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This zucchini stir fry is made with carrots, bell peppers, tofu, and Asian-inspired seasonings. Easy, healthy, and great for meal prep! Option to make a non-vegan version and serve with shrimp or chicken, instead.

Zucchini stir fry with bell peppers, carrots, and tofu in a large pan.

Got plenty of zucchini on hand? This zucchini stir fry is a great way to use it up! It’s quick and easy to make – perfect for a healthy dinner or your weekly meal prep.

As a dietitian, stir fries are one of my favourite ways to pack in a ton of nutrients in one pan. This stir fry with zucchini is filled will fiber-rich veggies, quality protein, and healthy fats.

Like many of my recipes, this one can easily be modified based on what you have on hands or different veggies/proteins that you enjoy.

I’ve included a bunch of recipe modification ideas for you, as well as tips for cooking zucchini, and ideas for what to serve it with. Enjoy!

Want more meal prep ideas for lunch or dinner? Check out my roundup of healthy make-ahead dinners for more inspiration!

Zucchini stir fry with bell peppers, carrots, and tofu in a bowl over rice.

Recipe Ingredients & Possible Swaps

All you need to make this zucchini stir fry recipe are 12 simple ingredients:

  • cooking oil or spray – I love using avocado oil spray for this
  • zucchini
  • bell pepper
  • carrots – feel free to swap carrots + bell peppers for other veggies, like broccoli, mushrooms, snap peas, eggplant, spinach, etc!
  • shallot – or you can swap with onion
  • garlic
  • tofu (firm or extra firm) – if you’d prefer to serve this with another protein, you can use shrimp, chicken, or beef
  • toasted sesame oil
  • soy sauce or tamari
  • ginger (ground or fresh)
  • rice wine vinegar
  • cornstarch – or other thickening starch, like arrowroot powder
  • optional: green onions (to garnish)

Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

Recipe ingredient flatlay on wood cutting board.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you peel zucchini before cooking?

There is no need to peel zucchini before cooking it. In fact, the skin of fruits and vegetables often hold a lot of the micronutrients and fiber, so I’d hate to throw that away!

How do you cut zucchini for stir fry?

For this stir fry recipe, simply:

  1. remove the hard ends off the zucchini
  2. lie zucchini on its side and slice down the middle, lengthwise
  3. then take each half and place it on your cutting board, face-side down
  4. cut along the zucchini in half-inch segments – the pieces should resemble little half-moon shapes!

How do you cook zucchini without making it soggy?

When sautéing or frying zucchini, I recommend holding off on the salt until after the zucchini is cooked.

In this recipe, all the veggies are cooked first and then we add the sauce (which contains salt) at the end. This results in veggies that still have some firmness to them!

Salt draws the water out of the vegetable, and can make everything in your pan a little soggy.

Zucchini stir fry with bell peppers, carrots, and tofu in a large pan.

What To Serve With Zucchini Stir Fry

This recipe is a great source of veggies, protein, and healthy fats and can be enjoyed on its own if desired.

That said, I love serving it over a starch to round out the meal! Some ideas:

  • brown or white rice (as I’ve done in these pictures)
  • other whole grains, like quinoa, millet, or farro
  • your favourite noodles (I love these brown rice ones!)

Zucchini Nutrition Benefits

Zucchini is rich in many micronutrients, like:

  • vitamin A
  • vitamin C
  • vitamin K
  • vitamin B6
  • folate
  • manganese
  • magnesium
  • potassium
  • copper

This summer squash is also a great source of dietary fibre, with one medium zucchini providing 2 grams or 8% of your daily fibre needs.

Like other fruits and veggies, zucchini is also a great source of antioxidants, especially carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin.

Zucchini stir fry with bell peppers, carrots, and tofu in a bowl over rice.

More Zucchini Recipes

Did you give this Zucchini Stir Fry Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

Get the Recipe: Zucchini Stir Fry With Tofu (Vegan)

This zucchini stir fry is made with carrots, bell peppers, tofu, and Asian-inspired seasonings. Easy, healthy, and great for meal prep! Option to make a non-vegan version and serve with shrimp or chicken, instead.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Zucchini stir fry with bell peppers, carrots, and tofu in a large pan.
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4.67 from 15 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 block tofu (firm or extra firm)
  • Avocado oil spray (or other cooking spray/oil)
  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups zucchini, chopped into 1/2-inch half moons (approx. 2 medium-large zucchini)
  • 3 cups carrots, peeled + chopped (about 4 regular carrots)
  • 1 large bell pepper, cored + chopped (I used red)
  • Salt + pepper, to taste
  • Optional garnish: chopped green onion, chopped parsley, toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:

Instructions

  • Prep Tofu: Drain tofu and wrap with a paper towel. Gently squeeze to remove excess liquid, then place under something heavy (like a couple cookbooks) while you prep the veggies and sauce.
  • Mix cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water in a small ramekin, until a slurry forms. Then, make the sauce by whisking all sauce ingredients (including the cornstarch slurry) in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Unwrap tofu from paper towel and cut into cubes of desired size.
  • Heat cooking spray in a large pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add tofu and season with salt + pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Then flip each piece and cook for an additional 5 minutes, finishing with a quick toss of the pan at the end. Remove and set tofu aside in a clean bowl.
  • In the same pan, cook shallots and garlic for a couple minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.
  • Then, add chopped zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers to the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. TIP: you can add additional cooking oil or spray as needed here. Do not salt veggies yet, to prevent zucchini from getting soggy!
  • Once veggies are mostly cooked, add tofu back in along with sauce. Toss together and cook for an additional 3 minutes. The sauce should thicken slightly and coat everything.
  • Serve stir fry on its own or over some cooked grains or noodles (see notes for ideas). Add garnish as desired and season with additional salt + pepper, if needed. Enjoy hot!

Notes

*SERVE WITH: This recipe is a great source of veggies, protein, and healthy fats and can be enjoyed on its own if desired. That said, I love serving it over a starch to round out the meal! Some ideas:
  • brown or white rice (as I’ve done in these pictures)
  • other whole grains, like quinoa, millet, or farro
  • your favourite noodles (I love these brown rice ones!)
 
*RECIPE MODIFICATIONS & SWAPS:
  • Feel free to play around with the veggies here and use any that you like. I think this would go well with ones like broccoli, mushrooms, snap peas, eggplants, spinach, etc. It’s a great way to use up what’s in the fridge!
  • Instead of tofu, you could serve this with another protein. It would taste good with tempeh, shrimp, chicken, or beef! Just note that cooking times will vary, but you just need to cook the protein first and then add it into the veggies at the end 🙂
  • Shallot can be swapped with diced onion.
  • Ginger can be ground or fresh.
  • Cornstarch can be swapped for another thickening starch or flour, like arrowroot powder.
  • I love chopped green onions and sesame seeds for garnish, but you can leave these out. If you have some parsley in the fridge, you can add that in here too!
  • If you follow a gluten-free diet, ensure that you use a certified gluten-free version of tamari, rice vinegar, and cornstarch.
 
*LEFTOVERS: Leftovers of this recipe will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition

As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.

Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: bell peppers, carrots, tofu, zucchini
Author: Carrie Walder

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