Veg Of Day Recipe

Wash and trim the vegetables. Cut broccoli into bite-sized florets. Peel and slice the carrot diagonally about 1/8–1/4 inch thick. Core and slice the red bell pepper into strips. Thinly slice the yellow onion. Mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and slice the scallions separating whites from greens for garnish.

Mix the sauce: in a small bowl combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey (or maple syrup), sesame oil and black pepper. In a separate small cup, whisk cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry; set both aside.

Heat the pan

Place a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable or neutral oil and swirl to coat. Heat until shimmering but not smoking (about 1 minute).

Sauté aromatics

Add the onion slices and the scallion whites to the hot pan and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger and stir for 20–30 seconds until fragrant.

Cook firmer vegetables

Add the sliced carrots and broccoli florets to the pan. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, tossing frequently so they get some color but don’t burn.

Add softer vegetables

Add the red bell pepper strips and continue stir-frying for another 2–3 minutes until all vegetables are tender-crisp. If vegetables are browning too quickly, lower heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of water, cover for 1 minute to steam, then uncover and toss.

Pour the prepared soy-vinegar-honey sauce over the vegetables, stirring to combine. Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir (it may settle) and pour it into the pan along the edge while stirring. Cook for 30–60 seconds until the sauce thickens and coats the vegetables.

Taste and adjust: add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt or a splash more soy sauce if needed. If you want heat, sprinkle red pepper flakes to taste.

Turn off the heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds (if using) and the scallion greens. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil for aroma, if desired.

Transfer the Veg of Day to a serving dish. Serve hot as a side or over steamed rice or noodles as a main. Leftovers refrigerate well for 2–3 days.