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🥬🔥🍠A colorful skillet of just-harvested greens, sautéed root veggies, and bold garlic-ginger flavor—this simple stir-fry brings new life to your fall garden in under 20 minutes.

This is the kind of recipe you make when the days are shorter but the garden’s still hanging on. When kale, arugula, and hardy herbs keep thriving while the sweet potatoes are ready to pull. Fast, flexible, and full of flavor, this stir-fry is a great way to honor those resilient greens—and a reminder that you don’t have to do much to let good things shine.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 🍂

• A quick way to use garden greens and leftover roots
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and meal-prep friendly
• Garlic, ginger, and sesame bring bold, earthy depth
• Ready in 20 minutes and endlessly customizable
• Great as a side or a full meal with rice or noodles

Quick Reference

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2–3 mains or 4 small sides
Dietary Info: Vegan, Gluten-Free

Key Ingredients at a Glance:
🥬 Kale, 🌱 arugula, 🍠 root veggies, 🧄 garlic, 🌶️ ginger, 🍋 tamari or soy sauce

Ingredients 🛒

• 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 1 small sweet potato or carrot, thinly sliced 🍠
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 🧄
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 4 cups chopped kale 🥬
• 2 cups arugula 🌱
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Optional: chili flakes, lemon juice, or sesame seeds

Instructions 🍽️

1. Sauté the roots.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add sliced sweet potato or carrots and cook for 5–7 minutes until lightly golden and fork-tender.

2. Add aromatics.
Add garlic and ginger to the pan and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Wilt the greens.
Add kale and toss to coat. Cook for 2–3 minutes until just softened. Add arugula and cook 1 minute more, until wilted but still bright.

4. Finish and serve.
Drizzle with tamari and sesame oil. Toss well. Season with chili flakes, lemon, or sesame seeds if desired. Serve hot over rice, quinoa, or noodles.

Tips & Variations 🌿

• Swap the greens: Use mustard greens, chard, or bok choy
• Add protein: Stir in chickpeas, tofu, or a fried egg
• Mix it up: Add mushrooms, bell peppers, or radish greens
• Sauce twist: Use miso, rice vinegar, or a spoon of tahini for extra richness

Serving Ideas & Pairings 🥣

• Serve over rice with Chinese Stir-Fried Mustard Greens
• Pair with Roasted Radish and Quinoa Bowl
• Spoon next to Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai for a fusion plate
• Or enjoy with a mug of Tuscan White Bean and Kale Stew for a cozy plant-based spread

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips 📦

• Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days
• Reheat: Gently rewarm in skillet or microwave
• Meal prep: Make a batch and serve throughout the week with changing bases

Garden Reflections 🌼📓

There’s something sweet about cooking with what’s still standing in the garden at season’s end. Kale, arugula, maybe a lone radish green or two—they show up. They keep going. Stir-fries like this are my way of honoring that: quick, bright, generous.

And in just one pan, everything comes together. No extra fuss—just what you already have, turning into enough.

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🔗 Try next: Sweet Potato Hash, French Lentil & Carrot Stew, or Garden Beet Burgers