This easy lightened-up vegan Broccoli Cashew Stir-Fry makes a satisfying 30 minute weeknight meal! A healthy oil-free stir-fry with fresh flavors of garlic and ginger. (Gluten-free.)
This Cashew Broccoli Stir Fry is so quick and easy! Plus it's filled with plant-based protein and fiber.
Just 7 simple ingredients, and less than 30 minutes is all you need to prepare it.
The idea was to recreate a lightened-up, whole food, plant-based version of chicken and broccoli stir fry.
Using tender, crunchy cashews in place of chicken brings such wonderful texture and flavor.
Ingredients for Cashew Stir Fry
For this recipe you will toss together in a skillet:
- Yellow onion: Or you can substitute red onion or white onion.
- Garlic cloves: Use about 3 to 4 cloves garlic, or even more if you really enjoy the taste.
- Fresh ginger: I find fresh garlic and ginger provide the best flavor for this recipe.
- Fresh broccoli florets: You'll need one large head broccoli for this recipe, or about 4 cups fresh broccoli florets.
- Roasted cashews: I don't recommend raw cashew nuts for this recipe. (I use organic dry roasted and salted.) I've tested it with raw and for my preference, it's not nearly the same. Roasted adds another beautiful layer of flavor that I highly recommend.
- Tamari: Or you can substitute soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Sesame seeds: Use toasted if desired. (These are for sprinkling on top before serving.)
Customizing
Reduce cashews: This recipe is heavy on the cashews, but you can easily reduce them and include other veggies instead.
Other vegetables: Try it with mushrooms, zucchini, snow peas, sugar snap peas, baby bok choy, carrots, red bell pepper, tofu, green onions/scallions, water chestnuts, etc.
Oil + vinegar: Add other flavors as you see fit. For a more classic stir-fry, include a swirl of toasted sesame oil in the pan or wok. Or add rice vinegar for a slightly sweet and acidic taste.
Stir-fry sauce: If you have a favorite stir fry sauce, then by all means adapt the recipe to include it! There are similar flavors in this easy Asian-style Teriyaki Sauce if you would like to give that a try as well. (This is a thicker sauce because it includes cornstarch.)
Serving
Quinoa: This is a great pairing with this cashew stir fry because it cooks in about the same time as the stir fry.
Rice: Either brown rice, cauliflower rice, white rice, or jasmine rice is also a lovely pairing. But brown rice typically takes longer to cook. So feel free to cook it in advance or start it a bit earlier than the stir fry.
Noodles: Serve it with rice noodles, ramen noodles, or your own favorite.
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I find they keep for about 3 days, however I do prefer this recipe when fresh.
For more inspiration, browse all easy vegan dinner recipes or cashew recipes.
Broccoli Cashew Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 large head broccoli (10 oz. florets, about 4 cups)
- 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger (about a 1 inch piece)
- 1 cup roasted cashews*
- 2-3 Tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
- Sesame seeds for topping
For serving (optional):
- Brown rice, quinoa, noodles, etc.
Instructions
- Begin cooking your rice or quinoa if using. (Or do this ahead of time so it’s ready to go.)
- Meanwhile, thinly slice onion.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion for 8-10 minutes. (I use about 3 Tbsp. water/broth for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
- Meanwhile, mince garlic and grate ginger. (I use a microplane grater for ginger.) Cut broccoli into florets.
- When onion is translucent, add garlic, ginger, and broccoli. Stir.
- Add 1/4 cup water (or vegetable broth), cover, and let broccoli steam for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Important: keep an eye on it and add more water/broth as needed to keep the pan from drying out.)
- Add cashews and tamari. (Start with 2 Tbsp. tamari and add more as desired.)
- Stir well and heat another 2-3 minutes or until broccoli is desired tenderness.
- Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds over a warm bed of rice or quinoa.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
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Jennifer
A simple and delicious meal. The whole family loved it! I only had raw cashews, so I roasted them in the oven before adding them into the recipe. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe!
Kaitlin
Hi Jennifer! Fantastic to hear your whole family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for coming back to leave such kind feedback. Wishing you all a lovely weekend!
Karin
Very good. Simple, but that is what makes it so good. Very quick as well.
Kaitlin
Great to hear, Karin! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing your kind feedback!
Debra
Hi Kaitlin,
I made this and I did exactly what you did, added more ginger and garlic! It was delicious. I had a difficult time not finishing the whole bowl. It’s so flavorful. I made it with tri colored quinoa. Thanks for this recipe.
Debra Basinski
Kaitlin
Hello Debra! Wonderful to hear you enjoyed this recipe, and I love your tri-colored quinoa pairing. Great idea. Thank you for sharing your very kind feedback!
Lucy S.
I made this last night with Brown Basmati rice. It was so delicious. I did add a little extra liquid aminos, as I ran out of tamari, but it was so good. I will make this again and next time try adding shitake mushrooms. I will also add additional garlic, because I didn't taste the garlic. I love that you offer additional options. Thank you for putting together such a delicious recipe of ingredients.
Kaitlin
Hi Lucy! Shiitake mushrooms and more garlic next time sounds amazing. Wonderful idea. Happy to hear you enjoyed and thank you for sharing your thoughtful feedback!
Angel
This sounds delicious!
Just as it has sounds perfect. I’m also excited to try it with peas and/or pak/choi! Might also try it with vegan plum/faux duck sauce with I often add to my home made oriental recipes I made in Taiwan!
Mum who is vegan can also eat this dish. Most recipes need some kind of cheese or creamy ingredient to be yummy enough. My son and I are veggies but mum is vegan so it’s nice to share the same dish with each other sometimes.
I can’t wait to try this out
Love Angel x
Kaitlin
Hi Angel! Great thinking - peas, pak choi, and plum sauce sound like wonderful, tasty additions. Thanks for sharing your helpful feedback! Hope you all enjoy it. Take care, Kaitlin
Louise
Very tasty!
Kaitlin
Wonderful. Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your kind feedback, Louise!
Sarah
Hi, planning on making this soon. Does the nutrition info include the rice or no? Thank you!! Can’t wait to try.
Kaitlin
Hi Sarah! No, the estimated nutritional content does not include the rice for serving. Thanks for giving it a try and hope you enjoy!
Judeen
Delicious stir fry! I've made so many of your recipes and all keepers!!
Kaitlin
Thank you, Judeen! That's wonderful to hear. I appreciate you giving the recipes a try, and so glad you're enjoying them!
Kang Richards
Tried it. Never had this before. I really like it.
Kaitlin
Glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing.
Connie
This was delicious and SO easy to make, will be making this again. Also SO healthy. Thanks for the recipe! Vegan tastes SO good!
Kaitlin
So great to hear, Connie! Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your kind feedback!
Anja
A google search for broccoli and cashew recipes brought me here. This was so quick to make and absolutely delicious. I was feeling too lazy to grate ginger and garlic, so just used garlic powder and skipped the ginger. I added some pine nuts and yellow pepper. Delicious. A great quick little recipe.
Kaitlin
Wonderful to hear, Anja! Thanks for giving it a try and sharing your helpful feedback. Pine nuts and yellow pepper sound fantastic!
Angel
Me too! This recipe sounds perfect with and without additions. Can’t wait to make it
Mehitabel
This was the first time I ever tried making a stir fry or any sautéed veggies without oil. This recipe is delicious and it was so easy! Thank you for providing great, healthy recipes with common/accessible ingredients. I liked it it better than stir fry recipes I’ve made in the past that used oil- it wasn’t too salty and it it wasn’t greasy. I’ll be making this again and trying your suggested variations. I look forward to trying more of your recipes and feel excited knowing I can eat more healthily with ease and enjoyment!
Kaitlin
Wonderful to hear you enjoyed! Thank you for sharing your kind & helpful feedback. Wishing you a lovely weekend!
Keri l Daily Dish
I just came across your blog and have saved! You have some lovely recipes!
Kaitlin
Thank you!
anne
Great basic recipe easy to make your own with additional veggies. I love this recipe because it is full of things I always have on hand and it tastes great. I roast the cashews from raw (no salt needed).
Kaitlin McGinn
Wonderful to hear, Anne. Thank you for the feedback!
Clare
Quickly threw this recipe together to use up some broccoli on the fridge... absolutely delicious! I served with a side of quinoa, and the family requested making twice as much next time. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Kaitlin McGinn
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed, and love the quinoa pairing!
Melissa Santiago
Excellent!!! I need to look up more of your recipes! So delicious, very satisfying even to my carnivores hubby!
Kaitlin McGinn
That's so great! Thanks for sharing, Melissa!
Melanie Riley
Just made this tonight! I also added some shredded carrots and bell peppers strips. I only had raw cashews on hand but I roasted and salted them ahead of time. And I used organic coconut aminos instead of soy sauce or tamari. We loved the dish; thank you! Will be making this again.
Kaitlin McGinn
Fantastic to hear, Melanie! Love your colorful additions of carrots and bell pepper - perfect. Appreciate your very kind feedback and recipe rating, thank you.
Vegan Mommy
Just happened across your website this weekend and have pinned so many recipes already! This stir fry is AMAZING! Finding vegan, gluten free recipes can be tricky. This one is going in the favorites pile. Can’t wait to try more!
Kaitlin McGinn
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it, and hope you enjoy any others you try!
Kim Wilson
Hey! I made this recipe last night. It was so yummy. My family gave it an 11 out of 10! I toasted the cashews and used a mix of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce. As that's all that we had on hand. We are currently in quarantine in Illinois. Lol. Can't we all relate? Thank you for the recipe.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hey Kim! Haha that's so fantastic to hear you & your family enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing your sweet comment & recipe rating - very appreciated!
Laney Dack
I made this tonight for me and my husband and all I can say is WOW! It was easy to make, the instructions were clear and it’s one of the best dishes I’ve made in a very long time! I paired it with coconut rice. Yum!
Kaitlin McGinn
Awesome, Laney! Coconut rice sounds like a phenomenal pairing!
Jess
Made this tonight and we all loved it!
Kaitlin McGinn
So great to hear that, Jess!
Laura
Made this for my family tonight. I have a harder time as the only vegan in the family finding meals that everyone will enjoy. This was a hit and a lot less time consuming than many of the recipes I have tried. The nuts and rice make this really filling. We are a family of three and it was the perfect amount for us but this would be an easy enough recipe to double if we wanted leftovers or had guests. Thank you!
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Laura! That's so fantastic to hear!
Meb1230
This was super tasty! Served with brown rice. Thanks for the recipe!
Kaitlin McGinn
Wonderful to hear you enjoyed!
Jenny R Allen
This was outstanding. I didn't know what to expect with an oil-free stir fry, but it was AMAZING - especially over brown basmati rice. THANK YOU for such a delish vegan, oil-free recipe!!!!!
Kaitlin McGinn
Fun to hear you gave it a try and enjoyed! Really appreciate your very kind feedback & recipe rating - thank you! Wishing you a beautiful week, Jenny!
Jenny
Absolutely one of the very best vegan recipes we have tried. The only thing different I did was add sugar snap peas and baby corn. My husband is somewhat picky, he loved it. Thanks so much for a great recipe we will fix over and over!
Kaitlin McGinn
Great to hear that Jenny! And I love your additions. Thanks so much for coming back to leave such a sweet comment.
Linda
My husband and I are new to vegan eating, so I’ve been looking for recipes without beans. (I’m not a bean lover, but know I will need to learn to like them). This is very good! I put it over brown rice and used organic minced garlic in a jar. I’m going to look for the grated ginger as that will save time too. This will be a regular meal for us.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Linda! So lovely to hear you and your husband enjoyed this one. Thanks so much for the kind feedback. Wishing you both all the best on your new plant-based journey!
Phil
My wife and I enjoyed this as a side with spaghetti. Easy dish to make and recipe easy to follow. Roasted the cashews and sprinkled a little mustard powder on the broccoli to release the isothiocyanates since we used frozen. This tasted very nice and plan to do the recipe next time using fresh. Faintly tasted low sodium soy. Wouldn’t want to use more because concern over sodium. How about adding soy during the “steaming” step ? Thanks.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Phil! Wonderful to hear you and your wife enjoyed this one. Thanks for the feedback! Wishing you both a great week.
Sara
This was so amazing! I made it with brown rice noodles and instead of just sesame seeds on top I had a Japanese inspired sesame seaweed blend that I put on top. It was so delicious!
Kaitlin McGinn
I love your rice noodles & sesame seaweed variation! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. Very appreciated!
C
I tried this recipe for a couple I cook for. They like spicy food so I roasted my cashews in my air fryer. Adding a little oil mixed with chipotle powder. I also had dried onion straws on the side for some more texture to add. It was enjoyed.
Kaitlin McGinn
This is fantastic! Love your creative additions! Thanks so much for sharing.
Cindy Burns
My husband and I loved this recipe. Thank you! We are already planning when to have it next and are going to invite some vegan friends over to enjoy with us.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Cindy! Absolutely thrilled to hear how much you and your husband enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for the kind feedback. Hope you enjoy it just as much with your vegan friends next time!
Sheri
Really tasty! Had veggies that were going to go bad if I didn’t use, plus thought I’d add a zucchini. Red pepper, shredded carrots, as well. Toasted the sesame seeds for fun. I had green onions, so used those. Like you said, a little more garlic! Will definitely try again.
Kaitlin McGinn
Hi Sheri! Your additions sound absolutely lovely. Glad you enjoyed it with your own fun twist - thanks so much for sharing!
NancyJanepaige
Thank you so much! It was easy and I think I did a pretty good job. I don't cook so I was worried. But I love it.
Kaitlin McGinn
So lovely to hear that. Glad you gave it a try & enjoyed!
Marilyn
My husband and I enjoyed this last night. My first time using ginger, tamari, and cashews (except for stand-alone snacking) and I'm excited to be exploring new things. Kaitlin's simple and super fast recipes make trying new things less daunting.
Kaitlin McGinn
So glad you found another recipe you enjoy! Thanks so much for leaving such sweet feedback. Hope you and your husband have a wonderful week!
Kelley
I made this for a quick healthy gluten free vegan option. It was very tasty and easy to make. The instructions are well written. I use the crushed garlic in a tube and grated ginger in a tube to make these dishes even quicker. Fresh flavor without having to chop. My teenager hasn't tried it yet but I know she will like it.
Kaitlin McGinn
Glad you gave it a try and enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to leave such sweet feedback. Great idea using the ginger & garlic in a tube!