My Go-To Weeknight Stir-Fry

I’d like to think everyone has a superpower, and this is mine: I can look into a mostly bare fridge/pantry and quickly come up with a dinner idea in a matter of minutes.

Usually I can come up with several different ideas, actually. And not just boring stuff, either. I’m talking about tasty, satisfying meals out of pretty much nothing. It’s almost like there’s a weird formula in my head that you can plug ingredients into and meals pop out of. Like a math equation…for cooking dinner. 

Strange, I know. 

Maybe it doesn’t seem like a particularly exciting superpower (like, okay, maybe I should have learned how to fly or something?), but it’s served me well in life. 

This recipe was born from that (debatabley real) superpower, when we were low on groceries but needed dinner, fast. 

It relies on some pantry staples, like instant rice noodles, soy sauce, almond butter, toasted sesame oil, ginger, and garlic, and can be customized to use whatever vegetables you have lying around, and can be bulked up with proteins like tofu, tempeh, chicken, or shrimp, if you want.  

The basic method is this:

any vegetables you have (think broccoli, peppers, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, sweet potato, etc etc)  + rice vermicelli + almond butter sauce = a stir fry, in literally 20 minutes or less. 

We often just eat this as is, or sometimes Kevin tosses some leftover chicken or shrimp into the mix and I might stir fry some tofu if I’m feeling extra hungry and it’s in the fridge. Usually, though, it’s just a quick, easy, veggie-packed meal. 

To make it, vegetables get chopped up and sautéed, water is boiled and poured over the noodles (which only take 3 minutes to cook!), almond butter sauce is stirred together, and when the veggies are done, everything just gets tossed together in the skillet. Cilantro and sesame and or hemp seeds make a nice topper, if you have them, but they aren’t a deal breaker. 

The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity, after all.

Until now, I’ve never measured anything when making this stir-fry. I just make it intuitively, on the fly, when we are in the need of a quick but healthy and satisfying meal. Sometimes it’s a little spicy, sometimes it’s a little sweet; sometimes I make way too much sauce, sometimes there’s barely enough to coat the noodles. Now, at least, I can follow my own recipe and have a perfect stir-fry, every time. 

And now you can, too. 

I think you’re going to LOVE this recipe! It’s 

Quick

Easy

Filling

Veggie-loaded

Creamy

& A little spicy.

If you make this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below with your favorite stir-fry variations, or take a picture of your quick +  easy weeknight stir-fry and share it with me on Instagram. And don’t forget to check out my pantry staples page to stock up on ingredients for this recipe!

My Go-To Weeknight Stir-Fry

Chelsea Colbath

A simple, veggie-loaded stir fry with almond butter sauce that can be made in 20 minutes or less!

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Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• 1 small broccoli crown*
• 1 red bell pepper*
• 1 teaspoon olive or avocado oil
• Brown Rice Vermicelli Noodles you'll only need 2 bundles from the package**
• 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic finely minced or shredded on a microplane***
• 1- inch piece of fresh ginger finely minced or shredded on a microplane***
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce I use low-sodium or liquid aminos
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes optional, for a little extra heat
• Toppings: a handful of cilantro roughly chopped; 1 avocado, thinly sliced; 2-4 Tablespoons of sesame or hemp seeds; 2 scallions, thinly sliced.

Instructions

 

• 1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. While skillet heats, thinly slice the pepper and cut the broccoli into small pieces. Add veggies to the pan, and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften and brown.
• 2. While veggies cook, boil several cups of water in a tea kettle or a small pot. Put 2 bundles of the noodles (aka 2 servings) into a heat-proof bowl, and pour enough boiling water over to cover them. Or, if boiling water in a pot, just turn the heat off and add the noodles to the pot. Let noodles sit in hot water for 3 minutes (or as long as the package instructs), then drain.
• 3. Put all remaining ingredients into a jar with a lid and shake well to combine (or whisk in a small bowl). Turn the veggies down to low, and add noodles and sauce to the pan, tossing with tongs to fully combine everything in the sauce. If sauce seems too thick, add more water, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
• 4. Divide the stir-fry into two bowls and top with any desired toppings. Eat immediately.

Notes

*Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have/love! Cauliflower, carrots, bok choy, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, etc- just cut everything into small chunks/strips
**I've found brown rice vermicelli noodles in nearly every major grocery store, but there are several other noodle options out there, too! Ideally, choose a noodle that only requires a 2-5 minute soak in hot water to cook, to keep this recipe quick + easy!
***The ginger and garlic add a lot of flavor to this stir-fry, but I don't always have both on hand. If needed, swap one or the other for a teaspoon of dried/ground ginger or garlic.
This recipe yields enough for two people; halve it if you're eating alone, or double, triple, etc, to feed a crowd!