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Make a delicious one-pan vegetable zucchini stir-fry with a classic sweet & savory stir-fry sauce in 35 minutes! A healthy, nutritious, versatile meal perfect for serving with your favorite plant-based protein!
Table of contents
Quick and Easy Stir Fry Vegetables
If you’re looking for delicious and nutritious ways to use up a summer glut of garden zucchini (or your latest farmers’ market haul), we love pulling together big batches of baked zucchini fries, Tex-Mex zucchini boats, zucchini basil soup, and this low-budget, high-nutrient, quick and simple vegetable zucchini stir fry.
This vegetable and zucchini stir-fry combines tender-crisp carrots, bell pepper, onion, and plenty of zucchini in a classic, sweet and savory stir-fry sauce. The resulting dish is loaded with color, texture, flavor, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and plenty of nutrients!
Like most stir-fries, this zucchini stir-fry recipe is also super customizable and a great way to clear out your veggie drawer. Either way, it is a tasty and nutritious way to satisfy takeout cravings, especially when paired with your favorite plant protein and noodles/rice.
Looking for more ways to enjoy zucchini this summer? Check out our cheesy zucchini chips, zucchini fritters, zucchini potato casserole, or even zucchini muffins, quickbread, or cookies.
The Ingredients
Zucchini Stir-Fry Vegetables
- Oil: Use any neutral, high-heat cooking oil.
- Aromatics: Ginger and garlic make a typical, flavorful base to stir-fry zucchini.
- Vegetables: For this zucchini-heavy stir-fry, we used a combination of:
- Zucchini (or summer squash/ a combination of the two)
- Bell pepper (orange or yellow bell pepper will work too)
- Carrots
- Red onion (or yellow onion)
- To garnish: (Optional) Finish the dish with a burst of freshness and flavor thanks to green onion and sesame seeds (raw or toasted).
Stir Fry Sauce
- Soy sauce: We use regular soy sauce, though it’s possible to use a light/ reduced-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari/coconut aminos if preferred.
- Sesame oil: It’s fragrant with a toasty, nutty flavor that adds savory depth.
- Sweetener: A little brown sugar, maple syrup, or agave balances the saltiness.
- Vegetable stock: You can use vegetable bouillon combined + hot water or pre-made liquid vegetable stock. Use a reduced sodium stock if preferred.
- Cornstarch: (or arrowroot) will help to thicken the sauce. Mix it with a small amount of water first (double) into a slurry to avoid lumps in the sauce.
- Red pepper flakes: (Optional) To add some spice. Sriracha sauce would also work.
What Else Could I Add to Zucchini Stir-Fry?
- Protein: Make more of a complete meal of this stir-fry zucchini recipe by making a mock meat, tempeh, or (firm or extra-firm) tofu zucchini stir-fry. Beans like white beans/chickpeas will also add a hearty plant-based protein.
- Other vegetables: This is a great way to clear your crisper drawers.
- BroccoliCauliflowerMini cornBean sproutsEdamame
- Mushrooms (button, brown, cremini, shiitake, etc.)
Our favorites include a zucchini mushroom stir-fry and broccoli zucchini stir-fry, but you can have fun experimenting.
- Water chestnuts: For a crisp yet tender crunch in this stir fry with zucchini – found canned in the international food section in most major grocery stores.
- Cashews: Lightly toasted, then added in when serving for extra crunch and flavor.
How to Make Zucchini Stir-Fry
- 1) First, rinse, dry, and chop the vegetables: thinly slice the carrots (about 1/8 inch), dice or thinly slice the bell pepper (remove the seeds/ribs), and halve the zucchini lengthwise, then cut it into ¼-½-inch half-moon slices. Also, mince the garlic and ginger.
- 2) Then, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water into a lump-free slurry. Then whisk in the vegetable broth and all remaining stir-fry sauce ingredients and set aside.
- 3) Next, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet/wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- 4) Add the onions and cook them until they become tender and translucent (4-5 minutes).
- 5) Add the remaining vegetables and stir-fry for about 10 minutes until they’re tender-crisp.
- 6) Pour in the sauce, lower the heat to a simmer, mix well, and cook covered for 5 minutes.
If the sauce doesn’t thicken, it wasn’t hot enough to activate the starch – so increase the heat and stir constantly until it thickens.
- 7) Then, remove the zucchini stir-fry from the heat, mix well, cover once more, and leave undisturbed for 10 minutes. Finally, serve the vegetable and zucchini squash stir-fry garnished with sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
Once ready, enjoy the stir fry with zucchini over a bed of rice, quinoa, or noodles, and optionally with your plant protein of choice. Make more of a feast with sides like vegan dumplings, spring rolls, etc.
FAQs
When making a zucchini stir-fry, it’s important not to cut the zucchini too thin. Otherwise, it can become limp and soggy in the time the dish takes to cook. Somewhere between ¼-½ inches is perfect.
Our preferred slices include:
1. Slicing off the top and bottom.
2. Lying it on its side and slicing it down the middle lengthwise.
3. Slicing each of those halves into ¼-½ inch half-moon slices.
No, not only is the peel loaded with nutrients (and fiber), but it helps to hold the slices together so they don’t become too mushy.
Top Tips for the Best Zucchini Stir-Fry
- Don’t slice zucchini too thin: Otherwise, it will become sad and limp while cooking.
- Cook vegetables incrementally if needed: There are two ways to ensure evenly cooked stir-fry. The first is to adapt slice thickness (i.e., we cut carrots thinner than the zucchini since it’s harder and takes longer to cook). Another way is to start by cooking the veggies that take the longest, then add the rest incrementally so they all finish at the same time.
- Use a large skillet/wok: A wok is best, as it has a large surface area that retains heat well, but a large skillet works, too. It’s best to avoid overcrowding the veggies.
Storage Instructions
Make ahead: You can chop/prepare the veggies and aromatics 1-2 days in advance and store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
Fridge: Leave the vegetable stir-fry to cool, and store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
If you’re making a stir-fry specifically for meal prep, only cook it 75% of the way. That way, you complete the cooking when reheating it.
Freeze: Stir-fried zucchini and veg freeze for up to 2 months, though the veggies become very soft upon thawing. Leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Use a microwave or stovetop to reheat the vegetable zucchini stir-fry.
More Vegan Stir-Fry Recipes
- Quick teriyaki tofu stir-fry
- Veggie brown rice stir-fry
- Easy tempeh stir-fry
- Spicy sesame tofu
- Shiitake asparagus tofu
- Moo Shu vegetables
- Maple soy eggplant
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Easy Zucchini Stir Fry
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespooons of cornstarch
- 4 tablespoons of water
- ¼ cup of vegetable broth
- ¼ cup of soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons of sugar or agave
- 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
Stir veggies
- 3 tablespoons of oil
- 1 red onion, sliced into wedges
- 4 cups of zucchini, sliced length wise and then sliced into half moons
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 thin carrots, sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
- Sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water. Whisk in the vegetable broth. Add remaining ingredients for the sauce and whisk until fully mixed and set aside.
- Add oil to a large deep pan or pot and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes or until they become tender and translucent. Add the rest of the stir fry ingredients and saute for 10 minutes, regularly stiring.
- Add the sauce, lower the heat to a simmer, mix well, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, mix well, cover back with the lid and leave it undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Serve hot and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Don’t slice zucchini too thin: Otherwise, it will become sad and limp while cooking.
- Cook vegetables incrementally if needed: There are two ways to ensure evenly cooked stir-fry. The first is to adapt slice thickness (i.e., we cut carrots thinner than the zucchini since it’s harder and takes longer to cook). Another way is to start by cooking the veggies that take the longest, then add the rest incrementally so they all finish at the same time.
- Use a large skillet/wok: A wok is best, as it has a large surface area that retains heat well, but a large skillet works, too. It’s best to avoid overcrowding the veggies.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Yum! This easy zucchini stir fry is such a great way to use up my leftover zucchini … thanks for the great recipe!
Simple and tasty!
Simple, quick and very tasty!!
Love how simple this stir fry is to whip up!