Easy Cashew Nut Stir Fry

Ever just feel “sluggish”? My easy cashew nut stir fry is a great solution. This dish is a go-to when I’ve been over-indulging in heavy, carb-rich, veggie poor foods – I just love creamy pasta sauces, pizza, and burgers, and definitely, tend to over-indulge but after a while, my body starts screaming for vegetables!

One of the easiest ways to eliminate that sluggish feeling is to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. So, when I’m feeling a little sluggish, I try grabbing some fresh fruit with breakfast, maybe switching to a salad for lunch (check out these 15 Healthy Salads That Are Far From Boring) and then usually I will go for a stir fry for dinner.

A veggie-rich stir fry is an ideal way to increase your intake of veggies without compromising on flavor. This delicious cashew nut stir fry is high in fiber, packed with flavor and so simple to make, it’s one of my go-to options when I’m craving veggies!

I have a good friend who is a serious carnivore (I’ve never seen anyone who has so many gifs about bacon posted to their social media) and another who’s vegan and one evening, I had them both in the house for dinner. Nightmare right? Well, I ended up making this awesome cashew nut stir fry and even my carnivorous friend was raving about it and went back for not just a second, but a third helping!

This easy to make stir fry recipe is so quick and simple to make it’s an ideal weeknight dinner. The most time-consuming part is chopping the veggies but if you’re smart and prep them in advance or buy ready-prepared veggies (see my Easy Meal Prep Tips for Beginners for pointers), this meal comes together in a snap!

Stir Fry Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon mild olive oil or any mild vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or more mild vegetable oil if none is available)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated or chopped
• 1 mild red chili thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in thin strips
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced in thin strips
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• ½ cup sugar snap peas 
• ½ cup plain cashews
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped

Sauce Ingredients 

• ¼ cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons corn starch (corn flour)
• 6 tablespoons reduced-sodium/ light soy sauce or Tamari for a gluten-free sauce
• 6 tablespoons orange juice 
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method 

1. Put the corn starch in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk in the vegetable stock until it dissolves.
3. Stir in the soy sauce, orange juice, and pepper. Set aside.
4. Put the vegetable oil and the sesame oil in a large non-stick wok or frying pan and heat over medium-high heat.
5. Stir in the sliced red onions, garlic, fresh ginger, and chopped chili (if using).
6. Add the carrots and stir fry for a minute or two.
7. Now add the mushrooms, red pepper and broccoli.
8. Stir fry for 2 or 3 minutes, until tender-crisp.
9. Mix in the sugar snap peas and cashews.
10. Stir the sauce mixture and then add it to the wok, stirring and tossing with the vegetables.
11. When the sauce thickens, stir in the sliced scallions.
12. Serve in warmed bowls either as is, or over cooked rice or noodles with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.