Chinese Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry
Broccoli is the star ingredient in this healthy Chinese stir-fry. Loaded with double garlic , this Asian dish has big flavor. Enjoy as a side dish or serve over rice for a plant-based entree. This will become one of your favorite quick, weeknight recipes.
Traditional Chinese Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry
This recipe for Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry was based on a dish from A Single Pebble, a Chinese restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. The traditional recipe uses fish sauce and lots of oil to cook the broccoli over high heat. A dash of sugar is added to the sauce for a hint of sweetness. An authentic recipe would use Chinese Broccoli (gai-lan). It is often served on its own, or with rice, as part of a selection of vegetable and meat dishes.
A Plant-Based, Oil-Free Version of Chinese Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry
To adapt this recipe, I wanted to keep some of the basic elements:
- Charred Broccoli Flavor
- Balance of salt and sweet
- Authentic Chinese ingredients
- Lots of garlic!
#1 How to Get Charred Broccoli, without the Oil
The first step, charred broccoli flavor, requires a really hot, wide pan. A wok is great for this, but even just a wide saute pan does the trick. You want to char the broccoli in the dry pan, without any oil. This gives the broccoli a dark brown (almost black edge), which adds deep flavor. Be sure to stir the broccoli often during this step to prevent too much char (aka burning).
Place the broccoli in a wide, dry pan. This will help it char on the edges 
Char the broccoli until dark brown around the edges 
Oil-free charred broccoli
#2 How to Balance Salty and Sweet…without Sugar
Second, to balance the salty and sweet flavors, I balanced the amount of tamari (or soy sauce) with chopped dates. Traditional stir-fry recipes will call for brown sugar or cane sugar to add sweetness. Unlike white sugar, these darker sugars have a caramel flavor and a subtle smokiness. Plus, they tend to add a viscosity to sauces that is thicker than white sugar.
I find chopped dates work really well as a whole foods, plant-based sugar replacement in most stir-fry recipes. I usually just chop them really well and incorporate them into the stir-fry. However, for a smoother sauce, you can use pureed date paste. Use it in equal portions for the amount of sugar you’re replacing. 2 teaspoons brown sugar = 2 teaspoons date paste.
Charred red onion gets subtly sweet, a result of the caramelizing of natural sugars 
Dates add natural whole foods, plant-based sweetness to this recipe
#3 Why you Should Invest in Authentic Chinese Ingredients
If you’re a cook who loves making stir-fry, you should consider in investing in authentic Chinese ingredients. For authentic flavor, it’s always helpful to have your pantry stocked with some essentials. For plant-based Asian cuisine, I recommend rice vinegar, plum vinegar, Mirin, and tamari (or soy sauce).
Plum vinegar has a powerful salty flavor. On the other hand, Mirin, is a sweet Chinese wine. Plus, both have an umami, deep flavor, signature of much Japanese, Thai, and Chinese cuisine. A little goes a long way for both. Therefor, buying a bottle once might last you for a year. You can start using them in your favorite stir-fry, teriyaki, and Asian curry recipes.
Ume Plum Vinegar is an Asian vinegar used in stir-fry, sauces, and dashi. It has salty and umami flavor. For less salt, you can omit or substitute with rice wine vinegar 
Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine. A little goes a long way! You can substitute with good quality balsamic vinegar 
A dash of sesame oil adds a nutty finish. It’s optional, though. If you prefer oil-free, substitute with toasted sesame seeds.
#4 How to Add Lots of Garlic Flavor
Third, there must be garlic…lots of it! The joke around the dinner table is “It doesn’t matter if YOU like garlic. It’s more important that your dinner guests like garlic.” Yes, there is a hefty amount of garlic in this recipe. You can scale back the amount you want to use, but I suggest starting big. Just be sure that everyone at the table will be ready for the garlic.
What is Chinese Broccoli, aka Gai-Lan?
Gai-lan (or Kai-lan) is Chinese Broccoli. It’s the ingredient traditionally used in this recipe. It has big spinach-like leaves and tender, crisp stalks. Gai-lan is full of broccoli flavor! It works great in stir-fry, steamed, boiled, or blanched. You can often find it in Asian markets or at some farmers markets. If you find it, try in this recipe!
Watch this Video to Learn More:
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry Recipe!
This is a healthy, oil-free dinner that will transport you to a far-off land.
You’ll love this Vegan Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe! It is:
- Full of Authentic Asian Flavor!
- Colorful and Beautiful
- Ready in Under 30 Minutes
- Healthier than take-out
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips for Vegan Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry:
Stir-Fry Tips: The key to a good stir-fry is prep. Have your vegetables chopped, noodles cooked, and sauce ready to go. Then, cook the stir-fry quickly at a high temperature. This will give you crisp texture and bright colors.
Frozen Veggie Help: For a quicker version of this recipe, you can use frozen broccoli florets. You’ll need about 5-6 cups of florets for this recipe. Simply, thaw the broccoli overnight (or do a quick-thaw in the microwave for 90 seconds). Then, stir-fry the frozen broccoli when you would otherwise add the fresh broccoli.
Oil-Free Version: Sesame oil is an option ingredient in this recipe. It adds authentic Asian flavor to the finished dish. You can omit or substitute with 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds.
No Ume Plum Vinegar? You can substitute with unseasoned rice vinegar.
No Mirin? You can substitute with black balsamic vinegar or regular balsamic vinegar.
Tamari vs. Soy Sauce: Tamari is the gluten-free version of soy sauce. Use it in this recipe to ensure a gluten-free recipe. If gluten isn’t a concern for you, you can use either tamari or soy sauce.
Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry – Vegan, Plant-Based Recipe
- Medium
- Serves 4
- Ready in: 25 minutes
- Yield: About 6 cups
If you love this, you’ll also love: Oil-Free Almond Butter Green Bean Pad Thai, Vegan Singapore Udon Golden Noodles Stir-Fry, Smoky Broccoli Quinoa Crunch Salad and Oil-Free Massaman Thai Curry.
Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 big heads of broccoli cut into florets (about 5-6 cups florets)
- 8 dates chopped
- 1 teaspoon plum vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Mirin optional
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional
- Cooked brown rice black rice, or Asian noodles, for serving.
Instructions
- To make the Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry: Place the cashews in a large, wide saute pan or wok. Toast over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat up to high.
- Add the sliced red onion to the pan and saute over high heat until starting to turn dark brown around the edges, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until soft and aromatic, 1-2 minutes. Stir often to prevent the onions and garlic from sticking to the pan. Remove from the pan, and return the pan to the heat.
- Add the broccoli to the pan and saute 7-8 minutes. You want the broccoli to get some char around the edges.
- Return the onion and garlic to the pan, along with the ingredients for the sauce: the dates, plum vinegar, Mirin, tamari (or soy sauce), and 1 cup of water. Saute over high heat, stirring often. Cook until the broccoli is knife-glide tender. You should be able to insert a knife into a thick part and it will glide off. Be sure not to overcook as you still want some crunch in the broccoli. When the broccoli is ready, add the cashews back to the stir-fry and combine.
- Drizzle with sesame oil, if using, just before serving.
- Enjoy as a side dish or serve over rice for a plant-based entree. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 204 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 9 g | 14 % |
| Saturated Fat 1 g | 7 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 4 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 279 mg | 12 % |
| Potassium 556 mg | 16 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 29 g | 10 % |
| Dietary Fiber 5 g | 22 % |
| Sugars 14 g | |
| Protein 8 g | 16 % |
| Vitamin A | 41 % |
| Vitamin C | 119 % |
| Calcium | 79 % |
| Iron | 3 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Shopping and Gear List
- Koyo Organic Fine Udon Pasta, 8 oz
- Simply Organic Curry Powder
- SAN-J -TAMARI-REDUCED SODIUM [Gluten Free] (Organic) 10OZ[1PACK]
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