Dinner plans can be stressful when you don’t know what to make each week. Fortunately, a recipe such as this is easy to fit in a weekly rotation. Stir fry with cabbage and carrots is a staple in my household. I make this recipe almost every week with different vegetables added and different sauces. This easy stir fry recipe is healthy, budget-friendly, and simple to make and super easy to adjust. 

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Easy Stir Fry Recipe

Different seasonings can be used; the main ingredients are cabbage, carrots, onion, meat, otherwise it’s all you. You could even use a pre-shredded cabbage and carrot coleslaw mix to save time. I won’t judge. It’s a pain shredding and even chopping vegetables. I like to use my food processor’s shredder attachment to make it quicker. 

Ingredients can be adjusted in so many ways. Other vegetables can be added such as zucchini or green beans though cabbage and carrots are both cheap and healthy versatile vegetables.  Meat can be substituted for beans or another protein source. Flavors are easily changed from an Asian flavored dish to an Italian dish. Instead of the coconut amino blend, use marinara or basil and oregano. The possibilities are endless.

I prefer coconut aminos over soy sauce, it is slightly sweeter and does not have any unwanted added ingredients. It is not budget-friendly though, so soy sauce will do. And it will all be just fine. Otherwise you can use a pre-made teriyaki sauce, for example. I don’t recommend the preservative-filled sauces but if you are eating vegetables, that’s all that matters.  

What can make coconut aminos budget friendly? Having a Thrive Market membership. It literally comes out to $5 per month for huge savings plus many free items like coconut oil with purchases. Of course there are thousands of other healthy items but the coconut aminos is one of my recurring purchases because it tastes so good. 

Benefits of Cabbage & Carrots

First of all, they are cheap and we love cheap, right? Cheap and nutritious is a gold mine. 

Cabbage has vitamin C, vitamin K and folate in large quantities. Vitamin C is great for healing tissues and vitamin K for clotting blood and strong bones. Folate is great for healthy cell division. Also to note is that it is typically 30 cents per pound when in season and if not, still is pretty darn cheap. 

Carrots have a large amount of Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. You already know this is great for visual health.  Keep in mind they must be eaten with a fat or this vitamin A will not be absorbed!  Even the organic varieties of carrots are usually just over 1 dollar for a regular sized bag. That’s not bad!

Both of these vegetables have potassium for good cell balance and decreasing blood pressure. They also have fiber for digestion ease. 

Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out Baked Quinoa Mac and Cheese , Crock Pot Chicken Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or BBQ Pork Skillet

What variation will you try? Let me know in the comments!

Fresh Flavors: Make this easy stir fry recipe a staple in your meal plan using a few healthy, budget friendly ingredients.

Easy Stir Fry

This easy stir fry recipe is healthy & budget-friendly and will become a staple in your meal planning!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 head cabbage sliced thin or shredded
• 4 medium carrots shredded
• 1 lb ground beef, pork, chicken
• 1 small onion sliced thin
• 1 inch ginger minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 c coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
• 3 tbsp oil I prefer coconut oil

Instructions

 

Cook Vegetables

• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium. Add cabbage, carrots, onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook this for around 10 minutes or until cabbage is softened to your liking. The cabbage takes up a lot of space and would be too much to cook with the meat!

Cook Meat

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in another pan (or use the same pan once the cabbage is done). Add minced ginger then add the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until meat is cooked through.

Make Sauce & Stir Fry

• Add the meat to the vegetables and top with soy sauce (or coconut aminos) and garlic. Stir fry for about 1 minute or so. Serve!
• Optional ingredients: rice vinegar, sesame oil, gochujang sauce

Notes

Use pre-shredded bags of cabbage and carrots (coleslaw mix) to save time! Adjust seasonings and sauces with more or less to your taste. Use any type of stir fry sauce instead. Be creative!