Vegan Stir-Fried Wood Ear Mushrooms
A delightful, textural stir-fry featuring wood ear mushrooms — prized for their wonderfully silky yet crisp texture. Tossed quickly in a bright, savoury garlic sauce with bell peppers, fresh chillies, and aromatic shallots, the mushrooms soak up every bit of flavour while retaining their unique pleasant bite. Light, refreshing, and naturally cholesterol-free — prepared entirely plant-based, free from oyster sauce, meat stock, or any animal ingredients, yet rich, glossy, and full of delicious umami character.
Shared by novi
Time
18 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- #Main Ingredients
- 250 g fresh wood ear mushrooms — or 50–60 g dried, soaked until soft, trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ green bell pepper — cut into chunks
- ½ red bell pepper — cut into chunks
- 1–2 fresh red chillies — sliced, adjust to taste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil — for stir-frying
- #Aromatics & Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic — thinly sliced
- 3 shallots — thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp coconut sugar or cane sugar — to balance flavour
- ½ tsp sea salt — adjust to taste
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water — for light thickening
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare mushrooms: If using dried wood ear, soak in warm water for 15–20 minutes until fully expanded and soft. Trim away the hard base, then tear or cut into even bite-sized pieces. Rinse well and drain thoroughly — moisture helps them steam-fry perfectly.
- 2
Sauté aromatics: Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shallots, and chillies. Stir-fry for 30–60 seconds until fragrant and just turning golden — do not burn.
- 3
Stir-fry mushrooms: Add wood ear mushrooms. Toss rapidly over high heat for 2–3 minutes until they soften slightly and release their natural gloss.
- 4
Add peppers & sauce: Add green and red bell peppers. Drizzle with soy sauce, sprinkle sugar, salt, and white pepper. Add the water and toss everything together for another 2–3 minutes until peppers are crisp-tender and bright coloured.
- 5
Finish sauce: Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 30–60 seconds more until the sauce turns glossy and lightly coats every piece. Taste and adjust salt or sweetness as desired.
- 6
Serve: Enjoy immediately while hot — perfect with steamed rice or as a delightful side dish.