I can’t begin to tell you how many versions of this stir fry I have made over the years. This particular chard and kohlrabi stir fry was a combination of leftover veg from the veg box and a few items I had in the cupboards. It’s really a recipe where you can change pretty much any of the ingredients to suit what you have. Using a mix of different vegetables, sauces and meat (or veggie mince or tofu) means you get something completely different every time. This particular marriage of kohlrabi and chard works really well.
Ingredients
You will need (for two):
- Vegetable oil
- 250g pork mince
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dried chillies
- Black pepper
- Vegetables, two big handfuls. For this recipe I used chard, kohlrabi, carrots, edamame, onions, white cabbage, beansprouts and wild garlic
- 3 tbsp hoisin or sweet chilli sauce
- Noodles, one nest per person
- Sesame oil
Method
Start by getting all your vegetables ready. This stir fry is ready in no time once you start cooking it. I like to peel the carrot and kohlrabi into strips, keep most of the veg quite chunky and chop the chard stalks and leave separately.
Add the dried noodles to a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Put a plate over the bowl to cover the noodles and leave them for 6-7 minutes.
Heat a little oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat. Add the pork mince.
Break the mince up and keep everything moving. When the pork is cooked add the soy sauce, chillies and black pepper. Fry for another minute or so until the pork is well mixed with the chillies and soy. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Return the wok to the heat and add a little more oil if needed. Add all the vegetables and give everything a good stir. I like some of the vegetables to catch on the bottom of the pan so I stir it regularly but not all the time.
Check on the noodles. If they’re ready, drain them and then mix them with the sesame oil to stop them sticking. If they’re not ready keep them in the hot water for a few more minutes.
Once the vegetables have softened return the pork to the pan with the hoisin sauce and 2 tbsp water.
Allow the sauce and water to boil and reduce slightly before serving everything up with the noodles.
The way I cook the pork means it has a salty, savoury spiciness which really adds to the depth of the dish and it works well with beef mince or veggie mince too. My chard and kohlrabi stir fry works really well to use up any combination of vegetables leftover from a veg box. Preparing the vegetables in different ways not only means they cook quickly but adds different textures too, the kohlrabi almost melted in! I love a meal which is made from seemingly nothing; when I look in the fridge and think there’s nothing to be made I always end up making a stir fry.
Don’t see chard at this time of the year..but I love the pairing with kohlrabi. The stirfry looks really tasty.
Thanks Angie, hopefully you can get hold of some chard later this year.
Looks absolutely fantastic, Caroline. We are making a lot of stir fry these days, and it will be nice to use a different sauce from our usual. Chard and lots of root veggies available these days at the market…
Thank you David. I make lots of stir fries too as they’re so quick to make using whatever I have to hand.
Love this. Before my kids left home i made sure they knew hos to create a stir fry. it’s so easy to make and healthy and you can use what you have on hand, as you did here.
Great idea Mimi, you can’t go wrong with a stir fry!
We love stir-fries, and this is a good one. Swiss chard is one of my favorite ingredients — good flavor, and always cooks perfectly. Neat dish — thanks.
Thanks John, I liked using chard in this recipe as I hadn’t tried it stir fried before, but it definitely won’t be the last time!
I’ve gotten very lazy with my cooking, but I do have a pork tenderloin in the freezer that would be perfect for this yummy recipe. Thanks for the inspiration!!! xo
Liz, the pork tenderloin would be great in this. Perhaps you could marinate it, then slice it to add to the dish?
No chard here have to wait for the farmers’ markets to open. This looks delicious and we love kohlrabi too. Great stir fry! Thanks!
Thanks Pam, hopefully you won’t have to wait too long, the kohlrabi is great in this stir fry.
We’re always looking for different stirfry recipes so this one will suit us well. Our veggie box (bag) is very bland these days so your stirfry should add a great flavor to our veggies. Oh man, I wish I could find kohlrabi at my online grocer.
Hi Ron, I agree. Stir fries are a great way to add flavour to any veg, especially if you’re generous with the chillies!
I love a recipe that uses kohlrabi. I actually only tried it a year ago, but didn’t know how to prepare it well. So I appreciate a recipe that incorporates it. I love a stir fry, too, for using leftover ends and pieces of veg and noodles. love this recipe!
I’m relatively new to kohlrabi too Laura, I only tried my first one a few years ago when it turned up in the veg box! There’s plenty you can do with kohlrabi though.