Braised Vegetables
Submitted by Mary Ella
Asian braised vegetables with miso, ginger, daikon, mushrooms, and winter squash tossed in a glossy soy-cornstarch glaze. Vegan, hearty, and done in an hour. Bonus: leftover stock makes a quick tofu soup.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThis is the vegetable side dish that steals the show from whatever protein you put next to it.
Carrots, daikon, mushrooms, and winter squash get simmered in vegetable stock until just tender, then hit a screaming-hot wok with ginger and miso for a quick stir-fry that coats everything in a glossy, umami-rich glaze.
The green pepper goes in at the last moment so it keeps its snap and color.
And here’s the clever bit: don’t toss that leftover braising stock. Drop in some sliced pressed tofu, a handful of cilantro, and you’ve got a second course (a light, satisfying soup) practically for free.
Chef Tips
- Cut your vegetables to a similar size so they cook evenly. Nothing worse than mushy carrots next to raw squash.
- Get the wok smoking hot before adding the ginger and miso. That high heat creates a caramelized, toasty flavor you can’t get at medium temperatures.
- Mix the cornstarch into cold stock before adding it to the wok. Dumping cornstarch into hot liquid gives you lumpy sauce every time.
- The bonus tofu soup at the end is a genius zero-waste move. Press your tofu well and slice it thin so it soaks up the broth.
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the vegetables.
Put the first four vegetables in a pot with the stock and bring to a boil.
Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Add the green pepper during the last two minutes.
Drain and reserve the stock.
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat.
When very hot, add the ginger and miso and stir-fry for a couple of seconds.
Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 cup of the leftover stock and add it to the wok with the salt, pepper, soy sauce and cooked vegetables.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the liquid thickens.
Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with green onion before serving.
LEFT OVER STOCK: Put left over stock in a soup pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.
Add some sliced pressed tofu (½ lb should do) and add salt and pepper.
Sprinkle in some green onions and cilantro leaves.
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