This Cashew Veggie Stir Fry is loaded with fresh vegetables, baked tofu, crunchy cashews, and a delicious stir fry sauce! Serve it over rice or noodles for an easy and tasty oil-free dinner.
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One of my favorite things about adopting a plant based diet is discovering the many foods and flavors that are out there. I didn’t eat much Chinese or Thai food growing up, but I’ve recently discovered that Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines.
My husband and I have been trying some of the local vegan restaurant offerings in our area. One of our new favorites is a cute little Thai restaurant called Thai Square.
The minute we walked in the door, we fell in love. The interior of the restaurant is painted in a cheery yellow. And the decor is a fun mix of antiques, live plants, Thai decor, old movie posters, and old superhero comic posters. It’s a feast for the eyes while we wait for our delicious food!
Of the several menu items we have eaten there, our favorite so far is their cashew stir fry with tofu. I love it so much, I set out to create my own recipe.
While mine didn’t turn out quite like the dish at Thai Square, it is absolutely delicious! And it’s free of oil, making it a bit healthier!
What is in this stir fry?
Vegetables – I chose yellow onions, red bell pepper, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and green onions. Use any vegetables you like. Some other ideas are mushrooms, green beans, snow peas, cauliflower, bok choy, or just about any veggies your heart desires!
Cashews – I love the nutty crunch the cashews add. If you can’t have cashews, you can use another nut like peanuts, or you can simply leave out the nuts.
Tofu – to keep this recipe oil-free, I chose to bake my tofu rather than fry it. I also froze my tofu ahead of time, then thawed it and pressed the liquid out before seasoning it. This freezing and thawing method gives the tofu a meaty texture. If you don’t want to use tofu, feel free to use a different protein.
Stir Fry Sauce – my sauce is made from reduced sodium soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, a mushroom stir fry sauce, garlic, water, and white pepper. The sweet soy sauce and the mushroom stir fry sauce can be found in an Asian grocery store, or in one of the more upscale grocery stores with a large Asian section. They can also be purchased on Amazon.
How to make this stir fry:
Begin by making your sauce
Mix together the sauce ingredients in a bowl or jar and set aside.
Next, prepare your tofu
I love the meaty texture of previously frozen and thawed tofu. But if you like softer tofu, skip the freezing and thawing.
I then press as much liquid as I can from the tofu. I use my EZ Tofu Press, which presses tofu so much faster than without. If you don’t have a tofu press, place the tofu between two clean towels, and place something heavy on top to press out the water. Leave it to press for at least 20 minutes.
Cut the tofu into cubes and place them in a ziploc bag. Mix together cornstarch, onion powder, and garlic powder, and sprinkle this mixture over the tofu. Seal and shake the bag to coat the tofu.
Place the tofu on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 375° F for 15 minutes. Turn the cubes and bake for another 15 minutes.
Prepare the Cashew Veggie Stir Fry
While the tofu is baking, heat a large wok over medium heat. I use a nonstick wok, so I can avoid the need to use oil in my cooking. Stir fry the onions and peppers until the onion is translucent.
If your vegetables start to stick to the pan at any time while you’re stir frying, add a small amount of water or broth to release them from the pan.
Add the carrots and broccoli and stir fry for a few more minutes, until the broccoli is bright green.
Add the cabbage, cashews, and green onion and stir fry until the cabbage is beginning to soften, but is still crisp.
Now add the tofu and the sauce ingredients, and cook until the sauce thickens and coats all the stir fry ingredients.
Serve with your choice of grains or noodles and enjoy!
If you like this Cashew Veggie Stir Fry, you may also like:
- Grilled Tofu Veggie Kabobs
- Teriyaki Tofu
- Asian Soy Curl Lettuce Wraps
- Easy Vegan Fried Rice
- Teriyaki Sauce
Are you new to oil free cooking? Check out my Oil Free Cooking Tips to learn more about oil free baking, roasting, sauteing, and more!
If you make this Cashew Veggie Stir Fry with Tofu, let me know what you think by leaving a comment and a star rating below. I love to hear from you!
And come join my Oil Free Vegan Recipes and Support Facebook group, where you can share your favorite oil free vegan recipes, and give and receive support on your plant based journey.
Cashew Veggie Stir Fry with Tofu
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Sweet Soy Sauce
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 4 teaspoons corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Tofu Ingredients
- 1 16 oz package extra firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Veggie Stir Fry Ingredients
- 1 onion large dice
- ½ red bell pepper large dice
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup carrots sliced diagonally
- 5 – 6 cups cabbage roughly chopped
- 3 green onion stalks cut on the diagonal
- ⅔ cup unsalted roasted cashews
Instructions
Make the sauce
- Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl or jar and set aside.
Prepare the tofu
- Cut the tofu into cubes.
- Mix together the cornstarch, onion powder and garlic powder. Place the tofu cubes in a Ziploc bag and sprinkle the cornstarch mixture over them. Shake the bag to coat the tofu.
- Place the tofu cubes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and bake at 375° F for 15 minutes. Turn the cubes and bake for another 15 minutes.
Prepare the stir fry
- While the tofu is baking, heat a large wok over medium heat. Stir fry the onions and peppers until the onion is translucent.
- Add the carrots and broccoli and stir fry for a few more minutes, until the broccoli is bright green.
- Add the cabbage, cashews, and green onion and stir fry until the cabbage is beginning to soften, but is still crisp.
- Now add the tofu and the sauce ingredients, and cook until the sauce thickens and coats all the stir fry ingredients.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate.
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