Thai-Style Vegan Stir-Fry With Lemongrass

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 02/14/22
Thai-Style Vegan Stir-Fry With Lemongrass

The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Pressing: 30 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 2 servings

Not sure what to do with lemongrass? If you have some leftover or growing wild in your yard and are sick of lemongrass tea, here's a way to incorporate its flavors into a Thai-inspired vegetable stir-fry dish. Vegetarians know they can never have too many vegetable stir-fry ideas, and, a simple tofu stir-fry dish always makes a great vegan dinner idea for a busy weeknight family meal. 

This recipe calls for tofu and plenty of vegetables, including green beans, broccoli, and bell pepper stir-fried with a few Thai-inspired ingredients. If you like lemongrass, you'll love this fragrant dish, and, to double up on that gentle hint of citrus, why not serve it alongside rice infused with lemongrass and coconut?

With nothing more than tofu, vegetables, fresh chilies, and lime for seasoning, this simple stir-fry recipe is both vegan and gluten-free. Serve it over plain steamed white rice to keep it simple or serve this dish alongside an easy vegan Thai coconut and vegetable soup for a complete, restaurant-quality meal. 

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu 

  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil

  • 3/4 cup sliced green beans

  • 3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped broccoli

  • 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

  • 1 medium green bell pepper, sliced

  • 2 Thai green chile peppers, minced

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons very thinly sliced fresh lemongrass

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

  • 1 dash salt, or to taste

  • Cooked rice, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Thai-Style Vegan Stir-Fry With Lemongrass ingredients

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  2. Prepare the tofu by pressing it for 30 minutes between paper towels or a clean kitchen cloth. Weight it down with a heavy bottomed pot, cast-iron skillet, or similar heavy object.

    press the tofu in a towel, under a skillet

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  3. Cut the pressed tofu into small cubes, about 3/4-inch thick.

    tofu cut into pieces

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  4. In a wok or large skillet, sauté the pressed tofu in peanut oil until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. 

    tofu frying in a pan

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  5. Add the green beans, carrots, broccoli, red and green bell peppers, and chile pepper. Stir-fry for a few more minutes, until veggies are cooked.

    Add the green beans, carrots, broccoli, red and green bell peppers, and chile pepper to the tofu in the pan

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  6. Add the garlic and lemongrass and cook for another minute or two, stirring well.

    Add the garlic and lemongrass to the mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  7. Once the garlic is well incorporated, add the lime juice and a dash of salt and remove the pan from heat.

    add lime to the stir-fry in the pan

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

  8. Serve over plain white or brown steamed rice. Enjoy!

    Thai-Style Vegan Stir-Fry With Lemongrass served with rice

    The Spruce / Madhumita Sathishkumar

Tips

  • Pressing the tofu reduces the water content and keeps it from crumbling excessively as you cook it.
  • You can buy pre-pressed tofu and can skip the pressing step.

Recipe Variations

  • Thai chile peppers can be very hot. To reduce the heat, use only one pepper or switch to another milder pepper.
  • Rather than peanut oil, use a combination of 2 tablespoons of another neutral-flavored high-heat oil such as canola oil and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
510 Calories
27g Fat
55g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 510
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 156mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 55g 20%
Dietary Fiber 10g 37%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 258mg 1,292%
Calcium 448mg 34%
Iron 6mg 34%
Potassium 1013mg 22%
*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.)