Yasai Itame (Japanese stir-fry vegetables)

Name: Yasai Itame (Japanese Stir-fry Vegetables)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)); 2 teaspoon sesame oil; 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or another liquid sweetener); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon minced ginger; 1 medium carrot (julienned); 4 cups shredded cabbage; 2 cups bean sprout; 1 cup snow peas; salt and pepper (to taste )

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Yasai Itame, or Japanese stir-fry vegetables, is savory, fresh, and incredibly flavorful. This easy dish is ready in 20 minutes, making it the perfect quick weekday dinner. A great way to get in your daily dose of veg!

A bowl of yasai itame served with chopsticks with rice, sesame seeds, and another bowl of veggie beside.

I am a massive fan of stir-fries. They are not only quick to make, but easy to prepare too! This is made apparent by the sheer number of stir-fry recipes on this blog, from Pad Pak Thai and Hunan tofu to miracle noodles stir-fry.

And today’s addition, yasai itame, is another great one!

Jump to:

🥬What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
🔪How to make
✔Helpful tips
✨Variations
🍚How to serve
❔Commonly asked questions
🍽More vegan Asian recipes
📖 Recipe

🥬What you will need

Ingredients needed like cabbage, bean sprouts, carrot, peas, and seasonings on a grey background.

📃Ingredients notes and substitutions

Soy sauce - You can substitute it with tamari or shoyu. Use certified gluten-free ones if needed. You can also use low sodium soy sauce to reduce the salt content of this recipe.
Maple syrup - Feel free to substitute it with other sweeteners like cane sugar, brown sugar, or agave syrup.

🔪How to make

Here is a quick rundown of the steps involved in making Japanese stir-fry vegetables. As usual, the full detailed recipe will be in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Heat a non-stick wok, and start by frying garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add carrot next, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they have softened slightly.

Collage showing garlic and ginger in a wok then adding in carrot.

Then, add cabbage into the pan and fry for another 1-2 minutes before adding bean sprouts and snow peas. Cook for a couple of minutes until veggies are cooked.

Pour in stir-fry sauce and toss until it is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Your yasai itame is ready to be served!

Collage showinf sauteing carrot and cabbage then adding in bean sprouts and peas into the wok.

✔Helpful tips

Make sure to drain your washed veggies thoroughly before adding them into the pan to prevent your stir-fry from turning soggy.
I highly recommend using a non-stick wok to make this recipe if you have one. The next best alternative is a large non-stick/cast-iron pan.
Be careful not to overcook your vegetables to retain their crunchiness.
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

✨Variations

Vegetables - You can switch up the vegetables used in yasai itame with others you have on hand! Some that will work in stir-fries include bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, and broccoli florets.

Protein - Add in a source of protein to make a more filling meal. I love adding pan-fried tofu or seitan chicken cubes to mine, but you could add tempeh, chickpeas, or your favorite plant-based mince. You can also add animal protein sources like chicken or beef if not vegan.

Noodles - Add in your favorite cooked noodles like soba, ramen, udon, or rice noodles to make it a meal. I recommend doubling the ingredients for the sauce and adding it to taste.

Spicy - If you love spice, add a generous pinch of chili flakes, or drizzle on some sriracha before serving.

Holding a plate of yasai itame with chopsticks, sesame seeds, and water beside.

🍚How to serve

Toppings - Chopped green onion, parsley, chili flakes, hot sauce, sesame seeds.
Rice - For an easy meal, pair it with rice of choice! This yasai itame also pairs well with fried rice like this gochujang fried rice or Manchurian fried rice, or onigiri.
Noodles - Plain-cooked noodles will work, but if you want to take things up a notch, give this bami goreng or dry wonton noodles a try!
Soups - Wakame miso soup, Chinese tofu soup, and gochujang stew are some of my personal favorites!

❔Commonly asked questions

In what order do you stir-fry vegetables?

As a general rule of thumb, cook sturdier and harder veggies first, like broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot, before adding in tender ones like cabbage, mushrooms, and bean sprouts. Leafy greens go in last.

How to prevent soggy stir-fries?

First of all, make sure that your washed veggies have been thoroughly drained and completely dry. I usually let mine air-dry for 10-15 minutes before chopping.

Avoid going wild on the liquid seasonings. Instead, season with salt if your stir-fry is too bland for your liking.

Lastly, make sure your wok or pan is large enough to prevent overcrowding, and they will end up steaming rather than stir-frying.

2 bowls of yasai itame with rice and sesame seeds beside.

🍽More vegan Asian recipes

If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉