Fermented Veggie Winter Stir-Fry (Printer-friendly)

Hearty winter vegetables quickly sautéed with aromatic ginger, garlic, and finished with tangy kimchi for a warming, probiotic-rich bowl.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
02 - 2 medium carrots, sliced on the bias
03 - 1 small parsnip, peeled and sliced
04 - 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
05 - 1 cup shredded green cabbage
06 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced

→ Aromatics

07 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauces and Oils

09 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
11 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey

→ Fermented Elements

13 - 1 cup kimchi, chopped

→ Garnish

14 - 2 green onions, sliced
15 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

# How to Make It:

01 - Prepare all vegetables and aromatics before starting to cook.
02 - In a large wok or skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat.
03 - Add ginger and garlic; sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, and broccoli. Stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes until they start to soften.
05 - Add cabbage and bell pepper. Continue stir-frying for another 3 to 4 minutes until all vegetables are crisp-tender.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, and maple syrup. Pour over the vegetables and toss to combine.
07 - Remove the pan from heat. Add chopped kimchi and gently toss to combine, preserving the beneficial probiotics.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Your gut will thank you for the live cultures tucked into every bite, especially when winter has you feeling sluggish.
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes, which means dinner on the table before you've lost momentum for the day.
  • The sweet earthiness of roasted vegetables plays perfectly against kimchi's sharp, fermented edge—a flavor balance that feels surprising every time.
02 -
  • Do not skip the heat—a genuinely hot wok or skillet is what creates that slight char and caramelization on the vegetable edges that makes everything taste richer than it should.
  • Adding kimchi at the end is not laziness; it's intentional, because cooking fermented vegetables destroys the living cultures you went through the effort to include in the first place.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables the night before if you're serving this on a weeknight—mise en place done in advance transforms a 35-minute recipe into something that feels effortless when hunger hits.
  • Keep sesame oil in a cool, dark place because it oxidizes quickly, and old sesame oil tastes rancid and disappointing compared to the fresh, nutty version you need here.
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