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Home » Recipes » Vegan Gluten-free Recipes

Modified: Dec 3, 2024 · Published: Jun 4, 2022 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Yasai Itame (Japanese stir-fry vegetables)

Jump to Recipe

Yasai Itame, or Japanese stir-fried vegetables, is a flavorful yet light dish that is great served with a side of rice or cooked noodles. A simple recipe that takes 20 minutes to prepare and requires minimal prep!

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

Yasai Itame is a popular Japanese stir-fry vegetable dish, usually consisting of a mix of vegetables and meat seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. 

This dish is the perfect weeknight meal when I am craving vegetables! It is packed with flavors, delicious yet refreshing. It makes a great quick dinner when paired with rice, noodles, or some silky vegan basic congee. 

To make a heartier meal, you could also serve it with Japanese mains like Japanese tofu curry, baked teriyaki tofu or sushi rolls like my avocado maki!

Jump to:
  • 🥬What you will need 
  • 📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 
  • 🔪How to make
  • ✔Helpful tips
  • 🍚How to serve 
  • ❄️Storing suggestions 
  • 🍽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 - Japanese soy sauce works best in this recipe. You can substitute it with regular soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu. 
  • Maple syrup - Feel free to substitute it with other sweeteners like cane sugar, brown sugar, or agave syrup. 
  • Oyster sauce (not pictured) - A small amount will greatly enhance the umami flavor of this dish. Use a mushroom-based vegetarian oyster sauce to keep this recipe vegan.

🔪How to make

Stir-fry sauce in a ramekin with a teaspoon and 2 empty sauce dishes beside.
  1. Step 1: Heat a non-stick wok, and start by frying garlic and ginger until fragrant.
Fried garlic in a non-stick wok.
  1. Step 2: Add carrot, and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they soften slightly.
Cooked carrot in a wok.
  1. Step 3: Then, add cabbage to the pan and fry for 1-2 minutes.
Cooked cabbage and carrot in a wok.
  1. Step 4: Add bean sprouts and snow peas. Cook for a couple of minutes until veggies are cooked.

💡Tip

Do not overcook vegetables, you will want them to retain their crunch and not be overly soft and mushy.

Cooked cabbage, carrot, and snow peas in a wok.
  1. Step 5: Pour in stir-fry sauce and toss until it is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
2 bowls of yasai itame with a bowl of rice and sesame seeds beside.
  1. Step 6: Serve yasai itame with rice or noodles.

✔Helpful tips

  • Drain washed veggies thoroughly - Excess water from washed vegetables will cause stir-fry to turn soggy. 
  • Use a large enough non-stick wok or pan - This ensures that veggies are cooked properly. An overcrowded pan will cause ingredients to steam rather than fry. 
  • Switch up the vegetables - Feel free to switch up the vegetables with whatever you have on hand. Some great choices include bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, and broccoli florets. 
  • Add a source of protein - Traditionally, thinly sliced pork or beef are commonly added. You could also de diced chicken or shrimp. For those who are plant-based, I recommended adding pan-fried tofu, seitan chicken, or some thinly sliced vegan sausage. 

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

🍚How to serve 

Toppings - For more flavor and texture, garnish your yasai itame with chili flakes, chopped green onion or cilantro, fried garlic chips, or Japanese pickled vegetables like pickled radish. 

Rice - This dish will go with any rice, particularly Japanese rice or Jasmine rice. You could also pair it with some homemade onigiri or cucumber maki. 

Noodles - My tofu yakisoba or miso ramen pairs great with this recipe. 

❄️Storing suggestions 

Fridge - Leftover Japanese stir-fry vegetables can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Reheat it on the stove or microwave before serving. Take care not to heat it for too long to prevent veggies from softening too much. 

Freezer - This recipe is unsuitable for freezing.

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

🍽More vegan Asian recipes

  • Kimbap arranged on a wooden chopping board with sesame seeds and soy sauce, and chopsticks beside.
    Vegan Kimbap
  • A bowl of vegetable curry served with ceramic spoon with spoonful of curry powder, rice and water beside.
    Chinese Vegetable Curry
  • Nasi goreng with cucumber and tomato slices beside served with a spoon.
    Vegan Nasi Goreng
  • A plate of bami goreng with chopsticks, soy sauce and chili flakes beside.
    Indonesian Bami Goreng

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📖 Recipe

Yasai itame served with chopsticks with sesame seeds and rice beside.

Yasai Itame (Japanese Stir-fry Vegetables)

Meesha
Yasai Itame, or Japanese stir-fried vegetables, is a flavorful yet light dish that is great served with a side of rice or cooked noodles. A simple recipe that takes 20 minutes to prepare and requires minimal prep.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 servings
Calories 74 kcal

Equipment

  • non-stick wok or large non-stick pan

Ingredients
 
 

Stir-fry sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
  • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup or another liquid sweetener
  • 1 teaspoon oyster sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce

Other ingredients

  • 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
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • Start by combining all ingredients needed for the sauce and mix well. Set aside.
    1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick wok or pan over medium-high heat. Once it is heated, add garlic and ginger in. Fry for a minute until fragrant.
    3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • Add carrot in next, and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it has softened slightly.
    1 medium carrot
  • Then, stir in cabbage. Let it fry for 1-2 minutes, before adding in bean sprouts and snow peas. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes until veggies are cooked.
    4 cups shredded cabbage, 2 cups bean sprout, 1 cup snow peas
  • Lastly, pour in stir-fry sauce and toss until everything is well incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy it while hot!

Notes

Helpful tips 
  • Do not overcook vegetables - You will want them to retain their crunch and not be overly soft and mushy.
  • Use a large enough non-stick wok or pan - This ensures that veggies are cooked properly. An overcrowded pan will cause ingredients to steam rather than fry. 
  • Switch up the vegetables - Feel free to switch up the vegetables with whatever you have on hand. Some great choices include bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corn, and broccoli florets. 
 
Storing leftover - Leftover stir-fried vegetables can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Save this recipe!

Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.

Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 424mgPotassium: 315mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2894IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 2mg

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.

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5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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A headshot of Mee Sha leaning on a handrail.

Hi, nice to meet you! I am Mee Sha, a final-year dietetic student passionate about nutrition, cooking, and food. This blog was created to share my favorite plant-powered recipe!

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