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
- Yield: 4 servings
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.)
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 6.8 g
- Sodium: 249.7 mg
- Fat: 5.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.3 g
- Fiber: 4.5 g
- Protein: 8.1 g
- Cholesterol: 1.1 mg
Julia
Loved this recipe! Didn't have corn, but added in a carrot. Served with rice noodles and some soy sauce 🙂
Vegan Town - אוכל טבעוני
So green and yummy!
Christy
Great post! This recipe looks delicious and one I would use even though I am not vegan.
Claire
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!
Subah
Oh damn that makes me hungry ! Thanks for sharing and I love the images too ! Great photography !
Niki
This looks delicious!
John
Great timing! Veggies are just starting come out of the garden. A stir fry is perfect.