Isn’t it funny how once the weather turns nice your soup cravings instantly vanish? Okay, maybe they don’t disappear entirely. But comfort foods definitely take a back seat to fresh, crisp vegetables this time of year. I genuinely love perusing the produce section for the brightest, most beautiful spring veggies I can get my hands on. Asparagus, peas, radishes, corn, and leeks – I’ll take ‘em all!
spring clean your diet
I recently started going to yoga (I guess it’s good for you?) and was inspired by something my teacher said during a particularly cleansing vinyasa flow. I’ll paraphrase: spring is a time when we deep clean our homes, get rid of unnecessary clutter we’ve accumulated over the winter months, and start fresh. Why shouldn’t we do the same with our bodies?
I couldn’t agree more. It’s so easy to fall into a routine of eating heavy foods over the holidays (those party snacks!) and as we try to stay warm in the months that follow. Spring is a fantastic time to reevaluate how we’re fueling our bodies and make adjustments for a cleaner, more nutritionally balanced diet. This notion, along with the gorgeous April blooms, are what inspired my recipe for a spring vegetable stir-fry.
spring vegetable stir-fry
This spring vegetable stir-fry is super colorful with the help of green asparagus and sugar snap peas, pink radishes and yellow corn, and it’s also light in flavor. I made a stir-fry sauce in my first test of this recipe, but it really weighed down the dish and muddied the beautiful colors of the veggies. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper just before serving naturally brighten the delicate flavors of the vegetables while allowing their colors to shine through. Feel free to add a glug of soy sauce or tamari if you want an extra kick of flavor before digging in!
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Spring Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 leek, rinsed and diced (white part only, about 2 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ lb. thin asparagus stalks, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 heaping of cup radishes, sliced into bite-sized wedges
2 ears fresh corn, cut off the cob with a sharp knife
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Stir-fry noodles or rice, for serving (optional)
Soy sauce or tamari, for serving (optional)
Instructions
If using, cook stir-fry noodles (I used thin rice noodles), rice, or quinoa according to package directions. When done, drain and rinse the noodles or fluff the rice/quinoa with a fork and set aside.
Make sure you have all of your vegetables prepped and ready to go – stir-frying is super fast-paced! Heat a wok or stainless steel pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. When hot, add the leek and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more. Turn heat to high and add the asparagus, sugar snap peas, radishes, and corn; cook until vegetables are brightly colored and slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve stir-fry vegetables with noodles, rice, or quinoa. Add a splash of soy sauce or tamari for additional flavor, if desired (keep in mind this will darken the color of your dish.)
So green and yummy!
Great post! This recipe looks delicious and one I would use even though I am not vegan.
Omgosh, that looks so delicious. I love veggies & those are perfect. I love how you provided the recipes. I am not a huge fan of cooking but I think it definitely helps people to make this one!
Oh damn that makes me hungry ! Thanks for sharing and I love the images too ! Great photography !
This looks delicious!
Great timing! Veggies are just starting come out of the garden. A stir fry is perfect.