Simple Broccoli White Bean Stir Fry
On the evenings when my brain has clocked out but I still need to eat to tame my fluctuating hormones that cause fat to park on my waist and my blood sugar to behave like a toddler at a birthday party. This broccoli and beans stir fry comes together quickly and tastes like take-out. This is mostly pantry or freezer ingredients like canned beans, cauliflower rice and broccoli and it’s ready in thirty minutes or less. This makes at least two servings, which means lunch tomorrow is already handled and it’s one thing off your to-do list.
Simple, hormone-friendly recipes are just one part of what I do here at Finding My Fierce. If you’re a woman over 40 and want to learn about rebel wellness, feral confidence, perimenopause and reducing overwhelm, I’m your people. start here
Ingredients
(see printable recipe card down below)
Serves 2 | Start to Finish: 30 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
2 cups (160 g) chopped broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (180 g) cooked white beans, rinsed and drained if canned
1 cup (135 g) cooked brown rice
2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
¼ tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp (6 g) chopped fresh green onions, for garnish
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (not optional)
Ingredient Swaps for Hormones (Perimenopause) and Insulin Resistance
swap cauliflower rice for brown rice to increase the fiber and lower carbohydrates that like to hang out around your waist in perimenopause
increase the protein: add another can of beans, or 1 soft-boiled egg, or 3oz (85g) edamame, or 1 cup (29g) diced cooked chicken
How to Make This
Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, broccoli and minced garlic. Sauté until broccoli is tender but with a bit of crunch, about 5 minutes.
Add the white beans, brown rice, soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt.
Stir-fry everything together for 3–5 minutes until it's heated through and slightly golden in spots. Divide into bowls. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Real Talk:
This recipe is very forgiving and versatile. Add different veggies to suit your taste, switch up the beans, bring up the heat, add protein if you need to hit your daily goal.
Don’t skip the sesame seeds, they contribute healthy fat even in small amounts. Every bit counts!
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a tiny splash of water to loosen it up, or microwave until hot. It holds up well and tastes just as good the next day, which means you did the work once and got two meals out of it. That's an act of self-preservation disguised as leftovers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
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Chickpeas work well here. Cannellini, great northern, navy beans — all fine. The texture will shift slightly but the dish holds.
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Use whatever cooked grain you have. like white rice, farro or quinoa, but only if you can handle the heavy carb load. Otherwise, opt for healthy cauliflower rice in your grocer’s freezer.
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Absolutely. Thinly sliced bell pepper, snap peas, shredded cabbage, or spinach stirred in at the end all work. Add whatever needs to be used up before it becomes a science experiment in your crisper drawer.
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Edamame, boiled egg and cooked chicken are all good options.
Before You Go
This recipe came out of the same place where I write the rest of this blog: in a vintage RV parked in the woods next to a river, where I write about rebel wellness, fierce confidence, simple living and hormone friendly meals for women over 40 in perimenopause and menopause. If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, read my storyor start here.
If this made meal time a little easier, leave a comment below or a review on the recipe card. Tell me what you swapped or what you added.
Melissa
Quick Broccoli and Beans Stir-Fry
This super easy "stir fry" can be made mostly from pantry ingredients like canned beans and carrots as well as pre-cooked, packaged rice or leftover rice. Cauliflower rice works, too.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (160 g) chopped broccoli florets
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (180 g) cooked white beans, rinsed and drained if canned
- ¾ cup (135 g) cooked brown rice (packaged Ben’s or leftovers)
- 2 tsp (10 ml) soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp (6 g) chopped fresh green onions, for garnish
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Steam the broccoli florets for 2–3 minutes until they're bright green and just tender. Don't let them go limp and sad.
- Warm a skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of water to prevent sticking, then add the minced garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the white beans, steamed broccoli, brown rice, soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice, black pepper, and salt.
- Stir-fry everything together for 3–5 minutes until it's heated through and slightly golden in spots. Divide into bowls. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
Tips:
Packaged, pre-made rice such as Ben’s Original, or leftover brown rice from yesterday, is the move here. Freshly cooked rice is a little too moist for stir fry and tends to clump. If that's all you have, spread it on a baking sheet for a few minutes after cooking to dry it out a bit. And if all you have is white rice, cauliflower rice or even quinoa, use it.
Don't be alarmed by the carb count, it is due to the beans which are healthy, high in protein and fiber. They're good carbs for your brain. Eat them.
Nutrition Info
Fat (g)
2 gFiber (g)
9 gProtein (g)
12 gCarbs (g)
46 gNutrition info provided as a courtesy and basic guideline. I do not support calorie counting so calories are not included.The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. View disclaimer.
