Vegan Beef and Broccoli

vegan Mongolian beef and broccoli cooked in grey and white wok with rice noodles and spring onion garnish, grey background, featured image.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 45

Servings:

Calories: 431kcal

Author: Jacq

Vegan Beef and Broccoli is a Mongolian inspired stir-fry prepared with broccoli and green peppers, and you can use either vegan meat pieces such as seitan, or tofu, tempeh, or mushrooms. This is an easy and quick stirfry and is great for Chinese New Year, takeout at home, or for a quick mid-week meat-free meal.

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Equipment

Non-stick sauté pan or large deep fry pan or wok
cooking spatula
small mixing bowl

Ingredients

To sauté ginger and garlic:

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or 250 mililitres or 1 cup of vegetable stock)

For the meat-free pieces marinade:

1 tablespoon maple syrup (or your usual syrup or a brown sugar such as coconut sugar)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

For the stir-fry:

300 grams frozen or fresh meat-free pieces (use 'beef' flavoured pieces if available)
350 grams broccoli (Sliced into small-medium florets. Chop the thicker stems into thin julienne sticks and use these also. Its best to peel the thick part of the stem to remove the tough outer edge.)
1 large green bell pepper (Sliced into long thin strips.)
1 inch fresh ginger (grated or fine diced, we freeze our ginger and grate from frozen. Alternatively use 2 teaspoon of dried ginger or a tablespoon of ginger paste.)
4 cloves garlic (fine diced, use more garlic if liked. Or replace with 1 tablespoon of dried garlic or garlic paste)

For the stir-fry brown sauce:

3 tablespoons cornflour [corn starch]
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons maple syrup or your regular syrup or brown sugar
1 pinch black pepper
190 millilitres water

To garnish:

6 spring onions [also known as green onions or scallions]

Instructions

Prepare the meat-free pieces marinade:

Mix the vegan pieces with maple syrup, white wine vinegar, and dark soy sauce. (if using frozen vegan pieces they don't need to be thawed)
Set aside for about 10-20 minutes or while you prepare the vegetables and brown sauce.
1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

Prepare the brown sauce:

In a bowl add the water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white wine vinegar, syrup, and a pinch or two of black pepper. Mix well. Dip a spoon into the sauce and taste to see if a pinch of salt is also necessary.
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 4 teaspoons white wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, 190 millilitres water, 1 pinch black pepper
(If having rice or noodles as an accompaniment begin preparing these as you cook the stir-fry.)

Cook the stir-fry:

Melt the coconut oil and over a medium heat cook the garlic and ginger for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Alternatively, heat the vegetable stock and gently simmer the garlic and ginger.
1 inch fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons coconut oil
Add the meat free pieces and mix well. Cook, and stir frequently, for 3 minutes.
300 grams frozen or fresh meat-free pieces
Add the green pepper and broccoli. Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the broccoli is cooked but still has a crisp bite. [exact times will depend on the broccoli thickness]. Stir frequently and add an extra splash of water or vegetable stock if necessary to avoid sticking.
350 grams broccoli, 1 large green bell pepper
Stir through the cornflour.
3 tablespoons cornflour
Pour in the brown sauce and mix.
Stir well and cook for about 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the stir-fry. Stir frequently.

Optional serving suggestion:

Serve garnished with spring onions and with a side of rice or noodles.
6 spring onions

Notes

Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the same cooking pan, stir-frying until piping hot, add a little vegetable stock or water to loosen the sauce up and prevent sticking to you pan.
For this recipe we used vegan Naked Glory Tender strips (usually found in the frozen section of UK supermarket). We have also tried it with tofu and it is very nice. You can also use rehydrated TVP or soy curls, seitan, tempeh, or sliced thick mushrooms instead. Or even a can of drained black beans, or replace this ingredient with extra stir-fry vegetables such as mini corncobs or mange tout.
For a gluten-free meal replace the dark and light soy sauce with gluten-free tamari soy sauce, and ensure that your meat-free pieces are free from gluten, also ensure that the cornflour [cornstarch] is gluten-free. And use a gluten-free stock or broth.
Dark and light soy sauce is used for different reasons. The dark soy sauce brings a richer flavour and a darker colour to the brown sauce while the light soy sauce adds a lighter flavour. But of course feel free to just use either dark or light or you can use tamari soy sauce.

Nutrition