Seitan is the key to this plant-based model of everybody’s favourite hen stir fry recipe. This wholesome vegan cashew “hen” stir fry is full of taste and a great deal of veggies – plus it may be whipped up in half-hour!
This vegan cashew “hen” stir fry is one my new favourite meals for busy weeknights since every little thing will get cooked up in a single pan in nearly half-hour. It’s a kind of again pocket recipes you can flip to when you might have a bunch of veggies that should be used up and never a number of time to get dinner on the desk.
The inspiration for this dish got here from attempting to recreate a basic take out recipe like cashew hen to make it plant-based.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- A 30 minute, one-pot weeknight meal! Wish to make it even quicker? Purchase pre-chopped veggies or pre-chop your greens on the weekend so you’ll be able to toss this meal collectively even quicker.
- Forestall meals waste by including utilizing up any leftover bits of greens that could be left in your fridge on the finish of the week. I don’t learn about you, however we all the time have bits of random greens left over on the finish of the week from different recipes. Save these veggies from the trash and add them to a stir fry like this one!
- A scrumptious technique to strive seitan! If you happen to aren’t conversant in seitan, this stir fry in a non-intimidating technique to strive it out.
Substances You’ll Want
- Seitan: We like to make use of this seitan for this stir fry recipe as a result of it’s simple to seek out at most grocery shops and has a meaty texture that’s just like hen.
- Greens: I like to make use of the greens as written within the recipe beneath, however you possibly can use a wide range of totally different veggies on this stir fry. Adapt it to no matter you might have readily available!
- Cashews: These add a stunning crunch and a few wholesome fat to this recipe. You can additionally use unsalted peanuts.
- Soy Sauce: Provides a ton of wealthy taste to this stir fry. You may also use tamari. For many who are salt delicate, utilizing a decreased sodium soy sauce could also be helpful.
- Broth: Provides a bit extra taste to the sauce. You may substitute water when you don’t have broth readily available or wish to scale back the sodium content material of the recipe.
- Cornstarch: You’ll add a little bit of cornstarch to the sauce for this recipe as a result of it helps thicken it as you stir fry every little thing collectively. Ensure to whisk it effectively with the opposite sauce components earlier than utilizing for the perfect outcomes.
- Ginger: If you happen to don’t have ginger paste (I purchase it from Dealer Joe’s – it’s tremendous helpful!), you need to use recent grated ginger root or dried floor ginger. Nevertheless, I favor to make use of the paste or recent ginger as a result of I feel it has a lot extra taste.
The right way to Make this Recipe
STEP 1: Collect all of the components you’ll want for this recipe and chop all of the greens earlier than you begin cooking. Stir fry recipes like this one cook dinner shortly, so that you wish to have every little thing able to go earlier than you begin! You don’t need your components to cook dinner erratically since you are attempting to cut and stir on the similar time.
STEP 2: Begin by whisking collectively the sauce that you simply’ll want for this recipe in a small bowl. Whisk till you see the cornstarch dissolve after which put aside.
STEP 3: Add oil and the seitan “hen” to your pan and sauté till golden brown. Put aside on a plate.
STEP 4: Add the greens to the identical skillet that you simply used for the seitan. Cook dinner simply till crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes. You don’t need limp greens in your stir fry so err on the facet of undercooked vs overcooked at this step since you continue to want so as to add the sauce.
STEP 5: Add the sauce, cashews, and cooked seitan. Sauté for about 2 minutes to thicken the sauce and heat the cooked seitan again up.
Recipe Notes:
- When chopping your greens, attempt to make every little thing the identical dimension in order that they cook dinner evenly. Be at liberty to change up the veggies relying on what your loved ones likes or what you occur to have readily available. A few of my favourite veggies for this dish embrace: purple cabbage, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, carrots, and zucchini.
- For a pop of colour, add some chopped inexperienced onion and cilantro to the stir fry when serving. I additionally sprinkle it with a number of sesame seeds, however didn’t have them after I took the pictures for this recipe. (Comic story – the explanation that I didn’t have any sesame seeds is that our canine Honey stole them off the kitchen desk after we left the home and ate the entire bag!)
- Do you get annoyed that your recent ginger root goes dangerous earlier than you employ all of it up? I peel it and chop it into 1″ items and retailer it within the freezer. The frozen ginger is way simpler to grate and it lasts for months within the freezer. (Plus, the small 1″ items are simple to toss within the blender for smoothies!)
What’s Seitan?
If you happen to aren’t conversant in seitan, it’s a plant-based meat substitute produced from wheat gluten, which is the protein contained in wheat. Though it might look like a brand new product within the US, seitan was really created centuries ago by Buddhist monks as a meat different.
Seitan has a yeasty, nutty taste and a meat-like texture that may be simply sliced so it really works effectively in savory recipes like this vegan cashew “hen” stir fry.
Yow will discover seitan within the fridge with the remainder of the tofu and different vegan merchandise. If you happen to can’t discover seitan, you possibly can additionally use a pretend hen product from the shop or you’ll be able to simply use an 14 oz. package deal of agency tofu that has been pressed and cubed.
Have questions on plant-based/vegan protein? Take a look at my final vegan protein guide!
Often Requested Questions
You should use both: 1) a 14 ouncespackage of agency tofu that has been pressed and cubed, 2) 4 ounces of soy curls (rehydrate in water or broth earlier than including to stir fry), 3) shredded/sliced king oyster mushrooms.
Use tofu or soy curls as a substitute of the seitan and substitute the soy sauce with tamari.
The right way to Serve This Vegan Cashew “Hen” Stir Fry
We like serving this stir fry with some fluffy white rice. You can additionally serve over brown rice or cauliflower rice (for a low carb possibility). This stir fry can also be scrumptious when served over noodles like rice noodles, ramen, or soba noodles.
When plating the stir fry, I prefer to garnish with some sliced inexperienced onion, recent cilantro, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Wish to add some spice? Add a number of dollops of sriracha sauce.
Storage and Make Forward
- Make Forward: Make the sauce 2-3 days upfront and retailer in a mason jar within the fridge. You may also pre-chop your whole greens a number of days upfront and retailer within the fridge till prepared to make use of. Put together rice a number of days upfront and retailer within the fridge.
- Leftovers: Enable leftovers to chill to room temperature after which retailer in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, pop it into the microwave for a few minutes till scorching. You may also reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium excessive warmth for about 5 minutes or till scorching.
Extra Scrumptious Recipes You’ll Love
Vegan Cashew “Hen” Stir Fry
This vegan cashew “hen” stir fry is tremendous easy to whip up making it an excellent meal for busy weeknights.
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Substances
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup decreased sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated recent ginger*
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons canola oil*
- 8 oz. seitan, chopped
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 purple bell pepper, sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup sliced purple cabbage
- 1/2 small purple onion, sliced
- 2/3 cup unsalted cashews
To Serve
- cooked rice
- cilantro
- inexperienced onion, sliced
Directions
Make the Sauce
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In a bowl, whisk collectively soy sauce, broth, cornstarch, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic. Put aside.
Make the Stir Fry
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Add oil to a big, deep skillet or an enamel dutch oven. Add the chopped seitan and sauté till calmly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Switch to a plate and put aside.
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In the identical pan, add the broccoli, purple pepper, carrot, cabbage, and purple onion. Sauté over excessive warmth till softened, about 6-8 minutes. (You need them to be crisp-tender moderately than limp so do not over cook dinner right here!)
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Stir within the sauce, cashews, and seitan “hen”. Cook dinner one other 2-3 minutes till sauce has thickened and seitan “hen” is scorching.
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Serve over cooked rice and sprinkle with chopped recent cilantro and chopped inexperienced onion.
Notes
- Don’t like seitan? Substitute a 14 ouncespackage of agency tofu that has been pressed and chopped into cubes OR 4 ounces of soy curls (rehydrate in water earlier than use).
- For prime warmth cooking like this stir fry, we often attain for canola oil. Nevertheless, you need to use a special cooking oil when you favor.
- Be at liberty to make use of totally different greens primarily based on what you might have readily available. You wish to use about 6 cups complete of minimize greens. Solutions for different greens to incorporate: zucchini, summer season squash, inexperienced beans, and cauliflower.
- If you happen to don’t have recent ginger, you can even use 1 teaspoon of ginger paste or 1/2 teaspoon floor ginger.
- Diet data is an estimate and doesn’t embrace rice.
Diet
Serving: 1/4 recipe | Energy: 326kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 20g | Fats: 18g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 4g | Monounsaturated Fats: 10g | Trans Fats: 0.03g | Sodium: 864mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4011IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 3mg
