This healthy vegetable stir fry is quick to prepare and cook, making it an ideal easy mid-week dinner. Stir frying is one of the tastiest methods of cooking vegetables, adapt to taste using the veggies you like to eat.
So what is the secret to a good stir fry? For me it's getting the wok or pan searing hot, then cooking the veggies fast so they retain all their flavour as well as texture and crunch.
I like these stir fried noodles as they are quite a dry noodle, there's no sauce in this recipe. The flavouring is not overpowering, so the vegetables really shine through.
When stir fried I find that there is not a vegetable that my family will not eat (with the exception of mushrooms which I just can't get my kids to eat)! It's a great way of packing vegetables into our diets.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Packed with a rainbow of veggies this healthy stir fry is low in fat and full of fibre and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
- No excessive salt, refined sugar, or unnecessary additives in this stir fry, making it a healthy option to a takeaway.
- A great way towards your 5-a-day and an easy meat free meal to add into your family meal plan.
- A versatile recipe feel free to use any variety and combination of veggies that you enjoy eating.
Recipe ingredients
- Noodles - I've used medium egg noodles, but you can use any variety of noodle in this recipe.
- Oil - I like to use sunflower oil when stir frying as it has a light flavour. I also light to add sesame oil right at the end of the cook as it adds a lovely flavour to the stir fry.
- Vegetables - I've used broccoli, onion, mange tout, baby sweetcorn and red pepper, but you can use any variety of veggies.
- Aromatics - I flavour the stir fry with fresh garlic, root ginger and red chilli for a bit of heat.
- Curry powder - I have used medium Madras curry powder in this stir fry. I prefer using curry powder to a paste in this instance, as I want the noodles and vegetables to be dry, rather than a stir fry with sauce.
- Soy sauce - I use light soy sauce to season the stir fry.
How to make healthy vegetable stir fry
- Start by putting the kettle on to boil and once boiling, fill 2 saucepans with salted boiling water.
- Place the noodles in one of the pans of boiling water and cook as per the instructions on the packet. Remove the noodles one minute before the end of the cook time as you will be cooking for a further minute in the stir fry. [So if instructions say cook for 5 minutes, only cook for 4]. Drain and set aside the noodles.
TOP TIP: I like to toss a little sesame oil through the noodles while they sit, this adds flavour and also stops the noodles sticking together.
- Meanwhile cut the broccoli into florets and place into the remaining saucepan of boiling water.
- Boil for 2 minutes then drain and plunge into ice cold water to stop the broccoli from cooking any further. Set aside.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a large wok until searing hot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook quickly for 3 minutes.
- Add the mange tout, baby sweetcorn and red pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Now add in the cooked noodles, along with the curry powder, stirring quickly to combine. Before adding in the broccoli, light soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Give everything a good toss in the pan to ensure the noodles and broccoli are hot and when ready serve into bowls.
- Garnish each bowl with some sliced spring onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Recipe variations
- Noodles - this recipe uses egg noodles but if you can substitute with the noodle of your choice.
- Egg Free/Vegan - if cooking this dish for vegan diners, or anyone with an egg allergy, replace the egg noodles with a wholewheat or rice based noodle, or something similar.
- Spice - I've used curry powder but substitute with any spice blend. Chinese 5-spice would be the obvious choice in this dish and would work well with the noodles.
- Vegetables - use any variety of vegetables in this stir fry, try sugar snap peas, green beans, carrots, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mushrooms, beansprouts, tinned bamboo shoots or water chestnuts.
- Leafy greens - stir through some pak choy, spinach, kale or chard during the final minute of the cook and allow to wilt.
- Tofu - if you want to add protein to this stir fry, but still keep it vegetable based, start by stir frying some tofu in the for 5-7 minutes until crispy and golden. Remove from the wok, then stir frying the veggies, then add the tofu back in along with the curry powder and noodles.
Serving suggestions
As is the case with most stir fry, this vegetable stir fry is best served warm, straight from the wok. This is an entire meal in one, so I don't tend to serve it with anything else. If I wanted to add extras I'd keep them simple and vegetable based, like some Stir-fried Pak Choy.
Useful hints and tips
- Prepare all the ingredients in advance, before you start cooking as once you start this is a fast cook.
- Always blanch the broccoli as it takes longer to cook that a lot of the veggies. blanching it first gives you tender stems.
- Add sesame oil at the end of the cook as it adds great flavour. It is only added for flavour and is not suitable for stir frying the vegetables as it has too low a burn temperature.
- Always cook stir fry fresh, this is not a great make ahead dish as reheating the vegetables and noodles will only overcook them and nobody wants soggy stir fry!
- Containing no dairy this side dish is suitable for dairy free diners.
- For egg allergies or vegan diners swap egg noodles for a rice of whole wheat noodle.
- Allergy advice: dairy free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
The secret to a good stir fry is cooking it and serving it straight from the wok. However, you can get ahead with the prep. In fact I would say when stir frying you should always prefer your ingredients in advance.
Prepare all the vegetables and pop them in a bowl in the fridge until you are ready to cook. You can also blanch the broccoli in advance, draining it and plunging into iced water to stop it cooking further. Once cooled down, drain away the ice water and set aside until you are ready to stir fry.
The noodles can also be cooked ahead of time. Once cooked, drain and plunged the noodles into cold water to cool. This stops the noodles from cooking any further.
I like to blanch broccoli before stir frying, as this allows the broccoli to cook properly before being added to the stir fry. This results in florets that are properly cooked with tender stems.
Soy sauce burns really easily, so I like to add it towards the end of the cook, for the final minute or two before serving. This allows the soy sauce to flavour the vegetables and noodles, without burning.
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Additional recipe suggestions
If you like this quick and easy recipe then try some of my favourite stir fry dishes:
- Beef Stir-fry with Blackbean Sauce
- Pork & Peanut Stir-fry
- Stir-fried Chicken & Cashew Nut
- Easy Sweet & Sour Chicken
- Easy Sweet & Sour Prawns
- Easy Stir-fried Broccoli
- Easy Stir-fried Pak Choy
- Egg Fried Rice
For other great ideas for feeding the family have a look at my Ultimate Guide to Family Dining, which is full of recipes, hint and tips.
Healthy Vegetable Stir Fry with Noodles.
Equipment
- Wok or large, high sided frying pan
Ingredients
- 200 g egg noodles (or similar)
- 225 g broccoli (cut into florets)
- 2 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 5 cm root ginger (grated)
- 2 red finger chillies (sliced)
- 75 g mange tout (cut in half)
- 100 g baby sweetcorn (cut in half)
- 1 red pepper (cored and sliced)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (use mild or medium)
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
Garnish:
- 4 sprlng onions (finely sliced)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (lightly toasted)
Instructions
- Start by putting the kettle on to boil and once boiling, fill 2 saucepans with salted boiling water.
- Place the noodles in one of the pans of boiling water and cook as per the instructions on the packet. Remove the noodles one minute before the end of the cook time as you will be cooking for a further minute in the stir fry. [So if instructions say cook for 5 minutes, only cook for 4]. Drain and set aside the noodles.
- Meanwhile cut the broccoli into florets and place into the remaining saucepan of boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes then drain and plunge into ice cold water to stop the broccoli from cooking any further. Set aside.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a large wok until searing hot. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and cook quickly for 3 minutes.
- Add the mange tout, baby sweetcorn and red pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Now add in the cooked noodles, along with the curry powder, stirring quickly to combine. Before adding in the broccoli, light soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Give everything a good toss in the pan to ensure the noodles and broccoli are hot and when ready serve into bowls. Garnish each bowl with some sliced spring onions and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
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Dave says
What a great fresh tasting recipe. We all loved it.
Lesley says
Thank you Dave, I'm glad you enjoyed the stir fry.
Chloe Edges says
This looks delicious, A great simple veg stir fry is a must in any Asian feast!
Lesley says
Thank you Chloe, I couldn't agree more, this dish is perfect on any Asian banquet table.
Cat says
So delicious! I love how versatile it is and you can add so many different vegetables!
Lesley says
Thank you Cat, this is one of those recipes that you can change up quickly, depending on what you have in the fridge.