Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry - Healthy, Plant-Based, Asian, Gluten-Free Vegan Dinner Recipe from Plants-Rule — Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry – Healthy, Plant-Based, Asian, Gluten-Free Vegan Dinner Recipe from Plants-Rule

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.

2 Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry - Healthy, Plant-Based, Asian, Gluten-Free Vegan Dinner Recipe from Plants-Rule — 2 Chinese Double Garlic Broccoli Stir-Fry – Healthy, Plant-Based, Asian, Gluten-Free Vegan Dinner Recipe from Plants-Rule

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).

#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.

#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.

#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.