Heart of Palm Stir Fry Recipe – Simple & Delicious

This heart of palm stir fry recipe is both simple and delicious. Made with nutritious whole foods, this is a meal that the whole family will love.

Growing up in a family with an Asian background, having stir fry meals for dinner was a common occurence. As I child I loved the flavor combinations of a warm bowl of rice and a nutritious vegetable and meat stir fry.

I carried my love of stir fry eating and creating into my own family’s weekly meal plans. We usually have some type of stir fry recipe every couple of weeks. Up until several months ago I always served stir fry with rice. That was until I discovered heart of palm!

What is Heart of Palm?

Heart of palm is a vegetable harvested from the inner core of certain palm trees, such as the peach palm, coconut palm, and acai palm. It has a tender, slightly crunchy texture and a delicate, mildly nutty flavor. Overall their flavor is very mild, similar to the taste of artichoke hearts.

How to Eat Heart of Palm

You can eat heart of palm, both cooked or raw. This vegetable can be made into pasta dishes, added to salads or casseroles and also used as the base of stir fries like the recipe I will share here.

How is it Sold?

Although heart of palm can be found fresh in some grocery stores, it is uncommon. This vegetable is extremely perishable and therefore very expensive if bought fresh. You can however find it in a variety of other ways.

It is often sold in a jar, can or sealed bag. If in a jar or can the look of the vegetable resembles mozzarella cheese sticks. Often when sold in a sealed bag you can find it in noodle form.

Do You Need to Rinse Before Serving?

Shelf stable heart of palm that comes in a jar or bag is preserved by being in a type of brine made of water and salt. Because of this, it is best to rinse the vegetable before serving or adding to your dish to remove all of the excess salt flavor.

Are There any Cons to Eating this Vegetable?

The only drawback of consuming heart of palm is that because it is canned in a salt brine solution the sodium content can be higher.

Is Heart of Palm Overall a Healthy Vegetable?

Although lower in vitamins than some other veggies like spinach and bell peppers. Heart of palm is rich in fiber, low in calories, and a good source of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, iron, and vitamin C. It is an excellent vegetable to incorporate into your meals.

Stir Fry Recipe Customization

Stir fry meals are extremely versatile. When making stir fry you can really express your creativity by trying a variety of flavor and food combinations.

• Choose whichever meat you prefer. I will be using pork chops in this recipe but you can choose whatever protein you prefer. Steak, chicken and even shrimp are great options.
• When choosing your vegetables always try to purchase organic if you can. If your budget is tight at least try to purchase organic options for vegetables listed on the Dirty Dozen website.
• Choose your favorite vegetable combinations for this recipe.
• Coconut Aminos is a healthier alternative to soy sauce. If I have this ingredient on hand it is always my go to for stir fry recipes.

What to Eat With Stir Fry

We love to pair our stir fry with steam-able edamame. This is a great protein source and sprinkled with a good quality salt adds trace minerals that the body needs.

Fruit also pairs nicely with stir fry. Whether is is a plate or orange slices for the family to snack from or a fruit smoothy blended up with coconut milk as the base. Fruit is a tasty treat to pair with this recipe.

Tools You May Need

• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Frying Pan, Wok or Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 bell pepper – your choice of red, orange or yellow
• 1/2 head of frozen broccoli or 1/2 bag of frozen
• 1 cup baby bella mushrooms chopped
• 1/4 of water
• 1 lb of pork chops – you can sub out a different type of protein if you prefer
• Salt & Pepper to season
• 1 TBS of sesame oil
• 12 oz of heart of palm noodles

Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of coconut aminos or soy sauce
• 1/3 cup of coconut sugar
• 4 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp of sesame oil

How to Make Heart of Palm Stir Fry

1 Cut onion and bell pepper into long strips. Chop mushrooms and cut broccoli into small florets.

2. Heat your pan to medium heat. Add 1/4 of water and add vegetables.

3. Cover with lid and allow vegetables to steam for 5-7 minutes.

4. While vegetables are cooking cut meat into bite size pieces. Make all pieces similar in size so that they cook evenly and thoroughly. Season the meat with salt and pepper.

5. Add one tablespoon of sesame oil to another pan and heat to medium/high heat. Once pan has come to temperature add meat and cook till done. Approximately 5-7 minutes or when internal temperature is 160 degrees.

6. While meat is cooking prepare sauce. Mix all sauce ingredients into a bowl.

7. When meat is fully cooked, add meat to your cooked vegetables.

8. Pour sauce on top of meat and vegetables and stir thoroughly.

9. Turn heat down to low and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.

10. Place heart of palm noodles in a colander and rinse.

11. In a separate pan, saute noodles for approximately 1 minute. You aren’t necessarily cooking the noodles but rather just heating them up.

12. Place noodles on plate and top with stir fry mixture and enjoy!

How to Store Leftovers

Allow stir fry to cool completely and store in a air tight container. Your stir fry will stay fresh for up to four days in the refrigerator.

I hope you enjoy this healthy, heart of palm stir fry recipe. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below.