Chinese Stir Fry Vegetables
4 Servings
1:00 Prep
0:10 Cook
Easy – You’ve got this!
This recipe was written in partnership with Le Creuset.
I often find the simplest dishes are the ones I return to most. This Chinese-style stir fry is quick to cook, comforting, and quietly grounding. Light enough to balance richer dishes, it’s built around vegetables treated with care rather than fuss.
It feels especially fitting around Lunar New Year, when cooking becomes more intentional and every element on the table carries meaning.
This stir fry brings together shiitake mushrooms, Chinese broccoli, carrots and garlic, cooked quickly over high heat and seasoned lightly to let the vegetables speak for themselves. There’s no heavy sauce — just enough seasoning to draw out natural sweetness and savouriness.
The ingredients also carry symbolism often associated with Lunar New Year cooking. Garlic represents vitality and cleansing, believed to ward off illness and bad energy. Chinese broccoli symbolises continuous growth and momentum. Carrots, growing deep into the ground, are linked to grounding and long-term success. Shiitake mushrooms, which expand when soaked, are a familiar metaphor for increasing wealth and abundance, while their long keeping quality ties them to longevity.
Together, they form a dish that’s balanced and considered — modest in appearance, but rich in intention.
Preparation is key. Briefly blanching the carrots and Chinese broccoli helps preserve colour and texture, keeping the final stir fry quick and controlled.
Heat management matters just as much. While a wok appears to be traditional, a cast iron casserole works exceptionally well in a home kitchen. Once properly pre-heated, it retains heat, allowing the vegetables to sear rather than steam.
For this recipe, I use a cast iron round casserole. It offers enough surface area for high-heat cooking while maintaining steady, even heat. I’ve been using one from the Le Creuset cast iron range, and for this Lunar New Year collaboration, the colours from the Le Creuset Carousel Collection feel celebratory without being tied to a single season.
This is a stir fry that relies on restraint. Light, nourishing and quietly symbolic, it balances richer braised dishes and anchors a meal without demanding attention. Served with steamed rice and a side of Vietnamese Braised Pork ribs, it feels right for Lunar New Year, but it’s just as suited to everyday cooking — simple, thoughtful, and grounded.
Ingredients:
40g Shiitake Mushrooms
1 bunch Chinese broccoli, chopped 4-5cm pieces
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced.
4 tablespoon cooking oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon anchovy salt
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cracked black pepper
Method:
How to cook Shiitake Mushrooms:
1. In a medium-sized bowl cover the shiitake mushrooms in water and soak overnight in the fridge. Place a small plate on top to keep the mushrooms steeped.
2. Transfer the rehydrated mushroom into a small pot, cover well with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes, or until firm but tender.
3. Strain and remove shiitake mushrooms and allow to cool then, squeeze well to remove moisture before thinly slicing.
How to cook stir fry:
1. In a medium pot of boiling water, blanch carrots for 2 minutes and Chinese broccoli for 1 minute then strain and rinse well under cold water.
Duncan’s Tip: Immediately rinsing under cold water allows the vegetables to retain their vibrant colour.
2. In a large cast iron casserole or skillet on medium, add cooking oil and garlic and sauté until aromatic and lightly golden.
Duncan’s tip: For the cream enamel interior found in Le Creuset's cast iron casseroles – Add oil, fat or liquid when you begin to heat.
3. Add shiitake mushrooms and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
Duncan’s tip: If garlic is starting to brown too much, add 2 table spoons of water.
4. Add blanched carrot, blanched Chinese broccoli, anchovy salt, oyster sauce, sugar and stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes then remove.
Duncan’s tip: Always use metal utensils with care. A great alternative is silicone tools such as Le Creuset's Professional Spoon Spatula.
5. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of sesame oil then serve with steamed rice.
Duncan’s tip: Serve this simple stir fry with my, Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs.
