Easy Summer Stir Fry: Leftovers, But Make It Delicious
Easy, healthy, delicious, and resourceful!
You know the scene.
Summer get togethers, parties in the park or back yard. The BBQ’s done, everyone is wrapping up, and there are multiple trays of half-eaten veggie platters. There are sliced peppers, mini peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and baby tomatoes.
You could toss it all…
But let’s not.
Because this my friends, is the perfect setup for a quick, healthy, protein-packed meal that takes about 40 minutes and makes you feel like you have your life together: the Leftover Summer Stir Fry.
The Story Behind the Stir Fry
After our recent summer get-together, we had one giant pre-chopped veggie tray and a couple smaller ones kicking around. Inside:
Broccoli
Carrots
Snap Peas
Red, yellow, and green bell peppers
Mini peppers of various colours
A few bonus cherry tomatoes
One onion (added later for good measure)
4 chicken breasts (these were in the freezer after a good Costco sale day.)
We could have made a salad. But honestly? We eat enough salad and we wanted to make something warm, fast, and satisfying.
So we did what any practical, fitness-minded, don’t-let-things-go-to-waste human should do: we stir-fried it.
Here’s How to Make It:
Ingredients (based on a rough estimate of what we had):
4 chicken breasts, sliced thin or chopped
2-3 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
20 baby carrots, chopped into thin circles
2–3 bell peppers, chopped
12 assorted mini pepper, chopped
2 cups snap peas, trimmed and halved
1 onion, sliced
Optional: cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, whatever else is in your fridge
1–2 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
2–3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp garlic, minced or powdered
2 tsp ginger, minced or powdered
Chili flakes if you like a little heat
1 tsp corn starch - whisked in 1/8 cup water
Instructions:
Heat a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil.
Add harder vegetables (like carrots, cauliflower and broccoli) first. Sauté 3-4 minutes.
Add chicken , cook 1-2 minutes, just to get a little cook on it and coated with oil.
Toss in the rest of the veggies (peppers, onion, tomatoes). Cook another 5-8 minutes until just tender.
Add soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, chili flakes. Toss everything together to coat.
Add corn starch and stir constantly to allow sauce to thicken.
Serve hot - just spoon it into a bowl and enjoy!
A whole new meal using random fresh vegetables!
Why This Meal Works (Especially in Summer)
Minimal prep — everything is pre-chopped (thank you, party platter).
Uses what you have — no waste, no new grocery trip.
Protein-packed — thanks to chicken (or sub tofu or shrimp).
Customizable — want it spicy? Add sriracha or chili flakes. Want it sweet? A touch of honey or hoisin. Want more greens? Toss in spinach at the end.
Plus, this is the kind of meal that works for everyone:
Kids will eat it.
Fitness folks can track it easily.
It reheats well.
You can meal prep it in bulk.
The Bigger Takeaway: Use What You’ve Got
You don’t need a fancy recipe or new ingredients every time you cook.
Sometimes the best meals come from simply opening your fridge, seeing what’s left from the weekend, and giving it a new life with a hot pan and a bit of seasoning.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about making something workable and delicious that helps you stay consistent with your nutrition—even in summer.
Ready to take the guesswork out of healthy eating?
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