For this Quick and Easy Broccoli with Garlic Sauce Recipe, you can make the garlic sauce in the morning and even prepare the broccoli the night before if you want. Just think about it, once the sauce is made, you only have to deal with 2 other ingredients when you come home!
Photo by Ann Oliverio
Today I’m making my favorite quick and easy dish, Broccoli with Garlic Sauce.
Can I Use Frozen Broccoli in this Stir-Fry?
You sure can. This is an easy recipe and I want you to have choices.
If you are using frozen broccoli, you can even thaw it out in the fridge to speed up dinner a little more.
What is Garlic Sauce Made Of?
As many Asian sauces, this one starts with soy sauce, a sweetener, sesame oil, chili pepper flakes, and of course – garlic!
Is Garlic Sauce at Chinese Restaurants Vegan?
While it is in most cases, it’s best to ask if it’s vegetarian or if it can be made vegetarian. Why? Many Chinese Restaurants will add chicken stock to thin sauces or in their homemade sauces.
Does Chinese Garlic Sauce have Gluten?
If you are not able to eat gluten, you will have to read labels very carefully. Most soy sauces and related products like hosin sauce contain wheat. Even some tamari sauces have wheat.
Look for labels that clearly state gluten-free!
Where Can I Get More Easy Vegan Asian Recipes?
I’ve been turning to my book, The Easy Vegan Cookbook
, a ton for quick and easy Asian recipes. Since I can’t have gluten anymore it’s much easier to make it at home.
This Quick and Easy Broccoli with Garlic Sauce Recipe is from it, as well as Orange Ginger Cauliflower, Pepper Portabella, Szechuan Eggplant and Ann Oliverio’s Vegetable Fried Rice with Tofu.
All of these are from my favorite chapter, Speedy Stir-frys.
Find More Recipes Like This You Can See Right Now
I know all of you don’t have The Easy Vegan Cookbook yet, so here are some you can make right now.
I love these recipes: Instant Pot Vegetable Dumplings, Butternut Squash And Kale Lo Mein With Crispy Tofu, and Super Easy Tofu Stir-fry.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil (***water saute instead)
- 6 cups broccoli florets or 1- 1 lb/454g bag frozen
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Sauce ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (*use a gluten-free brand or **use coconut aminos instead)
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (***use tahini or leave out)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes depending on how you like it
Instructions
- Mix the sauce ingredients in a measuring cup and set aside.
- Heat the oil (***or water) in a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot add the broccoli and saute until they start to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes (depending on the size of the florets)
- Mix in all but 2 tablespoons of the sauce. Then stir the cornstarch into the leftover sauce until there are no lumps then add that to the pan.
- Cook until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve over rice.
- If you like yours extra-saucy go ahead and make a double batch of the sauce. Also, try making this with thin Japanese eggplant cut into strips or even with a mix of veggies and tofu cubes.
Nutrition
Sye says
August 17, 2016 at 6:14 pmThe sauce looks yummy and versatile. How long does it last in the fridge?
Thanks!
Kathy Hester says
August 22, 2016 at 2:25 pmI’ve never kept it for long, but I think up to 3 days at least.
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says
May 8, 2017 at 11:02 amBroccoli with garlic sauce is one of my favorites, too. Your version looks so much better than the local Chinese restaurant’s does!
Becky Striepe says
May 8, 2017 at 12:16 pmOoh this looks so good! I love broccoli with garlic sauce and totally order it whenever we get delivery. Now I can save a buck!
Kristina says
May 8, 2017 at 10:35 pmoooh, that garlic sauce sounds fantastic. I love broccoli – saving this one to make soon!
Johanna says
May 12, 2017 at 2:11 amJust made and ate this -delicious! I’m not fond of cooked broccoli but eat it because it’s good for me. But smothered in this spicy, garlicky sauce it’s great! I added capsicum and mushrooms for extra veggie goodness.
Tamara says
May 14, 2017 at 7:59 amSo good, served with tofu. Definitely adding to my rotation
Jane Malamisura says
June 4, 2017 at 7:56 pmTried this today and it was delicious! This is my favorite Chinese delivery dish and thrilled to be able to make it myself now!
Nora says
June 30, 2017 at 12:17 pmI made this last night, and it was excellent! I added mushrooms and soy curls, and I’ll definitely be making it again soon. Thanks for the great recipe!
I'na says
July 14, 2017 at 9:19 pmI made this last night and added squash and zucchini. It was great. It was so good, I made more for my bf to take to work for lunch. I will definitely make again and invite my non-vegan friends over for dinner. ????
Thank you for sharing.
Jordyn S. says
July 17, 2017 at 9:56 pmI’ve made this 3 times in the last couple weeks! My boyfriend claims, “This is the best sauce of all time.” 🙂 We usually add a little extra maple syrup so it’s sweeter!
MGD says
September 12, 2017 at 7:13 pmThis was delicious! Directions are a little unclear, though. First step is to mix all of the sauce ingredients together, so I added the vegetable oil to the sauce. Second step is to sautée broccoli with the oil 🙂 Maybe others caught this by reading ahead, but I wanted to flag it just in case. That aside, this is a great recipe and we will definitely be making again.
JoAnn M Lakes says
October 2, 2017 at 11:10 amI just made a batch of brown rice in the instant pot and as a reward to myself, this recipe has lunch written all over it! THANKS
Karissa says
December 13, 2017 at 2:30 pmMade this last night and it was really good! Might add a little more maple syrup next time, just to make it a little sweeter for my taste, but it was amazing! I can’t wait to make it again.
Charles says
December 19, 2017 at 10:49 amMy new favorite recipe! I added baked tofu, but otherwise stuck to the recipe as written, and the sauce was amazing! Thanks for the post!
Brooks Jones says
February 25, 2018 at 7:47 pmMade this tonight–so easy and so good! I doubled the sauce and added sliced mushrooms and ham-flavored seitan. Even the meat-eaters in my house wanted seconds! Will definitely make again.
Nicola Herinkova says
February 26, 2018 at 3:25 pmThe sauce ingredients don’t seem to be listed anymore, only oil, broccoli and cornstarch.
Maybe they could be added back on?
Kathy Hester says
February 26, 2018 at 5:04 pmFixed!
Kelli says
February 26, 2018 at 4:43 pmI’m not seeing the sauce recipe anywhere, help!
Kathy Hester says
February 26, 2018 at 5:03 pmIt’s fixed now!
Kelli says
February 27, 2018 at 11:12 pmThank you Kathy!!
Barb says
March 14, 2018 at 7:47 pmFabulous
Kat says
July 14, 2018 at 1:16 amI’ve been significantly reducing my meat consumption and happened to have a beautiful head of freshly-harvested broccoli just waiting to be prepared in a recipe like this. Delicious! I bet some blanched almonds or tofu would be amazing additions. Thank you 🙂
Juju says
July 25, 2018 at 5:28 pmThanks for all the delicious add in I’ll be trying
Cindy says
September 19, 2018 at 7:57 amMade this last night for an easy dinner. It was delicious!!! I will definitely make it again and use it with tofu as well as another person posted. Just stumbled on this site but will be taking a closer look today. Thank you.
Beth McCrea says
October 12, 2018 at 3:25 amADORE this recipe!
Just one note: In the recipe towards the top of the page (on my phone, I see the same recipe twice…I guess the second is showing it as it’s listed in the book…?), it includes the olive oil under the sauce ingredients, but it should be under the non-sauce ingredients as shown in the 2nd recipe.