Today, I prepared a quick and easy Chinese recipe- broccoli with mushrooms stir-fry. It was perfect for my situation since I didn’t want to go out, and some work got me bogged down. 

Although Chinese broccoli (gai lan) is more commonly used, broccoli has been gradually incorporated into Chinese cooking as it works well with all Chinese cooking methods like stir-frying, steaming, and braising. One such Chinese cuisine popular during the Chinese New Year is braised broccoli with dried Shiitake mushrooms and dried oysters. 

The broccoli with mushrooms stir-fry is a delicious meal that’s easy to prepare. Below are the ingredients and steps to prepare this dish.

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1. The ingredients required for the mushroom broccoli stir-fry

Here are the ingredients for the broccoli and mushrooms stir-fry recipe:

• Separate the broccoli into small florets and slice the stem thinly.
• I pick a combination of shitake and king oyster mushrooms. Since the king oyster mushrooms are firmer than the shitake mushrooms, slice them slightly thicker. However, you can use the button or portobello mushrooms for a change.
• Peel and slice the carrot into round pieces.
• Add some bite-size pieces of red bell pepper to add color to the dish.
• Finally, thinly slice a tablespoon of garlic to use for stir-frying.

Those are all the ingredients required, pretty straightforward!

2. Prepare the stir-fry sauce

To make the stir-fry sauce, I combine premium quality light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and ground white pepper in a small bowl. Using high-quality light soy sauce is essential since it is the primary seasoning ingredient. I also include a teaspoon of cornstarch and a few tablespoons of cold water to constitute the sauce. Doing this means I don’t need to make a cornstarch slurry separately to thicken the gravy later. 

Note: Oyster sauce is a common ingredient in Cantonese cuisine. However, if you’re preparing a vegetarian dish, you can use vegetarian oyster sauce instead, which is made with mushroom extract.

3. Pre-cooked the broccoli and carrot

First, bring a pot of water to a boil in a stockpot. Once the water starts boiling, add the broccoli florets and carrot slices. Blanch them in the boiling water for a few minutes until they are crisp-tender. Precooking the vegetables will shorten the stir-fry time and help retain their vibrant color. 

To determine the correct duration of blanching, insert a fork into the broccoli; it should easily slip off when shaken lightly. Once it reaches this point, remove all the vegetables from the water, as further cooking will make the broccoli too soft. Usually, it takes about 3-4 minutes.

Note: The blanching method is used in most Chinese restaurants. If you’re concerned that blanching might destroy the vegetables’ nutrient content, you can steam them instead. Steam the vegetables for a few minutes until you get the crisp-tender broccoli. Again, you can insert a fork into the broccoli to decide when to remove them from the steamer.

4. Steps to stir-fry the broccoli and mushrooms

Once all the preparation is complete, the stir-fry process becomes a breeze.

1. Heat some oil in a wok (or a large frying pan) and saute the garlic slices over low heat to avoid burning.
2. Once the garlic turns fragrant, add mushrooms and stir-fry for a minute on medium heat.
3. Add broccoli, carrot, and red bell peppers, and stir fry on high heat for half a minute.
4. Pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce and mix thoroughly.
5. Taste the dish to decide if it needs to be seasoned with salt, and add sesame oil.
6. Add a splash of Chinese wine (optional) for some extra flavor. 
7. Dish out as a vegetarian main dish to serve with white rice.

5. Tips to make it a perfect stir-fry

1. In the final cooking stage, use medium-high to high heat to generate the wok aroma.
2. Before stir-frying, blanch the broccoli and carrot in boiling water for three to four minutes or until they are crisp-tender. This will reduce the required stir-frying time. If you’re worried about losing the vegetables’ nutrition, steam the broccoli and carrot until al dente, which will take about five to six minutes.
3. Light soy sauce and oyster sauce are both salty. Therefore, the recipe does not include salt initially, and adjustments are made after a taste test.

6. Suggested variations for this broccoli recipe

Here are some variations I suggest for this recipe:

• Instead of broccoli florets, you can use Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli). 
• You can substitute fish sauce for light soy sauce for a different flavor.
• If you like spicy, add chili flakes or cut two to three dried chilies, remove the seeds, and stir-fry them with the vegetables.
• Consider adding other ingredients that work well in this recipe, for example, baby corn, ginkgo nuts, tofu, green beans, and snow peas.
• To make it vegetarian, use a vegetable oyster sauce made from mushroom extract.
• Depending on your preference, you can sauté fresh ginger slices, spring onions (green onions), and garlic at the beginning.
• Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds to garnish and add flavor before serving.
• When stir-frying, a wok, large skillet, or frying pan with raised edges can prevent food from falling out.
• Finally, prepare a chicken stir-fry with the vegetables by adding the marinated boneless meat to create a complete meal.

7. Other related stir-fried recipes:

If you enjoyed this broccoli and mushroom stir-fry recipe, we invite you to explore our food blog for more easy-to-follow recipes

• Our Bok Choy stir-fry recipe is a fan favorite and one of the easiest recipes to make on a daily basis. 
• If you prefer a quick and spicy meal, try our Chinese cabbage stir-fry.
• Finally, for a flavorful and simple dish, the asparagus chicken stir-fry is a great option.

Yield: 3 servings

Broccoli with Mushrooms Stir-fry

Print

Broccoli with mushroom is an easy stir-fry Chinese recipe. Healthy and delicious, perfect for the whole family.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients A

• 1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
• 100g medium-sized dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrate and cut into slices
• 100g king oyster mushrooms, cut into thin slices
• 1 small carrot, cut into slices
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into one-inch pieces

Ingredients B

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp cornstarch (mix with 1 tbsp of cold water)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

Instructions

Preparation

1. Separate the broccoli into small florets and slice the stem thinly.
2. Cut the shitake and king oyster mushrooms into slices. Since the king oyster mushrooms are firmer than the shitake mushrooms, slice them slightly thicker.
3. Peel and slice the carrot into round pieces.
4. Cut some bite-size pieces of red bell peppers.
5. Thinly slice a tablespoon of garlic to use for stir-frying.
6. Combine the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, ground white pepper, cornstarch, and water to make the stir-fry sauce.
7. Blanch the broccoli florets and carrot slices in boiling water until they are crisp-tender. 
8. To determine the correct duration of blanching, insert a fork into the broccoli; it should easily slip off when shaken lightly. Once it reaches this point, remove all the vegetables from the water.

Stir-frying

1. Saute the garlic slices with oil over low heat in a wok.
2. Once the garlic turns fragrant, add mushrooms and stir-fry for a minute on medium heat.
3. Add broccoli, carrot, and red bell peppers, and stir fry on high heat for half a minute.
4. Pour in the prepared stir-fry sauce and mix thoroughly.
5. Taste the dish to decide if it needs to be seasoned with salt, and add sesame oil.
6. Add a splash of Chinese wine (optional) for some extra flavor. 
7. Dish out to serve.

Recommended Products

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  Cooks Standard 02591 Flat Bottom with Lid 11-Inch Hard Anodized Nonstick Wok Stir Fry Pan, Black
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  Colander Set - 2 Collapsible Colanders (Strainers) Set By Comfify - Includes 2 Folding Strainers Sizes 8" - 2 Quart and 9.5" - 3 Quart Red and Grey
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  Oster Steamer Stainless Steel Cookware, 3.0-Quart
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  Cooks Standard 02520 Quart Classic Stainless Steel Stockpot with Lid, 12-QT, Silver

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 99Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 582mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 5g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 11/23/2023