Cashew Tofu (Vegan Cashew Chicken)

Cashew Tofu is our spin on the takeout classic cashew chicken, but better. It’s simple to make, only 30 minutes, and make made in one dish!

This cashew tofu is an instant hit. One bite and you’re like this absolutely must go in the meal rotation. It has the perfect balance of flavors to make you remember that you can have amazing food and still be vegan.

It’s also made in 30 minutes and one pot for a win every time!

One of the best things about it is the balance of textures. There’s crispiness from the tofu, crunchiness from the cashes and sugar snow pea, and softness that comes from the inner parts of the tofu, peppers, and broccoli florets.

This dish pairs perfectly with a simple white or brown rice or try our vegan garlic turmeric rice.

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Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Dish
• 🥘Recipe Ingredients
• Substitutions and Variations:
• Step by Step Instructions for cashew tofu:
• Recipe FAQs:
• Other Vegan Rice Recipes to Consider:
• Cashew Tofu (Vegan Cashew Chicken)

Why You’ll Love This Dish

🥘Recipe Ingredients

Gather your ingredients!

• Cashews – You want to use roasted but unsalted cashews for the best results in the dish.
• Tofu – to make this dish go faster and the tofu hold up best to the home cook, we recommend a super firm tofu for this dish. It doesn’t need to be pressed out like others.
• Veggies – we are using broccoli and sugar snap peas for this dish for greens, and a balance of textures.
• Cornstarch – this is to make the tofu crispy on the edge on the first part of cooking the tofu.

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

Substitutions and Variations:

• Cashews – If you use salted cashews, we recommend reducing the sodium elsewhere in the dish. If you only have raw cashews, roast them in the oven first. If you cannot have cashews, swap with another nut like almonds or pine nuts or just omit.
• Tofu– If you don’t have super firm tofu, use an extra firm tofu that has been drained and pressed. You could also sub out the tofu for chickpeas, mushrooms, or just more veggies.
• Veggies – Feel free to do fresh green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, or even add in some leafy green like
• Cornstarch – you could swap this with arrowroot powder, potato starch, or even all-purpose flour. Just make sure you do the listed amount of you will just feel like you are biting into flour.

Step by Step Instructions for cashew tofu:

Step 1. Make stir fry sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in one bowl and the cornstarch and water in a separate bowl.

Step 2. Then, whisk the two bowls together to create the stir fry sauce.

Step 3. Add oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cornstarch coated tofu and fry, flipping occasionally, until golden brown and crispy (about 6-8 minutes). Remove to a towel lined plate.

Note: It’s best to lightly coat the tofu in the directed amount of cornstarch. Adding too much will make the tofu taste like dry powder.

Step 4. Add another tablespoon of oil if needed before continuing. Add in your broccoli and sugar snap peas.

Stir to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Let veggies cook undisturbed for about 1-2 minutes until slightly charred.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of water then cover to steam the veggies for 3-4 minutes.

Step 5. Add peppers and stir, then garlic and ginger and stir, letting cook until fragrant.

Step 6. Next, add roasted cashews, whisk the sauce mixture a stir, and pour over the veggies in the skillet. Stir around to coat and after a few minutes the mixture will begin to thicken.

Step 7. Add in the tofu and mix to combine. Serve warm topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Vegan Rice Recipes to Consider:

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