Do I need to blanch broccoli before stir frying?

An expert Chinese chef's tip for making the best broccoli In this masterclass on how to stir fry broccoli, my dad shares two essential tips for keeping the broccoli nice and crisp. First, blanch the florets ! This not only softens the stems, but also stops the enzyme that leads to browning.

What is the secret of stir frying vegetables?

Dry the vegetables . When stir-frying anything from snow peas to lettuce, it's important that the vegetables are very dry. Otherwise, the vegetables will steam and braise in the pan and lose their crisp texture.

Which oil is not suitable for stir-frying?

Extra virgin olive oil has a very low smoke point with a strong flavor, making it completely unsuitable for stir-frying.

How do Chinese restaurants get broccoli so crispy?

The Chinese broccoli needs to cook as fast as possible, so that the nutrients and color don't have as much opportunity to leach out into the water. It's best to start with as much boiling water as you can. Restaurants serve amazingly green and crunchy Chinese broccoli because they use huge amounts of boiling water .

What not to put in stir-fry?

Because stir-frying uses a very high heat, you want a cooking oil that has a high smoke point. Vegetable, canola or peanut oil are my trustee go-tos, and all have a neutral taste, so won't affect flavour. Do not – I repeat, DO NOT – use butter !

When to add garlic to stir-fry?

We heat the wok until it's just smoking , add the oil (remember, “hot wok, cold oil”), followed by the garlic, and then pretty much immediately add the vegetables to avoid any burning garlic and to preserve a fresh taste.

What are the three rules of stir-frying?

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked . A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

Do you have to boil broccoli before stir-frying?

Broccoli does NOT requiring boiling before sautéing or stir-frying IF you implement the steaming method . Trapping hot air in the pan is what helps soften the broccoli so it doesn't just appear cooked on the outside.

Do you need to boil broccoli before stir-frying it?

Do you have to boil broccoli before stir-frying? Whilst you don't have to, I prefer to . A quick boil in hot water, or a steam, will softened up the stem a little, making it tender before adding to the hot wok. This way the stem will be a little more tender, but the broccoli will retain some crunch.

Should you blanch before stir-frying?

Pre-Cook Ingredients Given the speed of stir-frying, many ingredients can't cook properly without some form of pre-cooking . That means blanching or "passing through" hardy vegetables, or velveting any proteins to the proper texture.

Should you blanch veggies before stir-frying?

To prepare vegetables for stir-frying, blanching is the perfect way to jump-start the cooking process , especially for dense vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower (which usually take a while to stir-fry and often get soggy).

Garlic Broccoli Stir Fry With Chickpeas | Flavorful Recipe

Home » Vegan Main Dishes » Garlic Broccoli Stir Fry With Chickpeas | Flavorful Recipe

By Ela on 11. July, 2019 | 204 Comments. This post may contain affiliate links*. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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4.99 from 118 votes

Flavorful broccoli stir fry with chickpeas and a delicious garlic ginger sauce! This vegan weeknight dinner is easy to make in just one pan and it’s ready in about 25 minutes. The healthy takeout recipe is meat-free, gluten-free, low in fat, and very simple!

Most stir fry recipes contain either beef or chicken but not this garlic broccoli stir fry recipe. It’s a vegan version which contains healthy plant-based protein from chickpeas! Why would you love this quick and easy broccoli stir fry?

It’s garlicky, sweet, sour, spicy, and flavorful.
It’s a healthy weeknight dinner which is ready in about 25 minutes.
The recipe contains only simple ingredients.

How To Make Garlic Broccoli Stir Fry?

This is a very simple weeknight dinner which only requires one skillet and a couple of ingredients.

Sautè onion, ginger, garlic, and all spices in a pan over medium heat.
Add broccoli and vegetable broth. Fry until the broccoli is tender but not soft.
Meanwhile, prepare the flavorful sauce.
Pour the sauce in the pan and add rinsed and drained chickpeas.
Fry for a further few minutes, serve alone or with cooked rice.

You can store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry

If you can’t eat chickpeas or want to try a variation of this recipe, why not make tofu broccoli stir fry?! It’s also easy to make and all you need in addition is firm tofu.

No need to press it, just drain and pat dry the tofu.
Slice it into cubes and coat with a little cornstarch.
Fry tofu in a pan with some oil for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy from all sides.
Remove tofu from the pan and cook the broccoli as stated in the recipe below.

Simple Ingredients

The recipe contains accessible ingredients which you might have already in your home such as:

Fresh onion, garlic, and ginger
Broccoli
Canned chickpeas (or cooked from dry)
Vegetable broth
Soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos
Balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar
Maple syrup
Different spices
Cornstarch
Rice to serve

I used the following spices:

Onion powder
Paprika
Smoked Paprika
Black pepper & salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

You can also add ground cumin and turmeric to taste if you want. 🙂

This Garlic Broccoli Stir Fry Is:

Vegan
Gluten-free
Low-Fat
Satisfying
Flavorful
Sweet & sour
Comforting
A quick 1-pan recipe
Easy to make with simple ingredients
A much healthier alternative to (Chinese) takeout
And it contains healthy plant-based protein

Should you recreate this vegetarian garlic broccoli stir fry recipe, please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes and often share them in my Insta Stories!

If you love healthy stir-fry recipes, definitely also check out the following recipes which are vegan and gluten-free:

Chinese Kung Pao Cauliflower
Peanut Butter Noodles
Asian Stir-Fry Noodles

And if you love broccoli, you also shouldn’t miss the following delicious vegan broccoli recipes:

Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
Vegan Broccoli Risotto
Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup

Garlic Broccoli Stir Fry

Author: Michaela Vais

Flavorful broccoli stir fry with chickpeas and a delicious garlic ginger sauce! This vegan weeknight dinner is easy to make in just one pan and it's ready in about 25 minutes. The healthy takeout recipe is meat-free, gluten-free, low in fat, and very simple!

4.99 from 118 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4

Calories 213 kcal

Ingredients

Broccoli Stir Fry:

1 tablespoon oil (*see recipe notes)
1 onion diced
5 garlic cloves minced
1 heaped tablespoon fresh ginger minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Black pepper & sea salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 (450 g) medium head of broccoli cut into small florets
1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable broth
1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
Cooked rice of choice for serving

Sauce:

1/2 cup (120 ml) of water
3 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup or any other sweetener
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and all spices. Sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Add broccoli florets and vegetable broth. Fry until the broccoli is tender but not soft, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine water, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, and cornstarch. Whisk.
Pour the sauce in the pan and add chickpeas.
Bring to a boil until the sauce simmers. Fry for a further few minutes.
Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more salt/pepper/cayenne pepper if needed.
Serve alone or with cooked rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Please note that restaurant stir fry recipes contain a lot of oil. If you aren't used to low-fat cooking, you might not like this healthier stir fry version. If you don't mind oil, feel free to add more oil to taste. 🙂
Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving (without rice).

Nutrition Facts

Garlic Broccoli Stir Fry

Amount per Serving

Calories

213

% Daily Value*

Fat

5.6

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Reader Interactions

Comments

tiffany
4. March, 2024 at 08:05
Can i substitute the broccoli for cauliflower
Reply
- Ela
  5. March, 2024 at 06:05
  Yes, that is fine.
  Reply
Ann
3. March, 2024 at 09:33
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Can you substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth?
Reply
Karyn G
24. February, 2024 at 15:57
Easy and yummy. Even my veg averse teen said I should make it again.
See Also
Hearty and Healthy: 50 Quinoa Recipes for Every Meal
Reply
Caroline
23. February, 2024 at 03:47
So easy. and full of flavour.. love it.
thanks for a delicious recipe.
Reply
Rebecca
18. December, 2023 at 19:38
This is such an easy, yummy dish! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Reply
- Ela
  19. December, 2023 at 04:04
  Sounds great! So happy you like it, Rebecca. 🙂
  Reply
Chelsea
7. December, 2023 at 08:42
Made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. The flavors were spot on better than a restaurant! Thank you!
Reply
- Ela
  8. December, 2023 at 04:31
  I am so glad you liked it, Chelsea. 🙂
  Reply
Keri
1. November, 2023 at 22:24
absolutely perfect! this was delicious and so quick and easy to prepare! perfect spices, just a little heat, loved it so much! thanks for sharing!!
Reply
- Ela
  2. November, 2023 at 03:07
  That makes me so happy! 🙂
  Reply
Emy
25. October, 2023 at 12:08
Hello what is the serving size per person?
thank you
Reply
- Ela
  26. October, 2023 at 08:49
  Hello, it’s about 250 grams.
  Reply
Kerry
23. October, 2023 at 19:01
my husband and I really enjoyed this, thank you for sharing
Reply
Amy
23. October, 2023 at 15:29
Do you know what the sodium content is for a serving?
Reply
- Ela
  23. October, 2023 at 15:36
  Hey Amy! That really depends on whether you use low-sodium or reguar soy sauce and broth, and how much salt you add to taste. 🙂
  Reply
Elle
2. October, 2023 at 23:49
Quick and easy! Made this recipe for my family tonight, and everyone loved it! Happy that it turned out 🙂 I’ll definitely make this again for them.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Reply
- Ela
  3. October, 2023 at 11:11
  You are welcome, Elle. So glad everyone liked it. 🙂
  Reply
Mindy
29. September, 2023 at 18:58
Very disappointing.. I’m not sure why paprika would be used in an Asian dish, so I went light on it. I wish I hadn’t added it at all. It makes what could possibly have been a decent dish, just weird tasting. That was a lot of chopping for a dish that’s only meh.
Reply
Mel
29. August, 2023 at 22:10
Loved this recipe! This is actually the first meal I’ve cooked fully by myself- ever! Super beginner friendly. Next time I plan to add some tofu or plant based meat to it 🙂
Reply
- Ela
  30. August, 2023 at 10:01
  Sounds lovely! So glad it was a hit, Mel! 🙂
  Reply
Catherine
14. August, 2023 at 14:24
I cannot stress enough how very delicious this recipe is! I’ve never used chickpeas in a stir fry before and they were such a yummy addition.
I cooked up a whole stuck cube into 450 ml water, and the stock I didn’t use for the sauce, I used for the rice.
The recipe was quick and easy to follow, and will absolutely be a regular for me in the future!
Reply
- Ela
  14. August, 2023 at 16:46
  I am so happy to read that, Catherine! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
  Reply
Olivia
13. August, 2023 at 13:18
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it last night, it was so good. I used tofu and air fried the garbanzo beans for an extra crunch..
Reply
- Ela
  13. August, 2023 at 16:29
  Sounds great! Happy you liked it. 🙂
  Reply
Heather
18. May, 2023 at 17:02
Can you use frozen broccoli?
Reply
- Ela
  18. May, 2023 at 22:27
  Yes, thawed broccoli should work.
  Reply
Zendre Gould
29. March, 2023 at 17:40
Really glad I tried this recipe! It was super quick and easy , also delicious! I used lemon juice instead of vinegar and baking powder just because I didn’t have anything else but it still came out fantastic!
Reply
- Ela
  29. March, 2023 at 19:34
  So glad you liked it, Zendre!
  Reply
- Mitsue
  15. June, 2023 at 16:10
  this recipe is Good, easy and delicious!! 🤩🤩
  Reply
  - Ela
    15. June, 2023 at 17:39
    So happy you love it, Mitsue! 🙂
    Reply