If you love the taste of egg rolls, but want to avoid the greasy, deep-fried wrappers, this quick weeknight stir fry is for you. It tastes like an egg roll, without all of the work!
A combination of shredded cabbage, carrots, and onions are all tossed with a touch of toasted sesame oil, tamari (a gluten-free soy sauce), and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper to taste like the filling of an egg roll. You can add any other extras that you love, but I kept this recipe vegan by adding in some “meaty” mushrooms, rather than using any meat.
If you’re not vegan, you could scramble a couple of eggs directly into the same skillet for some added protein, or use some high-quality meat, if you prefer. (If you eat tofu, you could use that, too.) This makes a great low-carb and keto-friendly dinner for those of you who might be on a special diet.
In fact, this recipe works well for a number of special diets, since it’s naturally sugar-free, nut-free, grain-free, and gluten-free. And while it may sound simple, it’s actually quite flavorful! Just be sure not to skimp on the salt if you really want that authentic take-out flavor.
I hope you’ll enjoy it as a fast weeknight dinner as much as my family does! (Be sure to check out my 2-Ingredient Detox “Spaghetti” recipe, too. It’s another delicious way to dress-up cabbage for a fast weeknight dinner.)
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 red onion , thinly sliced
- 2 carrots , shredded (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks , chopped
- 4 cups shredded cabbage (about 1 pound)
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- chopped green onions & sesame seeds , for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven (3.5 quarts or larger) over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, carrots and celery until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the shredded cabbage, mushrooms, tamari, salt and pepper, along with a splash of water to help prevent sticking. The water should immediately sizzle when you add it to the pan, creating steam.
- Cover the skillet and lower the heat, cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how crunchy or soft you want the vegetables to be. Stir in the sesame oil as soon as the vegetables are tender, so that it's not exposed to too much heat.
- If you'd like to add in some eggs or tofu to this dish, move the cooked vegetables to the edge of the pan to create a well in the center. Add a touch more oil and scramble the protein directly in the pan until cooked through. Stir to combine with the vegetables.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, then serve warm with a topping of green onions and sesame seeds.
Video
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 178, Fat: 9g, Carbohydrates: 20g, Fiber: 6g, Protein: 6g
Recipe Notes:
- If you can’t tolerate soy, try using Coconut Aminos as a substitute for the tamari. If you don’t need to be gluten-free, you can use regular soy sauce, too.
- To save time, feel free to use a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots) instead of shredding your own cabbage and carrots.
- When I’m really hungry, I can eat this whole recipe by myself, so feel free to double it if you have a large enough pan! (5.5 quarts or larger)
- As always, if you make a substitution please leave a comment below to let us know what worked for you so we can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite fast weeknight dinner to make lately?
As I am not à fan of ONIONS i use leeks instead. Fan of ginger and basil too in this MEAL! 😉
Sounds delish, I am going to sprinkle Hemp seeds on top, instead of Sesame
Thanks for this recipe. I just printed it out and look forward to using it!
A really fast way to make this is to buy a pack of raw Cole slaw salad. It has everything you need but the onions and mushrooms.I added a bit more tamari and sesame oil salt and pepper. Because I used the whole bag. Added an egg and some cooked PULLED pork. It was super fast and delish.
Yummmm!!! I mad this last night a it was so good. I pets pref a bit m spice a flavors, so i aDded more aminos And some siracha.
YIKEs! Writing this on my phone and Just saw all the gramMatical errors! Oh well. Meant to say i prefer more spice.
I’m new here, but I’ll be sticking around from now on. This dish is off the charts. I made it with the coconut aminos (currently on a no-soy elimination). Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I don’t cook with much soy myself, so I hope you’ll find more recipes to enjoy. 🙂
this was so easy and tasty. It actually can serve 4 easily, but i’m glad i have leftovers to serve over rice noodles for lunch.
Thanks for another gREAT dish.
I made this last night, and it was great – even better today, i think. Tastes like chinese take-out. awesome and easy!
Wow I just made this and it was delicious! We don’t eat enough veggies so this recipe is definitely a keeper.
Yummy!
Thoughts on adding a protein other than tofu?
I haven’t made it yet, but I use a little bit of natural peanut butter (no sugar and preservatives ) in mine and adding some fresh peanuts as well.
Ground turkey or hamburger will work. I use turkey.
Shrimp.
absolutely delicious and easy…i made this for the first time for my family today and everybody loved it!!! i will definitely be making this again!! thanks for another delicious recipe!!
This was great! I added chicken breast and chili paste to give it a kick.Thanks for sharing.
Made this last night for dinner and it was delicious! I omitted the mushrooms, as a personal preference, and added sliced red bell pepper. We also added two eggs at the end (similar to fried rice). It was great! Thanks for a quick and delicious dinner idea!
Followed recipe. Great. I have left overs and i am making rice for the leftovers.
This was really good. I ate on some rice ramen and had a piece of leftover pork tenderloin with it. I will make this again.
WOW! I just made this for the first time, and I’m so impressed! SO simple, SO easy, SO delicious. I love how incredibly forgiving it is! You can literally ballpark/eyeball every single ingredient, and you can adjust to taste, and it’s still great. I stirred in two local free-range eggs.
My husband and I literally make this at least once a week-it’s so simple and flavorful. We both like spicy stuff, so often I will add a habanero or scotch bonnet to add a little heat 🙂
I added extra onions and mushrooms cuz I love them both. Ended up using much more of the coconut aminos and the flavor still wasn’t strong enough so added a touch of teriyaki sauce and it did the trick.
This recipe is as delicious as it sounds! I made it for Thanksgiving 🙂 Thank you for another great go-to, Megan. I may try it with shrimp next time.
Wow. This dish is AMAZING and so easy. I’m having it with eggs in the morning for breakfast. You should win an award for this!!!!
This was very tasty. I added tofu and egg along with a little ginger and fivespice.
We love it! I’m in the process of translating it to give to my parents for Christmas!
The best thing about this recipe is how well you can freeze it. I honestly don’t see any different in taste after re-heating.
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this bit!! I LOVE this recipe…easy and quick. I was wondering how to prep ahead and bring to work for lunch. I wasn’t sure what it would lose in the reheating process. 🙂
This was great,thank you. We are on day 5 of the 30 day challenge and loving it.
I made this recipe for lunch , it was easy and delicious . My neighbor asked for the recipe . I used purple cabbage and we loved how colourful it is ! #detoxinistachallenge . Egg roll in a bowl yummy
It’s definitely not a pretty meal, but it was surprisingly good. Even my pickiest eaters ate it up. We did add some scrambled eggs and chicken chunks to it, so that my husband and boys wouldn’t shun it!
So easy, very flexible in amounts of veggies you want to use, and so tasty! This is a great, quick dish to make in bulk! Thanks for the great recipe.
This was so good. I added ground meat and a little siracha. I made cauliflower rice too. My mother loved it!
This is the first of your recipes I’ve made and it turned out phenomenal!! I happened to come home from a trip and scavenged the fridge to find these exact ingredients! I did increase the Tamari a bit more and added some ginger and basil but overal it was a 5 Star dish! Couples it with Black Thai rice and the colors were beautifully appetizing as well. Thank you!
I used to get egg rolls all the time but since I started eating healthier foods, I haven’t had one in a long time! This is so creative!
My blog: https://healthybakingwithacupofocd.wordpress.com/
This recipe is seriously delicious and so easy to make. I literally would not change a thing.
Very good! Thank you!
Wonderful, thrifty meal that whips up quickly! Individuals can easily add some heat to their portions!
Amazing recipe! So simple and delicious! My whole family loved it including my 2 year old!
Made this yesterday, it is so tasty and so delicious that even my husband liked it! He eats at home with me vegan, and it is not easy to find new meals for him. This will become a “basic”.
I love this recipe. I have made it several times now and each time my kids (3 and 6) ATE IT UP! It feels so good to watch all those veggies being shoveled into their little mouths. It tastes good without mushrooms too, I omitted the first couple times just because I didn’t have any. Last night made it with the mushrooms, and the kids still ATE IT UP! I serve it with a side of udon noodles, chopped peanuts and green onions (these are key) and the kids have fun mixing everything together. The only thing I add is more veggies; along with shredded carrots I shred a whole zucchini and sometimes add some collard greens sliced thin. SO. GOOD. SO. EASY. Thank you!
My husband loves meat so I added some pork and also crushed cashews for a little bit more texture… the whole family and the ranch hand liked it, including my 15 month old. I was surprised how tasty the little bit of tamari sauce and sesame oil made it. Love it love it love it!
So so good! I am eating KETO and always on the look out for yummy dinners NOT full of cheese! PERFECT! Like others, I used packaged “coleslaw” added a little ginger,and instead of sesame seeds used hemp seeds on top. Super easy and so so delish! Thanks!
definitely filling – I thought it could use a bit more flavour. I saw that other egg roll recipes used minced garlic and ginger – may have given it the oomph I was looking for.
really easy considering I used a bag of shredded cabbage, so very little prep!
Has anyone added tofu? What kind and how?
One of my favorite recipes. Super simple to make
Delicious! Added some teriyaki for an extra kick, but even before that it tasted amazing
I made it last night and we loved it. The only change I made was I added a little liquid smoke. I even chopped up all the veggies and it did not take a long time to make the recipe. If you use the bags of coleslaw, a box of cut up mushrooms, it would very quick. My husband asked if he could bring some to his sister he liked it so much. Definitely making a bigger batch next time. Thanks for all your awesome recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
So good! Thank you! I didn’t use mushrooms (I don’t like them) and I sued brags liquid amino). And lastly, added some tofu (for me) and chicken (for boyfriend) that I had cooked with just some light seasoning on it. It was a big win!
when you say cover and lower the heat…lower it to what on an electric stove top? thanks!
The low setting worked for us when we made this at my in-laws. They have electric, we cook w gas.
Amazing recipe!
This was easy to make & easy to eat. But the most important part.. YUM. Very satisfying & nutrient dense. New staple! Note: 1) I used coconut aminos as an alternative to the Tamari. 2) I know it says it can be vegan but I added eggs because it tasted like it was missing something. I would like to experiment with it a little more to find a fully plant-based version. I will report back if I make that discovery!
A wonderful recipe! This is definitely being added into my regular meal rotation 🙂
This is such a great recipe! I added some minced garlic just before adding the cabbage and cooked shrimp in the last 5 minutes and it was amazing!
I made this and loved it! The only change I made was adding some red pepper flakes to give it a little kick 😊
I’m not finding the carbohydrates. As a diabetic I need this!