You know that Chinese-American pepper steak stir-fry dish? Well, this is the veganized version of that. Just 10 ingredients and 15 minutes to make, Vegan Pepper Black Bean Stir-Fry is not only incredibly delicious, but it's even easier to make than the traditional version. Gotta love when that happens!
Instead of steak, I use black beans. Now that may seem odd at first thought, but black beans are mild in flavour meaning they will take on whatever flavour you give them, and they are super hearty and satisfying so they make the perfect steak-like sub. Combine that with sautéed ginger and garlic bell peppers and toss in a tangy umami sauce, and let me introduce you to the most scrumptious vegan stir-fry.
If you're not feeling the black bean vibe tho, you can definitely get a little more adventurous and replace them with some sliced, pan-fried seitan steaks.
This is the perfect last-minute weeknight meal and also keeps fresh in the fridge for a few days so it's great for making ahead or meal prepping.
To Make Vegan Pepper Black Bean Stir-Fry:
Make the sauce: Add all of the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl or large measuring cup and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Make the pepper black beans: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, when hot add the peppers and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 5 minutes, stirring often until the peppers start to soften and begin to brown.
Tip: whenever I make a stir-fry I love using my hefty cast iron pan for the best no-stick surface.
Add the black beans and all of the sauce to the pan and stir, cooking another few minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the veggies, and the beans are heated through. If the sauce gets too thick, just stir in a splash of water as needed.
Serve hot over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired. I'm a fan of spice so I also love garnishing pepper black beans with a little Sriracha!
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull
Just 10 ingredients and 15 minutes to make, this is the vegan version of that Chinese-American pepper steak dish. It's not only incredibly delicious, but it's even easier to make than the traditional version. Perfect for meal prepping. Gluten-free, oil-free versions.
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons brown or white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 2 bell peppers (any colour), thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 inches fresh ginger, minced
- 1 19oz can black beans, drained and rinsed (2 cups)
- green onions and sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
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Make the sauce: Add all of the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl or large measuring cup and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
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Make the pepper black beans: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, when hot add the peppers and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 5 minutes, stirring often until the peppers start to soften and begin to brown.
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Add the black beans and all of the sauce to the pan and stir, cooking another few minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the veggies, and the beans are heated through. If the sauce gets too thick, just stir in a splash of water as needed. Serve hot over rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Oil-free: for an oil-free version, simply saute the peppers in water or broth.
Cornstarch: used to thicken the sauce, most other starches can be substituted. I would recommend arrowroot starch.
Black beans: sub with any other type of cooked bean for a variety of flavours and textures. You could also sub sliced and pan-fried seitan steak.
Liquid smoke: can be substituted with smoked paprika (although I tested both and much preferred the flavour of liquid smoke here).
Make-ahead: once cooled, this dish can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3 - 5 days. Gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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The flavor was good but there was way too much cornstarch in the sauce, giving it a revolting jellylike consistency, especially after refrigeration, which is an important consideration if this recipe is used for meal prepping as suggested. I might try it again but use no more than one tablespoon of cornstarch, which is what I typically use for sauces.
Just made this and I loooooooved it! Got liquide smoke from Amazon just for this recipe. Super flavourful. It has been officially added to our diner rotation. Thank you!!
Wonderful! Thrilled you love it, Emma! 🙂
I just made this tonight and it really cheered me up - it was delicious and really easy to make. Your cookbook is my favorite vegan cookbook and it brings me LOTS of joy. Thank you for what you do!!
Aww that's wonderful, Alex! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Great for a weekday dinner. Replaced the fresh ginger with ginger powder and it still was amazing!
Wonderful!
Made this tonight exactly as per your recipe! Non vegan husband proclaimed it really delicious. Apparently my daughter is making it tonight too. She searched and found me the recipe
Delicious!! I didn't have liquid smoke so I left it outand it was still amazing. My husband couldn't stop talking about how good it was. Will definitely make again!
Haha! That's wonderful!
Holy liquid smoke Sam! You have done it again . This is so deliciously amazing. I hadn't had pepper steak since I was a kid (with actual beef) from my family friend's Chinese restaurant. This recipe is better! Thank you for always serving up the best food.... And no one gets hurt ❤️
XooooooX
Aww you're most welcome, Jessica! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Great recipe! I defrosted a couple of vegan steaks, sliced them up and sautéed them with the peppers. Next time I'll double the sauce, but this was a tasty, quick meal that we'll make again soon. Thanks Sam!
So happy you enjoyed!!
This was so easy to make and so tasty too! I only had one bell pepper so I added some yellow onion to the stir fry to make up for it and I think the combination went really well together. I also used apple cider vinegar like you suggested and it worked great in place of rice vinegar. Will definitely make this again and maybe add some jalapeno for heat.
Amazing! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Another great recipe, thank you! I just finished a large bowl of this and it is going to be a repeat meal at my house. It's fast and very easy. I'm going to try seitan pieces next time just for fun.
Amazing! So happy you loved it, Paul 🙂
This is delicious! Made it for dinner last night because I actually had all the ingredients! I added a sliced red onion, and doubled the sauce and black beans so we could have leftovers. YUM!
Wonderful! So happy you loved it 🙂
This is definitely on my To Do list. (I don't have any ginger on hand at the moment.) I was thinking that after I've tried the recipe as is, the follow up might deserve a variation; hot pepper flakes to taste. Only thing is, I can't decide when to add them. Would you suggest during step #2 with the garlic and ginger?
Really you could add them at any time, so I would probably just toss them into the sauce. Enjoy!
Sam, have you looked into a Mongolian Beef recipe? We really might it.
Just made it, loved it! Had some leftovers of your Seitan Steak and added it in, fantastic! I like spicy so I added a Tbsp if chopped jalapeño peppers.
That was fast!! Love it 🙂
This looks awesome, thank you!
You're welcome!
Hi! Any sub for the rice vinegar? I’m currently without any. Thanks!
White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice would all work. Slightly different flavours but all yummy!