Stir-Fry Sauce

A low FODMAP stir-fry sauce of gluten-free tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic-infused olive oil, fresh ginger, and scallion greens.

Prep 10 min

Cook 5 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Jarred stir-fry sauces almost always list onion powder, garlic, or both near the top of the label, so check the label before you buy one. This make-ahead version gives you the same salty, tangy, lightly sweet base using pantry staples, and it keeps in the fridge so a weeknight stir-fry comes together fast. You whisk the flavor base into a jar, then thicken as much as you need with a quick cornstarch slurry when you cook.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) gluten-free tamari (about 20 ml, 4 teaspoons, per person: tamari's low-FODMAP serve)
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) water
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) pure maple syrup (the whole batch; well under 1 tablespoon per serving)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) garlic-infused olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (about 15 g) fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon (8 g) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold water, for the slurry
• 2 tablespoons finely sliced scallion (spring onion) green tops only
• Optional: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, pinch of white pepper

Instructions

Whisk the flavor base

1. In a clean jar or measuring cup, combine the tamari, 2/3 cup water, rice vinegar, and maple syrup.
2. Add the grated ginger, garlic-infused oil, and sesame oil and white pepper if using. Seal the jar and shake well, or whisk until the maple syrup dissolves.
3. Store the base as is. Keep the cornstarch and scallion greens separate so you can thicken and finish only what you need.

Thicken when you cook

1. Cook your protein and low FODMAP vegetables in a hot pan first (their cooking time is not included above), then push them to the side.
2. In a small cup, stir the cornstarch into the 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth. That slurry thickens the full batch; for one serving, use about 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch in 1 1/2 teaspoons water.
3. Pour in the amount of base you need for the pan (roughly 1/3 cup per serving), bring to a simmer, then whisk in the slurry a little at a time.
4. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes, tossing to coat, until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the food.

Finish

1. Take the pan off the heat and stir through the scallion green tops.
2. Taste and adjust with a splash more vinegar for tang or a little more base for salt.

Tips & Substitutions

• Tamari vs soy sauce. Tamari is usually wheat-free, which suits a gluten-free stir-fry. Tamari is low-FODMAP at about 20 ml (4 teaspoons) per serving, so keep servings near that mark.
• Swap the sweetener. White or cane sugar and dextrose stand in for maple syrup one for one. Skip honey and agave, and avoid polyol "sugar-free" syrups (sorbitol, maltitol) which are high FODMAP.
• Dial the thickness. Use less slurry for a loose pan sauce or a touch more for a thick glaze. Add it gradually, since cornstarch keeps tightening as it simmers.
• Add heat with care. Up to 1/4 teaspoon plain chili flakes or a few slices of fresh red chili per serving adds heat, but chili-garlic sauce, sriracha, and most bottled hot sauces carry garlic.
• Garlic flavor without the bulb. Stir in garlic-infused olive oil off the heat to keep its aroma, or use a certified low-FODMAP infused oil from the store.
• Green tops only. Use the dark green ends of scallions or leeks for the onion note, and leave the white and pale bulb portions out.

Why This Works

• Fructans are not oil-soluble. Garlic infused into oil carries the flavor while the FODMAPs stay behind in the discarded solids, so strained garlic-infused oil provides garlic flavor without garlic solids.
• Green tops are low FODMAP at this amount. The white bulbs hold the fructans, so the sauce uses only the greens for the onion note.
• The core liquids are low FODMAP at the stated amounts. Tamari, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, and cornstarch provide savory and tangy flavor without onion or garlic.
• Maple stays in range. A small amount of pure maple syrup balances the salt and acid and is low-FODMAP at up to 1 tablespoon per serve, unlike honey or high-fructose corn syrup.

Storage

Keep the un-thickened flavor base in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week (4 days if your garlic-infused oil is homemade), and shake before each use since the ginger settles. For longer storage, freeze the base in an ice cube tray and thaw cubes as needed. Thicken only the portion you plan to cook, because cornstarch-thickened sauce can thin or turn watery when reheated. If you are portioning the sauce across several meals, look up each ingredient in the FODMAP Foods app to see how its rating changes with portion size.