Chinese-Style Vegan Beef and Broccoli

Vegan beef‑style soy curls stir‑fried with bright‑green broccoli in garlic‑ginger sauce — vegan beef broccoli stir‑fry

Jeeca

5 from 11 votes

I used to love Chinese-style Beef and Broccoli dishes from restaurants especially if they’re served with a hot bowl of freshly cooked rice. There’s something so satisfying about the dish and it’s actually also really simple to make.

For this vegan version of the recipe, I use either soy chunks or shiitake mushrooms instead of beef. I love both because they absorb flavour really well and are super versatile.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Servings

Calories 648 kcal

Ingredients

Protein (Pick one!)

10 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in hot water for 12-15 minutes
15 fresh shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms of choice
1/2 lb extra firm tofu , pressed
1/2 lb tempeh
1/2 lb rehydrated soy chunks or other plant-based 'meat' alternative

For Cooking

1 tbsp neutral oil , plus more as needed
½ medium onion sliced
1 inch ginger finely grated or minced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cups raw broccoli florets
¼ cup vegetable broth or water from soaking mushrooms
1 small red bell pepper , sliced into strips
1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce optional, for color (for protein)

Sauce

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or to taste (sub with Tamara for a gluten-free option)
2 tbsp vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce
1/3 cup room temperature water
¼ cup sugar or other sweetener, adjust according to desired sweetness
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or other rice wine, optional but highly recommended
1/2 - 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar, adjust to taste
1 ½ tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha or other chili sauce, optional for added spice

To Serve

Sesame seeds for topping
Chopped scallions for topping
Steamed rice for serving

Instructions

PROTEIN

If using dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water. Squeeze out excess liquid from each mushroom and then slice them into 1/2-inch thick strips. Don't discard the water from soaking since you can use this for the stir-fry later on.
You can also opt to soak the mushrooms overnight in room temp. water.
If using fresh mushrooms, simply slice them into strips. Set aside.
If using tofu or tempeh, slice them into strips or cubes. Heat a large non stick pan or skillet over medium heat with oil. Once hot, pan-fry these until lightly brown on all sides. Set aside.
If using soy chunks, you can rehydrate these by soaking them hot water or vegetable broth (for extra flavor!) for 15-20 minutes or until doubled in size.
You can also just leave them overnight in room temperature water. Squeeze out excess liquid from each piece afterwards. You can break these apart into smaller peices if you'd like.

SAUCE

In a bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients together until the sugar is diluted. Set aside.

TO COOK

Heat a large non-stick, cast iron pan, or wok over medium high heat. Add the oil.
When hot, sauté the onions, ginger, and garlic until tender and aromatic, around 1 minute.
Over high heat, add in the broccoli florets. Pour ¼ cup vegetable broth and then cover the pan. Leave the broccoli to cook over medium high heat until half-cooked or cooked and crisp to your liking. Move to the side of the pan.
Add some more oil. Add in the bell peppers and sauté for a few minutes until tender. Move to the side of the pan.
Add in the mushrooms or plant-based protein of choice. Season the mushrooms/protein with dark soy sauce, if desired for color. Allow the mushrooms/plant-based protein to get a nice sear or light brown before mixing everything together.
For the sauce: be sure to give the sauce a good mix again to ensure the cornstarch doesn't stick to the bottom. Pour in the sauce mixture.
Lower the heat. Mix everything together and leave to simmer over medium heat until the sauce has thickened from the cornstarch.
Taste the broccoli and feel free to season with more soy sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce, if needed. Turn off the heat.

TO SERVE

Serve with some steamed rice. Garnish with some sesame seeds and chopped scallions, if desired. Enjoy while hot!

WATCH Video

Notes

SOY CHUNKS

Here’s the exact soy meat I used! PS. Link is not an affiliate link. I purchased these from Shopee and can be shipped in the Philippines.

For my US-based friends, here are similar meat substitutes that you can find on Amazon:

(these are affiliate links)

NUTRITIONAL INFO

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