Vegan Broccoli With Garlic Sauce

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/15/21
Vegan Broccoli With Garlic Sauce

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This healthy vegan Chinese restaurant-style recipe for broccoli in a sweet garlic sauce is best served with cooked rice. If you want to take it from side dish to main dish status, feel free to add in some other veggies too—perhaps sliced carrots, peas, water chestnuts, or baby corn, or even some sautéed tofu for a heartier meal. If you're not cooking for vegetarians, it's great with chunks of chicken, thinly sliced beef or pork, or shrimp—similar to how it's often served in restaurants.

This broccoli with garlic sauce recipe is vegetarian, vegan and, if you use tamari in place of the soy sauce, it's gluten free, too. You can even use a low-sodium soy sauce if need be; the recipe will still taste great. If you are cooking for someone who follows a gluten-free diet, just be sure your vegetable broth is labeled as such (some broths are gluten free, and some aren't). Or, better yet, make your own broth if you have time.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable broth

  • 2 clove garlic, minced

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari

  • 1 teaspoon ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 2 bunches broccoli, trimmed and chopped (about 2 1/4 pounds)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Vegan Broccoli With Garlic Sauce ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. Bring vegetable broth to a boil.

    vegetable broth in a pot

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. Add garlic, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper, and sugar, stirring to combine well.

    garlic, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper, and sugar with the broth in a pot

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  4. In a large skillet, sauté broccoli in olive oil until just barely tender.

    broccoli in a pan

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  5. Add vegetable broth mixture to broccoli.

    add vegetable broth mixture to the broccoli in the pan

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  6. Add cornstarch, stirring well to avoid any clumps.

    add cornstarch to the broccoli mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  7. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until sauce thickens.

    Vegan Broccoli With Garlic Sauce in a pan

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Broccoli Equivalents

  • 1 medium bunch = 3 to 4 servings
  • 1 bunch = 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
  • 1 pound fresh broccoli = 2 heads
  • 1 pound fresh broccoli = 9 ounces trimmed

How to Store Vegan Broccoli With Garlic Sauce

This cooked vegetarian dish will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed container for four or five days. You can freeze it if you'd like, but the texture will suffer it. It's best to just make more of it if you're craving it.

Variation

Feel free to use all cauliflower in this recipe instead of broccoli, or split the difference and use half broccoli, half cauliflower. You can use fresh or frozen cauliflower.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
153 Calories
5g Fat
24g Carbs
6g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 963mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 111mg 556%
Calcium 75mg 6%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 547mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)