Wondering what to do with seitan ? Try making this quick & healthy vegan Chinese seitan stir-fry ! It is packed full of flavors & super satisfying to have.
Whether if you are a newbie or pro to seitan, definitely give this healthy stir-fry a try ! This dish features tender seitan pieces and crunchy veggies cooked in a rich savory sauce. Plus, it can be made under 30 minutes, making it the perfect quick and healthy meal to have.
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🥦What you will need
🍄Notes / Substitutions
- To make this recipe oil-free, omit the sesame oil in the stir-fry sauce and pan fry the seitan in a good non-stick pan without oil. Also, use ¼ cup of veggie broth to saute instead of oil.
- If you are allergic to gluten, swap the seitan with 1 block of tofu or 2 cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas.
- Feel free to use any veggies that you have on hand ! Some other veggies that goes well with this seitan stir-fry are cauliflower, mushrooms, snow peas and baby corn. You can also use frozen vegetable mix instead.
🔪How to make
Make the sauce by combining everything needed. Mix well.
Heat up a large non-stick pan / wok. Heat up 1 tablespoon neutral oil of choice.
When the pan is heated up, add in the seitan and cook until it is nicely browned and crispy at the edges, about 4-5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Heat up another ½ tablespoon of oil in the pan and add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until translucent. Then, stir in the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
Now, add in the broccoli, carrot and red bell pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until veggies have softened, stirring frequently. Add a splash of water if the veggies are sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Lastly, add the seitan back to the pan with the stir-fry sauce. Toss until the sauce is evenly distributed. Serve your seitan stir-fry with some rice and enjoy while hot !
❔Commonly asked questions
Seitan is made from vital wheat gluten, a flour that is made from the main protein found in plants - gluten. Oftentimes, seasonings such as salt, pepper and dried herbs are also added to give it some flavor.
As seitan consist of mainly gluten, it has a really chewy and firm texture, making it the perfect meat substitute in many plant based dishes. It is also incredibly high in protein, containing a whopping 21g of protein per ounce.
Some of the vegetables that works well in this seitan stir-fry are cauliflower, baby corn, mushrooms, snap peas and bok choy. Frozen vegetables mix will also work well.
No, it is unnecessary to precook the veggies. As long as the vegetables are being cut into fairly small pieces, they will cook nicely and evenly without having to blanch or steam them beforehand.
First of all, make sure that the vegetables are dry before adding it to the pan. The extra moisture from the pan will cause the veggies to steam, rather than fry. This can be done by letting wet veggies dry in a large colander before using, or just simply pat them dry using a kitchen towel .
Other than that, do use pan or wok of the right size. For this seitan stir-fry, I recommend using a large wok or pan. Overcrowding the pan tends to cause uneven cooking, causing some veggies to be undercooked, while others are soggy. Plus, it will be pretty hard to stir them without making a mess!
Make sure that your veggies are chopped up into fairly equal sizes. This will ensure that they are cooked in roughly the same time period.
Lastly, do add your veggies into the pan in the right order. As a general rule of thumb, aromatics like garlic and onion will go into the pan first. After that, add in the tougher vegetables like broccoli, carrot and cauliflower and cook until they are half done, before adding in the softer vegetables like mushrooms.
As all veggies used in this dish are fairly tough, we are adding them in all together at the same time.
Yes, this Chinese stir-fry is actually freezable and will keep well in the freezer for a month. To do so, let it cool down before portioning it up into sealed, freezer-friendly containers. It is now ready to be freeze.
To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it in a pan, adding a splash of water if the mixture is getting too dry. Alternatively, simply reheat it in the microwave.
More Stir-fry recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Chinese Seitan Stir-fry
Ingredients
For the stir-fry sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine ( or dry sherry )
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce ( optional )
For the stir-fry
- 1 portion homemade seitan ( or about 14 oz store-bought seitan )
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 medium red pepper sliced
- 1 medium carrot sliced
Instructions
- Make the sauce by combining everything needed. Mix well.
- Heat up a large non-stick pan / wok. Heat up 1 tablespoon neutral oil of choice.
- When the pan is heated up, add in the seitan and cook until it is nicely browned and crispy at the edges, about 4-5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Heat up another ½ tablespoon of oil in the pan and add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until translucent. Then, stir in the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Now, add in the broccoli, carrot and red bell pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until veggies have softened, stirring frequently. Add a splash of water if the veggies are sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Lastly, add the seitan back to the pan together with the stir-fry sauce. Toss until the sauce is evenly distributed. Serve your seitan stir-fry with some rice and enjoy while hot !
Notes
- To make this recipe oil-free, omit the sesame oil in the stir-fry sauce and pan fry the seitan in a good non-stick pan without oil. Also, use ¼ cup of veggie broth to saute instead of oil.
- If you are allergic to gluten, swap the seitan with 1 block of tofu or 2 cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas.
- Feel free to use any veggies that you have on hand ! Some other veggies that goes well with this seitan stir-fry are cauliflower, mushrooms, snow peas and baby corn. You can also use frozen vegetable mix instead.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- This Chinese stir-fry is actually freezable and will keep well in the freezer for a month. To do so, let it cool down before portioning it up into sealed, freezer-friendly containers. It is now ready to be freeze.
To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat it in a pan, adding a splash of water if the mixture is getting too dry. Alternatively, simply reheat it in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Della
Sauce was a little bland to me but a good starting point. I added garlic and ginger and was more suited to my taste. Thanks for this!
Meesha
Its my pleasure, and yes, get creative and make this recipe your own.😉