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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce with Lemon and Ginger

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This healthy vegetable stir fry sauce tossed with fresh veggies, tofu and quinoa is a quick and easy vegan weeknight meal. It’s loaded with flavor from lemon and ginger, and is ready in just 15 minutes!

Healthy vegetable stir fry sauce served with quinoa, top view

A stir-fry is one of the easiest healthy dishes you can make when you’re pressed for time.

All you have to do is throw a bunch of vegetables, tofu (or another lean protein), a whole grain (like quinoa) and spices into a big pan (or wok), and within 15 minutes you’ll have a fresh and well rounded dinner ready to eat!

This healthy vegetable stir fry sauce tossed with veggies & tofu is no exception – quick, easy and oh so tasty!

Ingredients to make the healthy vegetable stir fry sauce tossed with veggies & tofu: spinach, asparagus, broccoli, pineapple, carrots, quinoa, spices

How to make this Healthy Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce tossed with Veggies and Quinoa – step by step

Step 1: In sauté pan over medium-high heat, add sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, lemon peel and hoisin sauce and heat through.

Oil, soy sauce, ginger and lemon in a pan
Soy sauce and other ingredients cooked down

Step 2: Add asparagus, carrots, broccoli, pineapple, chili pepper and water, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking to desired softness.

Asparagus, carrots, broccoli, pineapple, chili pepper and water, being stirred in a pan
Lid placed on pot

Step 3: Lower heat and stir in baby spinach and strawberries.

Strawberries and spinach added to the healthy vegetable stir fry sauce

Step 4: Heat on low just until the spinach leaves have slightly wilted (about 2-3 minutes).

Healthy vegetable stir fry sauce with veggies and tofu being stirred in a pot

Step 5: Serve warm, over cooked quinoa.

Healthy vegetable stir fry sauce with veggie and tofu served on a plate with quinoa

Can you add fruit to a stir-fry recipe?

Absolutely! Fruit can add a subtle sweetness which contrasts the spiciness of the dish nicely. Pineapple is a great fruit for stir fry recipes because it holds up well under heat! The ginger and lemon pair well with the fruit, bringing a refreshing element to the recipe, and helps make this dish feel light while still being super satisfying and filling. This recipe is also vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free!

What vegetables go in a stir fry?

Vegetables that have a bite to them are the best ones to use in a stir fry as they keep their texture. I used: Asparagus, Carrots and Broccoli. Other vegetables that would also work well in this stir fry include:

  • Mushrooms
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Cauliflower
  • White or yellow onion
  • Bell peppers, any color
  • Green onion
  • Water chestnuts
  • Baby corn

Towards the end, I also added in spinach which doesn’t require as much cooking time. If you do add greens to a stir fry, make sure they are added at the very end so they don’t get overcooked!

Are stir fried vegetables healthy?

Yes! As long as you use no more than 2 tbsp oil for the whole recipe. You actually don’t need that much oil when stir frying vegetables, especially if you have a non-stick wok. This recipe is low fat with no added sugar and comes in at around 200 calories per serving when served with quinoa. Needless to say it is packed full of vitamins and minerals from all the healthy vegetables!

Top down shot of healthy vegetable stir fry sauce with veggies and quinoa

Top tips for making this healthy vegetable stir fry sauce, tossed with veggies and quinoa

  • Prep all of your ingredients before turning on the heat — that way you don’t risk overcooking the vegetables as you’re adding things to the pan!
  • If you have a wok, use it! If you don’t, a cast-iron pan would also work well.
  • Use 2 tbsp oil, and once it’s added, roll it around the pan so that it evenly coats the bottom.
  • Cook the vegetables to your taste – I like them crunchy, but cook them for longer if you prefer them softer.
  • Use a low sodium soy sauce.
  • Serve with quinoa, brown rice or noodles.
  • For added veggie-friendly protein, throw in some firm tofu (pressed using a tofu press and then added to the stir fry), tempeh, or organic seitan. Chickpeas would even work well in this recipe!

Be sure to check out these other healthy Asian-inspired main dishes!

Healthy vegetable stir fry sauce with veggies served with quinoa on a glass plate

If you have tried this healthy vegetable stir fry sauce recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Lemon-Ginger Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce

This healthy vegetable stir fry sauce tossed with fresh veggies, tofu and quinoa is a quick and easy vegan weeknight meal. It's loaded with flavor from lemon and ginger, and is ready in just 15 minutes!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 210kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp grated lemon peel
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 lb asparagus spears cut in half lengthwise
  • 2 carrots peeled and diagonally sliced
  • 1 broccoli crown cut into small florets
  • 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple (to decrease the sugar in this recipe, use 1 cup pineapple)
  • 1 thinly sliced red chili pepper
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 3 cups fresh Baby Spinach
  • 1 cup quartered strawberries
  • 2 cups cooked hot quinoa

Instructions

  • In sauté pan over medium-high heat, add sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, lemon peel and hoisin sauce and heat through.
  • Add asparagus, carrots, broccoli, pineapple, chili pepper and water, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking to desired softness.
  • Lower heat and stir in baby spinach and strawberries.
  • Heat on low just until the spinach leaves have slightly wilted (about 2-3 minutes).
  • Serve warm, over cooked quinoa.

Notes

Top tips for making this healthy vegetable stir fry sauce 
  • Prep all of your ingredients before turning on the heat — that way you don’t risk overcooking the vegetables as you’re adding things to the pan!
  • If you have a wok, use it! If you don’t, a cast-iron pan would also work well.
  • Use 2 tbsp oil, and once it’s added, roll it around the pan so that it evenly coats the bottom.
  • Cook the vegetables to your taste – I like them crunchy, but cook them for longer if you prefer them softer.
  • Use a low sodium soy sauce.
  • Serve with quinoa, brown rice or noodles.
  • For added veggie-friendly protein, throw in some firm tofu (pressed using a tofu press and then added to the stir fry), tempeh, or organic seitan. Chickpeas would even work well in this recipe!
Adapted from Dole Baby Spinach

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 390mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g

12 responses to “Vegetable Stir Fry Sauce with Lemon and Ginger”

  1. I made your recipe for a gathering the other day and everyone kept asking for the recipe. It was totally a hit!5 stars

  2. I can’t believe how quickly you can make something like this stir fry – it certainly looks delicious and inviting, and will be a great dish to make on a weeknight!5 stars

  3. First time adding lemon peel to my Asian vegetable stir fry and really liking it. Thanks for this great stir-fry sauce. 🙂5 stars

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