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Easy Stir-Fry Vegetables with Black Bean Sauce Recipe

Easy Stir-Fry Vegetables with Black Bean Sauce

Colorful crisp-tender vegetables are quickly cooked over high heat and coated in a savory Chinese black bean sauce. Serve over rice or noodles for a flavorful 4-serving dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Vegetables
  • 2 tablespoons Neutral cooking oil, such as vegetable, peanut, or canola oil
  • 1 medium Medium onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves Garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 1-inch piece Fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated or minced
  • 1 medium Medium carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • 1 medium Red bell pepper, sliced
  • 2 cups Broccoli florets
  • 4 ounces Mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup Snow peas or sugar snap peas
Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Prepared Chinese black bean sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup Water or low-sodium vegetable stock
Optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes or 1 small fresh chili
For Serving
  • 2 green onions Green onions, sliced
  • As needed Cooked white rice or noodles

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Mix the prepared black bean sauce, light soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, sugar, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, and water or low-sodium vegetable stock in a small bowl. Stir until the cornstarch has completely dissolved.
  2. Prepare and cut every vegetable before heating the wok or skillet. Stir-frying happens quickly, so have the onion, carrot, broccoli, bell pepper, mushrooms, snow peas, garlic, ginger, and optional chili ready beside the stove.
  3. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat, then add the neutral cooking oil. Add the onion and carrot and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add the broccoli and red bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Keep the vegetables moving so they begin to soften while retaining color and bite.
  5. Add the mushrooms, snow peas, garlic, ginger, and optional chili. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the garlic and ginger smell fragrant.
  6. Stir the sauce again immediately before adding it to the pan, since the cornstarch settles quickly. Pour it over the vegetables and toss continuously for 1–2 minutes, until it bubbles, thickens, and coats everything.
  7. Remove the pan from the heat and garnish the stir-fry with sliced green onions. Serve immediately with cooked white rice or noodles.

Notes

Use very high heat and avoid overcrowding the wok or skillet; cook in two batches if necessary. Prepared black bean sauce is salty and strongly flavored, so adjust additional soy sauce to taste. For a vegetarian or vegan dish, check the label to make sure the black bean sauce contains no oyster sauce or other animal-derived ingredients.