Vegan Beef and Broccoli
This easy vegan and broccoli recipe tastes like takeout for a fraction of the price. Made with vegan beef strips, soy curls, tofu, or even tempeh, this plant-based beef and broccoli is bursting with flavor and so easy to make! Serve over rice or noodles for a complete meal.
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Why make this recipe
This seitan beef and broccoli is bursting with flavor, yet quick and easy to make in only about 20 minutes if you have some vegan beef seitan or frozen vegan beef strips on hand.
My family went crazy over this dish the first time that I made it. I promise that yours will too. Just accept the compliments and don’t tell them how easy it was to make.
I make a lot of Asian-inspired copycat take-out meals like vegan chop suey, Thai red curry, tofu fried rice, orange tofu, and teriyaki noodles, but I think this beef and broccoli is my favorite of all!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Vegan Beef – for this you can use frozen premade vegan beef strips like Garden Beefless Tips or Trader Joes Korean Beefless Bulgogi or you can use my homemade beef seitan recipe or vegan steak cut into strips. You can also use soy curls, tofu, or tempeh (see below).
- Broccoli – you will need a large head of broccoli or 6 cups of florets.
- Oil – any neutral-flavored cooking oil like light olive oil or canola oil will work.
- Rice or Noodles – to serve the beef and broccoli sauce over. I like it over basmati rice or vegan ramen noodles.
Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients
- Fresh Ginger – this gives the sauce a ton of flavor. You could use granulated ginger if you don’t have fresh.
- Fresh Garlic – you will need about 3 cloves.
- Water – to get the right consistency.
- Soy Sauce – you can use GF tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos as well. Use low-sodium soy sauce for a lower-sodium dish.
- Vegan Brown Sugar – look for organic brown sugar to be sure that it’s vegan. You can also use coconut sugar.
- Cornstarch – to thicken the sauce. You can swap this out in equal parts for potato starch or use arrowroot and double the amount.
- Black Pepper – for flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes – to add some spice to the dish. Feel free to omit it or add more if you want it even spicier.
- Sesame Oil – this adds a lot of flavor and gives it that classic Chinese taste, so don’t skip it.
Helpful tools
- Large Frying Pan – or wok to saute the vegan beef and broccoli in.
- Rice Cooker – makes rice easy to make, but not necessary. See my recipe for stovetop basmati rice if you don’t have one.
How to make vegan beef and broccoli
Step 1 – Cook the rice or noodles of your choice so it’s ready when the stir fry is done. (The stir fry will only take about 10 minutes.)
Step 1 – Wash and cut broccoli into bite-sized florets and set aside.
Step 2 – Combine all stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl (or large measuring cup), stir well, and set aside.
Step 3 – Place a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp of oil, add 2 cups of vegan beef strips (or rehydrated soy curls), and saute for about 3 minutes.
Step 4 – Add 6 cups of broccoli florets to the vegan beef and stir well. Then add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and cover with a lid for 2 more minutes to trap the steam and help cook the broccoli.
Step 5 – Remove the lid and stir fry for another minute or two until the broccoli is tender, but not mushy.
Step 6 – Drizzle the stir-fry sauce over the faux beef and broccoli and stir well until it is heated through and the sauce thickens.
Step 7 – Serve immediately over rice or noodles and garnish with green onions and or sesame seeds.
Serve your plant-based beef and broccoli with some vegan egg drop soup or some tofu spring rolls for a complete meal.
Faux meat variations
Soy Curls – For a gluten-free option, rehydrate 1 1/2 cups Butler soy curls in 2 cups of vegan beef broth and use as you would seitan in the recipe.
Tofu – Marinate 2 containers of firm or extra firm tofu (pressed and cubed) in 3 tablespoons of tamari mixed with 1/3 cup water for 15 minutes, then use as you would vegan beef.
Tempeh – Marinate 2 packages of tempeh (sliced into thin pieces) in 3 tablespoons of tamari mixed with 1/3 cup water for 15 minutes, then use as you would vegan beef.
Seitan – Use homemade seitan like my vegan beef recipe or even use strips of vegan steak or vegan ribs.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overcook the broccoli, you just want it tender, but not soft.
- If serving it over noodles, double the stir-fry sauce so that you have enough sauce to cover the noodles completely.
Frequently asked questions?
To make this meal gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free beef substitute. Soy curls are a good option for this. You will also need to use a gluten-free soy sauce like Tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. Serve over rice or rice noodles.
If you want to serve this over noodles instead of rice, you can use rice noodles, soba noodles, ramen noodles, or any vegan pasta you want like spaghetti noodles. I like to double the stir-fry sauce when I serve it over noodles for a saucy slurpy noodle dish.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate: This vegan beef and broccoli will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container.
Freeze: Leftovers will freeze well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Reheat one serving of the beef and broccoli in the microwave for about 3 minutes or add a few tablespoons of water and reheat it in a frying pan on the stovetop.
More Asian-inspired dishes
- Orange Cauliflower
- Vegan Sweet and Sour Tofu
- Sticky Tofu
- Thai Green Curry with Tofu
- Vegan Hakka Noodles
- Thai Coconut Rice
Vegan Beef and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 6 cups cooked rice , or noodles
- 2 cups vegan beef, (or 2 (packages) of vegan beef strips)
- 6 cups broccoli
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
Stir fry sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (loosely packed)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, grated (from 3 cloves)
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce, (or GF Tamari or Bragg's Liquid Aminos)
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Cook the rice or noodles of your choice so it’s ready when the stir fry is done. (The stir fry will only take about 10 minutes.)
- Wash and cut broccoli into bite-sized florets and set aside.
- Combine all stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl (or large measuring cup), stir well, and set aside.
- Place a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp of oil, add 2 cups of thawed vegan beef strips (or rehydrated soy curls), and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add 6 cups of broccoli florets to the vegan beef and stir well. Then add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan and cover with a lid for 2 more minutes to trap the steam and help cook the broccoli.
- Remove the lid and stir fry for another minute or two until the broccoli is tender, but not mushy.
- Drizzle the stir-fry sauce over the faux beef and broccoli and stir well until it is heated through and the sauce thickens.
- Serve immediately over rice or noodles and garnish with green onions and or sesame seeds.
Notes
-
- Don’t overcook the broccoli, you just want it tender, but not soft.
- If serving it over noodles, double the stir-fry sauce so that you have enough sauce to cover the noodles completely.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
Wow this one goes in the rotation!
So good and easy!
I made it with seitan beef
Thank you!
You’re welcome! So happy that you liked the recipe.
This IS my go to vegan beef broccoli recipe. Thank you for another great recipe!
You’re welcome! So glad that you like it!
where do you buy the vegan beef strips, and what are they made of. thankyou. colleen
I like the vegan beef strips from Trader Joe’s or the Gardein brand to make it really easy. You can also make your own with my beef seitan recipe. These options are all made from wheat gluten, but if you want a gluten free option, you can rehydrate Butler Soy Curls in vegan beef flavored broth and use that instead.
Really quick, simple and very tasty. The broccoli was perfectly cooked and I really like the combination of flavours in the sauce. I also added onion and yellow pepper, as they needed to be used up, and a little extra ginger as I love ginger. I will definitely make this again and I will try some of your other recipes. Thanks!
I’m so happy that you liked it, Jackie! 🙂