The easiest chickpea and vegetable stir-fry you’ll ever make — perfect for busy weeknights when time is limited.
If you’re juggling evenings and need dinner on the table fast, this stir-fry is a lifesaver. It’s quick, forgiving, and uses ingredients you likely have on hand or in the freezer.
There’s nothing worse than putting effort into a meal only to have it rejected at the table. That’s exactly why I started keeping recipes like this one in the regular rotation — minimal prep, maximum flavor, and a short cooking time that makes weeknight dinners feel manageable.
This recipe is adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod, who are experts at practical family cooking. It genuinely takes about 30 minutes from the moment you start chopping to when you sit down to eat. Relying on frozen vegetables speeds things up and reduces prep work. The sauce is mixed in under two minutes and thickens quickly in the pan, coating the vegetables and chickpeas for a satisfying, saucy stir-fry.
- For the sauce
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp gochujang (or another chili paste, optional)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- For the stir-fry
- 1 tbsp grapeseed or neutral oil
- 10 oz frozen broccoli florets
- 10 oz frozen peas and carrots
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cups sugar snap peas
- 1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Whisk together the soy sauce, vegetable broth, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, gochujang, grated ginger, and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth. Set the sauce aside.
- Heat the oil in a large wok or nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the frozen broccoli, frozen peas and carrots, sliced bell peppers, and sugar snap peas. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4–6 minutes, taking care not to overcook.
- Add the drained water chestnuts and chickpeas to the pan and cook 1–2 minutes just to warm through.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the vegetables and chickpeas. Remove from heat.
- Serve the stir-fry hot over cooked rice.
More favorite stir-fries:
Szechuan Spicy Garlic Eggplant and String Bean Stir Fry
Crispy Kung Pao Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry
Green-Packed Stir Fry with Fresh Herbs