This vegan sweet and sour stir fry is a take on a classic that is typically served at restaurants, or something you might make from a bottle. But this is a healthier version that uses a lot more whole food focused if you want it to be. This recipe also adds some cranberry into the mix to both add some color and texture, but also take advantage of the pectin that will help thicken up the sauce a bit more too. This recipe isn't identical to the bright red sweet and sour sauce you get, as you can see by the photos, but the taste is nearly the same.

I am a fan of (almost) any kind of sauce on top of rice. There is something about the combination that speaks to me. So recipes like this are always a hit, and this one is particularly easy to make. You simply blend the sauce ingredients, and add them to vegetables that you water saute in a pan - stir, and serve. That's it.

This recipe is really quick and easy to make on the stovetop. Here's how.

Adjustments, swaps, and alternatives

This is not a spicy recipe (unless you add a lot more cayenne or red pepper flakes), but you could make it spicy by adding some chopped jalapeno to the stir fry, or to the sauce if you wish. Alternatively you could add sriracha on top when serving if you don't want to make the entire batch spicy.

You could use tomato paste instead of ketchup or tomato jam. Start with about 1/4 cup or so and blend to taste.

This recipe makes a LOT of sauce, so you can always cut back if you want to or keep adding vegetables until you're happy with the ratio. I like a little extra sauce to have on the rice, but it is entirely up to your preference. You can also reserve a bit of the sauce to use at a later time (freeze it, etc).

See the recipe notes for adjustments to sodium. Note that if you use ketchup, it may contain a lot of sodium and sugar depending on the brand and type (so make sure you consult the labels if you're using ketchup).