Cashew Tofu Recipe - Gimme Some Oven (2024)

Jump To Recipe

25 Comments »

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Cashew Tofu stir-fry is loaded up with healthy veggies, crispy tofu, roasted cashews, and tossed with a simple ginger stir-fry sauce. It’s a quick and easy weeknight dinner, and also naturally gluten-free and vegan!

Cashew Tofu Recipe - Gimme Some Oven (1)

Two things my husband can never get enough of: CASHEWS and TOFU.

Then man snacks pretty much every day on a handful of cashews or some kind of nuts, and always makes sure that they are extra-well-stocked in our pantry. And when it comes to making a big stir-fry for dinner, a batch of well-seasoned crispy tofu will always be his protein of choice. So when I was craving some old-school Chinese cashew chicken a few weeks ago, we decided to swap in tofu instead for a vegetarian (also vegan and gluten-free) substitute.

And you guys, this stir-fry was awesome. ♡

I modified my usual ginger stir-fry sauce so that it could be completely vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free (no oyster sauce), and it was so good that I totally recommend making a double-batch while you’re at it to use later (or just make yourself a super-saucy stir-fry). Feel free to also swap in whatever other stir-fry veggies or nuts that you have on hand, and dish this up over rice, noodles, quinoa or whatever sounds good. Barclay and I can also vouch that this one keeps and reheats well, as we’ve made it for easy meal prep lunches a few times since. And best of all, it’s just delicious.

Let’s make some cashew tofu!

Cashew Tofu Recipe - Gimme Some Oven (2)

Cashew Tofu Ingredients:

To make this cashew tofu recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Tofu: One block of extra-firm tofu, which we will toss with olive oil and cornstarch, then sauté on the stove until crispy. (Or alternately, you are welcome to bake it in the oven.)
  • Veggies:I used a mixture of broccoli, red bell peppers and red onion. But feel free to swap in any other stir-fry-friendly veggies that you have on hand.
  • Cashews:You want to be sure to use roasted (not raw) cashews here, so that they are nice and crunchy.
  • Ginger Stir-Fry Sauce: Made with soy sauce (or tamari), water, honey, rice vinegar, cornstarch, ground ginger and garlic.
  • Toppings:I topped my stir-fry with some thinly-sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds, as garnish.

I also like to serve this cashew tofu over rice (any kind), rice noodles, sesame noodles or quinoa. But you are also welcome to just serve the stir-fry on its own.

Cashew Tofu Recipe - Gimme Some Oven (3)

How To Make Cashew Tofu:

To make this cashew tofu stir-fry, simply…

  1. Drain the tofu. Sandwich the block of tofu between paper towels, weight it down, then let the tofu drain for 15-30 minutes.
  2. Make the stir-fry sauce. Just whisk all of the ingredients together until combined, then set the sauce aside until you are ready to use it.
  3. Sauté the tofu. Next, slice the tofu lengthwise into 1/2-inch slabs, then cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. Gently toss the tofu with the olive oil until evenly coated, then toss with the cornstarch plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet and sauté the tofu in two batches, avoiding crowding the pan, until it’s browned and crispy on both sides. Transfer the tofu to a separate plate.
  4. Sauté the veggies. Add more oil to the sauté pan and briefly cook the veggies until crisp-tender. (Try to avoid overcooking them — you don’t want soggy veggies.)
  5. Combine everything. Add the cashews, stir-fry sauce and cooked tofu to the pan, and toss to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened and evenly coated the tofu and veggies.
  6. Serve. Then dish is up over rice or quinoa and serve warm, garnished with your desired toppings.

Cashew Tofu Recipe - Gimme Some Oven (4)

Possible Variations:

Want to customize this cashew tofu stir-fry recipe? Feel free to…

  • Use a different protein:If tofu isn’t your thing, you are welcome to make this cashew stir-fry with tempeh, shrimp, chicken, beef, or pork.
  • Use different veggies:Any other stir-fry-friendly veggies would be delicious in this recipe, such as carrots, onions, snow peas, mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, etc.
  • Use different nuts:If cashews aren’t your thing, this stir-fry would also be delicious with peanuts. Or you could just leave the nuts out entirely.
  • Make it gluten-free:Just use gluten-free tamari in place of soy sauce!
  • Make it extra saucy:Feel free to double the sauce recipe if you would like, so that you can have extra to toss with the rice or noodles (or to use with another recipe later!).

Cashew Tofu Recipe - Gimme Some Oven (5)

More Favorite Stir-Fry Recipes:

Looking for more delicious stir-fry recipes? Feel free to swap in tofu as the main protein in any of these other favorite recipes!

  • Japchae (Korean Noodle Stir-Fry)
  • Pineapple Ginger Stir-Fry
  • Thai Basil Noodle Stir-Fry
  • Kung Pao Noodle Stir-Fry
  • Sizzlin’ Spicy Szechuan Stir-Fry
Print

Cashew Tofu Recipe - Gimme Some Oven (6)

Cashew Tofu

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 15 reviews

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This Cashew Tofu stir-fry is loaded up with healthy veggies, crispy tofu, roasted cashews, and tossed with a simple ginger stir-fry sauce. See notes above for possible ingredient variations.

Ingredients

Scale

Cashew Tofu Stir-Fry Ingredients:

  • 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
  • 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
  • 1 large red bell peppers, cored and cute into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly-sliced
  • 1 cup roasted cashews
  • toppings: thinly-sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds

Stir-Fry Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced

Instructions

  1. Drain the tofu. Sandwich the block of tofu between a few layers of paper towels. Then place a cutting board on top of the tofu, and stack a few heavy cans or pots or whatever you can safely balance on the cutting board. The idea is to put a lot of pressure/weight on the tofu, which will help the excess water to press out into the paper towels. Let the tofu drain for at least 15-30 minutes.
  2. Make the stir-fry sauce. Meanwhile, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl (or shake them together in a mason jar) until combined.
  3. Coat the tofu. Once the tofu has been drained, slice the block lengthwise into 1/2-inch slabs, then cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. Transfer the tofu to a large mixing bowl, drizzle it evenly with1 tablespoon olive oil and toss until coated. Sprinkle the cornstarch plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper over the tofu, and toss until evenly coated.
  4. Cook the tofu: Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add about half of the tofu (however much can fit in an even layer without overlapping) and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway through, until crispy and golden on both sides. Transfer the tofu to a separate plate and repeat with the remaining tofu.
  5. Sauté the veggies. Add the remaining oil to the sauté pan and add the broccoli, red pepper and red onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.
  6. Combine everything.Add the cashews, stir-fry sauce and cooked tofu to the sauteé pan, and toss to combine. Continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
  7. Serve. Remove pan from heat and serve the stir-fry warm over rice, noodles or quinoa, garnished with your desired toppings.

posted on January 20, 2020 by Ali

Chinese-Inspired, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Main Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

25 Comments »

Cashew Tofu Recipe - Gimme Some Oven (2024)

FAQs

Why isn't my tofu getting crispy in the oven? ›

First off, you may have not baked your tofu at a high enough temperature. High heat is important for getting your tofu to turn out nice and crispy. Aside from that, I think it's important to coat the tofu in something to help it crisp up.

How do you cook tofu and make it taste good? ›

Press tofu and cube it. Coat it in garlic, black pepper, salt (plus more of your favourite seasonings), liquid aminos and some olive oil. Then mix it into some cornstarch and toss it all together, then bake for about 20 minutes. Cornstarch also helps to draw out excess moisture so it really gets the tofu crispy.

What is the closest nut to a cashew? ›

Almonds are the most similar to cashews. They can be used in trail mix, granola, vegan cheese recipes, cream sauces, and made into milk. What is the best way to replace cashews in vegan cream sauces? If you're going for a nut-free alternative, try silken tofu or cauliflower for a cream sauce.

How to make tofu not mushy? ›

Cooking without oil doesn't mean you have to have mushy tofu. As outlines above, make sure you press your firm, extra firm, and super firm tofu. Then, before you bake or marinate your tofu, toss it in arrowroot powder and you'll get delicious crispy tofu, no oil needed.

What to use instead of cornstarch for crispy tofu? ›

Substitutions: If you prefer not to cook with cornstarch, you can substitute in an equal volume of all-purpose flour or potato starch. Tofu: This recipe can also be made with medium-firm tofu, but you'll need to be a bit more gentle while pressing and coating it.

What not to mix with tofu? ›

What to not serve with tofu? According to studies, a high volume consumption of tofu and spinach together can increase your risk of kidney stones. Tofu and spinach contain calcium and oxalic acid respectively and the combined can form kidney stones.

What should I season tofu with? ›

Toss the cubes with olive oil, tamari or soy sauce, and sriracha. If desired, you could also add cornstarch to make the cubes extra crispy. Finally, bake! Transfer the baking sheet to a 425°F oven and cook until the cubes are browned around the edges.

What is the best way to eat tofu for the first time? ›

Pan-frying is the easiest, least fussy way to cook up a batch of ultra-crispy cubes of tofu. After pressing and draining as much liquid from the block as possible, cut the tofu into cubes, sticks, or wedges, then toss it with cornstarch until all the pieces are well-coated.

Why is my baked tofu rubbery? ›

Why does tofu get rubbery? Because it was probably overcooked, it was probably exposed to too much heat. I don't know if it was roasted baked air fried or sauteed, but when it becomes, uh, overcooked, it's gonna get very, very tough.

Why is cashew fruit not sold? ›

Problem 1: The cashew fruit is easily bruised. So transporting cashew fruit is very difficult and costly. So they are usually only consumed locally.

Why are cashews so expensive? ›

Roasting the cashew nuts to destroy the toxins is dangerous as well, as the toxins are released into the air. After the toxins are removed, the cashews must be graded and sorted. The entire process is labor-intensive as well as hazardous, which helps explain part of why cashews are so expensive.

What is the Spanish word for cashew? ›

The English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree: caju (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaˈʒu]), also known as acaju, which itself is from the Tupi word acajú, literally meaning "nut that produces itself".

What is the mistake in cooking tofu? ›

You cut it too large. Tofu cooks better in smaller sizes—either in cubes or in slices. A huge block of tofu is pretty much like a huge block of cheese; too large a piece, and you won't get a pleasing flavor or texture.

Why doesn't my tofu get crispy? ›

If your crispy tofu isn't getting crispy, it could be because there is too much moisture in the tofu. Another issue could be the oil isn't hot enough to fry the tofu. Or you forgot to add the corn flour. These three reasons can cause your tofu to be soggy or not crisp up as much as you'd like.

How do you keep tofu crispy? ›

Now, you just need to toss your tofu in a little oil (just 1 tablespoon for the full batch), tamari or soy sauce (for some flavor) and cornstarch or arrowroot starch. The starch makes the edges extra crispy and irresistible (I got this idea from The Kitchn).

How do you bake tofu to dry it out? ›

Arrange tofu on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet to prevent sticking and bake for a total of 25-35 minutes, flipping once halfway through to ensure even cooking. This will dry out the tofu and help give it a more meat-like texture. If you want a tougher texture, cook it for 30-35.

Why is my tofu not crispy air fryer? ›

If the cubes are too crowded in the basket, they won't crisp up as they cook. Feel free to work in batches if necessary! Air fry at 400°F for 11-15 minutes, tossing halfway so that the tofu cooks evenly on all sides. The tofu is ready when it's crisp and browned around the edges.

How long to press tofu before baking? ›

How long does it take to press tofu? It takes around half an hour to press the tofu in preparation for cooking. It's simple to do and requires very little effort. You only need a plate, some absorbent fabric or paper, such as clean tea-towels or kitchen paper, and a weight – we often use a frying pan.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Domingo Moore

Last Updated:

Views: 5750

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (53 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Domingo Moore

Birthday: 1997-05-20

Address: 6485 Kohler Route, Antonioton, VT 77375-0299

Phone: +3213869077934

Job: Sales Analyst

Hobby: Kayaking, Roller skating, Cabaret, Rugby, Homebrewing, Creative writing, amateur radio

Introduction: My name is Domingo Moore, I am a attractive, gorgeous, funny, jolly, spotless, nice, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.