A healthy and quick cashew vegetable stir fry that is both vegan and gluten free. This stir fry is full of fresh seasonal vegetables including mangetout, broccoli and carrot, golden brown cashews and a delicious sweet and salty tamari sauce.
To make your stir fry taste the best it can, a good veggie stir fry requires fresh and vibrant vegetables that are speedily cooked on a high heat. Vegetables are usually an afterthought but here they are the focal part of the meal and deserving of extra love and attention. No-one wants limp, dull vegetables that have been left to stew, losing their taste, texture and lustre.
How to make a stir fry
Stir fries are easy, quick and nutritious meaning they are often my mid week meal of choice. After a long day at work my grumbling tummy is most appreciative of the minimal fuss and effort required. To keep the vegetables crisp they should be thoroughly dried after rinsing. Heat the oil until hot; the vegetables should sizzle as soon as they hit the wok. Spread out the vegetables so they have a good surface contact with the wok. Tossing the vegetables allows them to lightly sear and cook on all sides. This will ensure your vegetables cook in the quickest time and remain bright, crunchy and full of flavour.
The sauce
Tamari sauce is very similar to soy sauce, the main difference being that tamari is completely gluten free. I prefer it to soy when I want a slightly sweeter and more complex flavour. To thicken the sauce, add a touch of cornstarch and lightly whisk.
The vegetables
The stir fry uses the classic trio of onion, garlic and ginger with a touch of chilli to add a bit of heat. I’ve opted for vegetables that are currently in season in the UK. Tenderstem broccoli has an earthy quality which is nicely balanced with the sweet carrots. The verdant mangetout makes every stir fry look fresh and appetising, and its lovely crisp bite is a must. Roasted cashews complete the stir fry, adding texture and a deep nuttiness. Don’t be tempted to skip the roasting step – it takes mere minutes, intensifies the flavour and turns them a beautiful golden brown shade.
Even when tired and hungry, this cashew vegetable stir fry is truly a delight to make. The pop and sizzle of the veg, nutty aroma of the roasted cashews and brightly coloured mangetout, broccoli and carrots make this stir fry a feast for the senses. Ready in minutes, this sweet and delicately spiced stir fry makes an appetising mid week dinner. Healthy, gluten free and vegan, it’s an easy yet impressive meal that caters to everyone’s palates.
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Roasted cashew vegetable stir fry with rice noodles
Ingredients
- 50 g cashews
- 1.5 tablespoons tamari sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 80 mls water
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cornflour
- 70 g mangetout
- 1 carrot
- 70 g tenderstem broccoli
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 small red onion sliced
- 1 large garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 heaped teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 small red chilli deseeded and finely sliced
- 300 g gluten free rice noodles made per packet instructions
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C / gas mark 6. Spread the cashews onto a baking tray and roast for 7 minutes until a deep golden brown colour. Remove from the oven and place in a bowl to cool slightly.
- Prepare the sauce by adding the tamari, red wine vinegar, water, sugar and cornflour to a bowl and giving it a gentle whisk.
- Wash and vegetables and dry thoroughly. Prepare the vegetables by slicing the mangetout in half lengthways and cutting the carrot into matchsticks. Trim the ends of the tenderstem broccoli and then break up into smaller spears.
- Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and stir fry for a minute.
- Next add the vegetables ensuring they are spread out and have good contact with the surface of the wok. Toss around the vegetables continually for 3 minutes.
- Pour over the stir fry sauce and continue to stir the ingredients for a further 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir through the roasted cashews. Serve with gluten free rice noodles.