Ginger Vegetable Stir Fry

Late October and the toddlers at the daycare are in Halloween territory again, which I love every year for the same reasons. This year my room has two cats, a vampire, a sunflower, a fire truck, and a child who has decided to be a specific mountain. When I asked which mountain he looked at me very seriously and said: the big one. I told him that was an excellent choice.

I have been making a concerted effort this fall to cook things I have not cooked before. This week: a Vietnamese pho from scratch, which is a twelve-hour project involving beef bones roasted until dark, star anise and cinnamon and cloves in a spice bag, charred ginger and onion, the long gentle simmer that turns the bones into broth. I made it on Saturday and served it Sunday at Tyler's house with the rice noodles and the herbs and the bean sprouts and the lime and the hoisin and the sriracha. Tyler looked at the bowl and looked at me and said: you made this from scratch? I said yes. He looked at it for another moment and said: okay, you are a real cook. I said: I know. He said: I was not saying that before in the same way. I said: I know.

I have been a real cook for a while now. I am just getting better at letting myself say it.

The pho was the big statement, the twelve-hour proof of concept — but a real cook doesn’t stop there. The week after Tyler’s, I wanted something that still carried that same ginger warmth and that same quiet confidence, without asking the whole weekend of me. This ginger vegetable stir fry is exactly that: fast, grounded, and deeply flavored in a way that reminds you that good cooking doesn’t always require an occasion to prove itself.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as avocado or vegetable)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup snap peas, trimmed
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
3 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 green onions, sliced, for garnish
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
Cooked rice or noodles, for serving

Instructions

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and the cornstarch slurry. Set aside.
Heat the pan. Heat a large wok or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the neutral oil and sesame oil and swirl to coat.
Bloom the aromatics. Add the ginger and garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant — watch closely, as high heat moves fast here.
Add the harder vegetables first. Add the broccoli and carrots and stir fry for 2–3 minutes, tossing frequently.
Add remaining vegetables. Add the bell peppers, snap peas, and cabbage. Continue stir frying over high heat for another 3–4 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp and beginning to char slightly at the edges.
Add the sauce. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes more until the sauce thickens and glazes everything evenly.
Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Scatter green onions and sesame seeds over the top. Serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ginger Vegetable Stir Fry — For the Cook Who Finally Says It Out Loud