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Dreena Burton

Trusted Whole Food Vegan Recipes

Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-Fry (vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free)

by 36 Comments

 

This Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-Fry is one of my most popular recipes, and it’s been with me for a while!

Funny, as a culture, we are always excited and fascinated by what’s new. As a vegan chef, I love to push out of my cooking comfort zones to try new techniques, new ingredients, and of course to create new recipes for all of you.

Reader FAVORITE - "better than takeout" Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-Fry #vegan #glutenfree #oilfree www.dreenaburton.com

We have thousands of cookbooks available to use (vegan or otherwise), and millions more recipes online.

But we are still so eager for the new thing. Sometimes, however, the gems are already ‘out there’.

Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-Fry

As with this Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-Fry

It’s another one of those oldies but goodies! Readers tell me all the time that it’s “better than takeout”!

When I wrote PPF, I included this recipe, because it has been such a reader favorite (and a favorite for our family as well).

Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-FryI made this recipe again recently and decided I had to get this recipe with all its beauteous veg posted for you. While I was making it, hubby walked in and said “man, it smells good in here, is that what I think it is?  I cannot wait to eat!”

Yes, my tater-veggie-burger-loving hubby absolutely LOVES this vegetable teriyaki stir-fry, and has no issue scarfing down all the mix of vegetables. I sometimes switch up some of the veg I use in this recipe, so I give some tips to do the same in the notes below.

For any of you that don’t have PPF, or haven’t tried this recipe, I truly think you’ll love it! Please share your feedback when you try it.

Enjoy… x Dreena

Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-Fry
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Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-Fry

The veggies in this stir-fry are vibrant and cooked until just a little tender but still fresh and with some crunch.  And the sauce… it’s brimming with lots of fresh garlic and ginger and has that salty/sweet teriyaki appeal.  Add some tofu and cashews and serve over noodles or rice and you have one outstanding, pleasing meal!
Course Main Course

Ingredients

Tofu: (optional, see note)

  • 1 350 g (12 oz) pkg firm or extra-firm tofu, cut into cubes about 1⁄2" – ¾” thick
  • 1 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
  • 1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

For the Sauce:

  • 1/3 cup tamari or coconut aminos
  • ¼ - 1/3 cup water
  • 3 - 3 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup or agave nectar
  • 1 - 1½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil optional, omit for oil-free
  • 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
  • 5-6 medium-large cloves garlic minced (reduce for kiddo palates)
  • 2 - 2 1/2 tsp tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp arrowroot powder

Stir-Fry Mix

  • ½ - 1 tbsp oil or splash of water for oil-free to saute tofu; see directions for oven-baking
  • 4 ½ -5 cups broccoli cut into flowerets and stalks peeled, trimmed, and sliced in rounds (just over ½ lb of broccoli)
  • couple pinches of sea salt
  • couple teaspoons of water
  • 1½ cups cubed red, yellow, or orange bell pepper

Toppings

  • ½ - ¾ cup raw cashews optional
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions

Instructions

  1. First marinate the tofu.  Place the tofu cubes in a shallow dish and then pour the tamari and vinegar over the pieces.  Flip the tofu to try and coat and distribute the marinade to both sides of the tofu.  Next, combine the ingredients for the sauce, whisking together in a large bowl until fully incorporating the arrowroot powder (you can also use a handblender to whiz the ingredients together if you prefer).  In a large non-stick skillet over high heat, first saute the tofu for 7-9 minutes, turning the sides to lightly brown each side.  Once golden brown, remove the tofu from your skillet. (Alternatively, you can bake the tofu with the marinade in a shallow baking dish (roughly 8” x 12”) at about 400 degrees for 15-25 minutes, turning once or twice until all the marinade is absorbed - it won’t get as crispy through oven baking).  Next, add the broccoli and a pinch or two of sea salt and a teaspoon or two of water (the water will help to steam and soften the broccoli once covered).  Toss the broccoli through, cover and let cook for just 2-3 minutes.  As it is starting to turn to a brighter green color, remove the cover to your skillet, add the bell peppers, and saute through for another minute.  Next, add the teriyaki sauce, and increase heat to high.  Toss the sauce through the vegetables, and let the sauce come up to a slow boil.  Once the sauce is at a slow boil and has thickened, add the tofu, cashews, and green onions, toss through the sauce and remove your pan from the heat.  Serve immediately over rice noodles, soba noodles, or a whole grain of choice such as brown rice or quinoa.

Recipe Notes

  • Tofu note:  Marinating the tofu is optional.  If you want to speed the cooking process you can eliminate this step.  Marinating will add extra flavor to the tofu, but you can skip the step if you are in a hurry.
  • Vegetables Switch-Ups:  If you’d like to use other veggies in this stir-fry, go for it!  I love to add in carrots, green beans, snow peas, and zucchini.  Keep in mind that harder veggies like carrots and cauliflower need a little more time, so add those earlier in the cooking process. Veg like zukes, bell peppers, green beans, and especially snow peas need just a few minutes to gently heat through and not overcook.
  • Sauce Note: Sometimes I like to 'extend' the sauce a little more, using about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of water.  When I do, I round the tbsp of arrowroot slightly so that the sauce will still nicely thicken.  Don't add too much water as it will dilute the flavors.

What are some of YOUR “oldie but goodie” recipes? Please share your cherished favorites, and also any feedback you have about this Vegetable Teriyaki Stir-Fry.  Much ♥!

image credit: Nicole Axworthy

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Comments

  2. This was so absolutely delicious! We couldn’t stop eating it and I’m making it again this week. Thank-you for such an amazing recipe!

    Reply

  11. This is absolutely THE best teriyaki stir fry I’ve ever had! Better than any restaurant I’ve ever been to. This is definitely the meal I’ll be making anytime I’m introducing friends or family to vegan food for the first time! Thank you!!

    Reply

  12. I am so excited to try out this recipe! I was wondering how many cups you’d put of the other vegetables(carrots, beans snow peas etc) I need to know because I wanted to use this recipe for a foods class assignment.
    Thanks 🙂

    Reply

    • There are about 6-7 ups of veg in the recipe, so you can sub your faves to make up this rough amount. Hope that helps!

      Reply

  16. I made this a week ago. I didn’t use tofu and I added zuchinne and used *gasp* frozen broccoli (it’s all I had). Excellent the first night! It was good as left overs as well. I think next time I will add the cashews when I’m eating, instead of to the whole dish.

    Thank you! Another keeper recipe

    Reply

  18. This looks fabulous Dreena, thanks for sharing. I’ve never found a sti-fry sauce I’m particularly happy with, but have a feeling this might be the one! Such a variety of textures too with all those veggies, tofu and crunchy cashews 🙂

    Reply

    • Well, I hope this is the game-changer for you Emma! Yes, the textures work well together – the cashews are really a must! 🙂

      Reply

  19. I am new to vegan cooking and have a couple questions: Do I need to press the tofu first, or can I use it straight out of the package? Also, when the recipe calls for green onions- is that the white part, green part, or both? Thanks for your help!

    Reply

    • You can use the tofu without pressing.
      Green onions are also called spring onions. They are like very small leek.

      If you can’t get green onions just use regular ones. In that case I would use a generous 1/4 cup, since regular onions are stronger in flavour than green onions.

      Reply

    • Hi Becky! Welcome to the vegan food world. 🙂 You do not need to press the tofu – you can if you want, but if you buy an “extra-firm” tofu (choose organic), you do not have to. Some people prefer to, it does draw out excess moisture, but I rarely do myself. If you live around a Trader Joe’s, they have an organic “super-firm” tofu, and that is very dense and doesn’t need any pressing.

      Green onions – you can use both parts. The white part is stronger tasting, and so you would want to add that a little earlier to cook through some if using… the more tender green portions can be tossed in just at the end. I will clarify that in my recipe (I usually do) – thanks for asking. 🙂

      Reply

  21. I love a good reliable recipe and it seems they’re the ones that are most popular as well!

    I just bought your Let Them Eat Vegan cookbook this weekend and am super excited to bake/cook from it. I’ve bookmarked the Strawberry-Goji Muffins as the first recipe to make this weekend.

    Reply

    • thank you Anna!! One of my twitter friends just made those Strawberry-Goji Muffins and loved them – hope you do too. 🙂

      Reply

  22. Hi Dreena –
    A tweet from Julieanna Hever brought my attention to your new stir fry recipe. These are just a few of the comments from my husband after a few bites into it:

    “I don’t know what kind of old foolishness you pulled off, but I need that there (gesturing to the steaming pot of stir fry) tomorrow night.”

    “This sauce is bananas.”

    “I don’t ever remember you making stir fry like this.”

    Music to my ears. Thanks for a sharing a great recipe 🙂

    -Trish

    Reply

    • OH my goodness, Trish, that cracked me up! Music to MY ears as well!! Julieanna is a dear friend, I’m so thankful she shared that tweet – esp so you and your man could have this bananas sauce. “what kind of old foolishness you pulled off” LOL!! <3 that - thank you so much. You gave me a much needed chuckle today!

      Reply

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