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Stir-Fried Broccoli and Red Peppers with Peanut Sauce

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

25 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish with rice

Stir-Fried Broccoli and Red Peppers with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

Thai Sauce Base

3 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime1 tablespoon light brown sugar ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For Broccoli

¾ cup coconut milk ¼ cup water 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter 1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon1 large red bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise into ½-inch strips9 ounces broccoli, cut into even 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)

Instructions

  1. For Thai Sauce Base: Mix fish sauce, lime juice and zest, sugar, and red pepper in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add coconut milk, water, and peanut butter to Thai Sauce Base, whisk until smooth; set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add red pepper and broccoli; cook, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds, until just barely tender, about 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet, clearing center of pan. Add remaining teaspoon oil, garlic, and ginger to center of pan and mash with back of spoon; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir mixture into vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in sauce mixture. Simmer to heat through and blend flavors, about 1 minute; serve immediately.
Stir-Fried Broccoli and Red Peppers with Peanut Sauce

Stir-Fried Broccoli and Red Peppers with Peanut Sauce

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

25 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish with rice

Ingredients

Thai Sauce Base

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For Broccoli

¾ cup coconut milk
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon
1 large red bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise into ½-inch strips
9 ounces broccoli, cut into even 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)

Ingredients

Thai Sauce Base

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For Broccoli

¾ cup coconut milk
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon
1 large red bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise into ½-inch strips
9 ounces broccoli, cut into even 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)

Ingredients

Thai Sauce Base

3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lime
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

For Broccoli

¾ cup coconut milk
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 more teaspoon
1 large red bell pepper (about 8 ounces), cut lengthwise into ½-inch strips
9 ounces broccoli, cut into even 1-inch florets (about 4 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
¼ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)

Why This Recipe Works

For our Thai-style stir-fried broccoli and bell peppers, we wanted to find a way to give our dish powerful flavor while using ingredients already in the pantry. We found that a simple sauce base of fish sauce, lime juice and zest, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes gave our broccoli and bell peppers the complex flavor we were looking for.

Instructions

  1. For Thai Sauce Base: Mix fish sauce, lime juice and zest, sugar, and red pepper in small bowl until sugar is dissolved.
  2. Add coconut milk, water, and peanut butter to Thai Sauce Base, whisk until smooth; set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add red pepper and broccoli; cook, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds, until just barely tender, about 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet, clearing center of pan. Add remaining teaspoon oil, garlic, and ginger to center of pan and mash with back of spoon; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then stir mixture into vegetables. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in sauce mixture. Simmer to heat through and blend flavors, about 1 minute; serve immediately.

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