Chinese-Style No Beef and Broccoli

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
• 220 g extra firm tofu , pressed
• 220 g tempeh
• 220 g rehydrated soy chunks or other plant-based ‘meat’ alternative

For Cooking

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• ½ medium onion sliced
• 1 inch/small knob ginger finely grated or minced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups (250g) 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 the protein

Sauce

• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
• 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

1. 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.
2. If using tofu or tempeh, slice them into strips or cubes, then pan-fry them until lightly brown on all sides. Set aside.
3. If using soy chunks, you can rehydrate these by soaking them hot water 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 pieces if you’d like.

Sauce

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

To Cook

1. Heat a large non-stick, cast iron pan, or wok over medium high heat. When hot, add in the neutral oil.
2. Sauté the onions, ginger, and garlic until tender and aromatic, around 1-2 minutes.
3. 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 to your liking.
4. Add in the bell peppers and sauté for a few more minutes.
5. Add in the mushrooms or plant-based protein of choice. Season the mushrooms/protein with dark soy sauce, if desired.
6. Give the sauce a good mix again to make sure the cornstarch doesn’t stick to the bottom. Pour in the sauce mixture.
7. Mix everything together and leave to simmer over medium heat until the sauce has thickened from the cornstarch.
8. Taste the broccoli and feel free to season with more soy sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce, if needed. Turn off the heat.

To Serve

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