I have always been a fan of sweet and sour sauce. Its a very popular takeaway choice in Ireland, often served with chicken or pork and/or with different vegetables. Its very easy to make your own healthier version of this popular dish. This recipe is for a lovely homemade sweet and sour sauce mixed with a selection of vegetables and served with rice or noodles. It’s a quick, simple and healthy meal and can be modified in a multitude of ways to suit your preferences.

If you like like spice, this recipe works well with a fresh chili, or with a teaspoon of chili powder. Arrowroot powder is used in this recipe to thicken the sauce. Arrowroot is a nutritious starch containing relatively high amounts of various minerals, that forms a jelly like structure when it is heated, so it is often used as a thickener. Its also tasteless and doesn’t contain gluten, which some people like to avoid. Its available in most health food shops. Cornstarch can also be used instead as a thickener. Alternatively you can leave both out and the sauce will still taste great, it will just be more runny.

The selection of vegetables used is also completely open to personal taste and what you have available. This recipe uses an onion, two cloves of garlic and then around 800 grams of vegetables made up of carrot, broccoli, baby corn, yellow pepper and vine tomatoes. An alternative selection could include cauliflower, baby spinach, mushrooms, mangetout, beansprouts or whatever you like. If you get tinned pineapple in their own juice there should be enough juice along with the pineapple to add to this recipe.

This recipe tastes great served with rice or noodles. We like to use brown rice as its more nutritious than white, however it does take a while to cook. If you are using brown rice, its advisable to get that cooking in advance so that its ready in time.

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Sweet and Sour Vegetables

Homemade sweet and sour sauce, served with a selection of vegetables. Serve with cooked rice or noodles (not included in recipe)

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time25 mins

Author: SimonDeaneHealth

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic

800 grams of vegetables, made up of:

• 1 small head of broccoli
• 1 large carrot
• 1 yellow pepper
• 8 vine tomatoes
• 12 baby corn
• 4 pineapple rings

For the sauce:

• 150 ml of pineapple juice
• 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of tomato puree
• 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons of tamari
• 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder

Instructions

• Prepare the vegetables by chopping and peeling everything (if required)
• Add the garlic and onion to a pot on a medium/high along with a splash of water
• Stir regularly for a few minutes until onions start to soften. Add more water if required to prevent sticking
• Add the vegetables to the pan along with another splash of water. Keep on a relatively high heat, stirring regularly for another five minutes.
• In a separate pot, add the pineapple juice, tomato puree, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and tamari. Turn on a high heat and stir regularly. 
• Once sauce starts to bubble turn down to a low/medium heat and sprinkle in the arrowroot powder. Stir in well.
• One sauce has thickened take off the heat and pour over the pan of vegetables.
• Serve with wholegrain rice or noodles