies. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are starting to brighten and darken in color but aren’t over cooked.
Whisk together your sauce ingredients and then drizzle the sauce over the vegetables. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with another teaspoon of sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
PrintEasy Veggie Stir-Fry
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4
Description
This comes together in just minutes, and is perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- 1–2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced
- 1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen vegetables (like a stir-fry mix or broccoli)
- Kosher salt to taste
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
Whisk together the beef broth, soy sauce, Sriracha, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and honey. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the onions, ginger, and garlic in that order and stir fry for about 20 seconds. Add the veggies and stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are dark and bright but still crisp. Add the sauce and stir fry for another 2-3 minutes or until the veggies are tender-crisp. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with another 1/2-1 teaspoon sesame oil and sprinkle with kosher salt to taste and sesame seeds. Serves 4-6.
Notes
*Variation: To make this a meal, add thin slices of steak or chicken breast before you add the onions.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
Questions & Reviews
I needed to make room in my freezer and had a bunch of frozen veggies to stir fry, and this was the perfect sauce! So delicious and easy, thank you!!!
Hey Kate, I made this tonight and thought it was great. But I’ve got a question for you: in your recipe you say to use sesame oil, but in the picture you have sesame seed oil. I believe they’re different oils with sesame seed oil being much more potent. Just wondering which you use. Thanks!
I’m back to say that this is a new favorite. We loved it so much last Monday night that I made it again a few nights later with some chicken and shrimp. Thanks!
Fantastic. Just what I was looking for on this meatless Monday. I’ll be serving with brown basmati rice and some veggie eggrolls that I made a few weeks ago and froze. Thanks.
I have the same problem with doing “side dishes” with just the two of us. I have to ask – what brand of beef base do you use? Orrington Farms (I get it at Kroger) changed their formula and I’m really happy with it compared to the old way. But, I’m still looking for something that isn’t quite as sodium-heavy.
I just use McCormick beef base. One thing that makes me feel better about this sauce is that a) the veggies don’t absorb a lot of it and b) it’s not thick, so it doesn’t coat the veggies–we always have lots and lots of sauce left over afterwards. If you’re serving it over rice or noodles, I think the sodium content is definitely more of a concern because they’ll soak it up, you know?
That said, you could always just use water or diluted broth and then season it to taste.
Indescribably delicious! I forgot to buy honey, but it still came out superb !