This Thai basil cashew tempeh paired with coconut rice is the perfect weeknight meal. If you’re a tempeh hater, this might convert you into a tempeh lover. It’s a simple stir fry with tempeh, a chili sauce, mushrooms, some crazy addictive chili lime cashews, and plenty of basil.
If you don’t really like tempeh but wish you did, here’s some Thai basil cashew tempeh paired with coconut rice! It’s just a simple stir fry with plenty of basil, heat, and crazy addictive cashews. I made the cashews first and actually had to put them in a separate room so I didn’t finish them before adding them in there. Anyways this is great for summer when you have a thriving basil plant and don’t want to turn on the oven!
What is Tempeh?
If you haven’t been exposed to this powerful plant-based protein, it’s time to change that. Tempeh originates from Indonesia (specifically an island called Java) and is made from fermented soybeans and whole grains like brown rice. That means it has lots of fiber and is particularly accessible to your gut microbes!
When you first take tempeh out of the package, it can be pretty stiff and bitter. You can steam it for about 10 minutes to make it softer and decrease some of its bitterness. If you don’t mind the strong taste too much, you can skip the steaming and go ahead and cook it with a super flavorful sauce like I did in this recipe.
How to Make Thai Basil Cashew Tempeh
Make the chili lime cashews.
Make these cashews in a pan on the stove, but you could air fry or roast them if you want. Just toast with some sesame oil, maple syrup, chili powder, and lime zest! This was totally inspired by Half-Baked Harvest’s Thai basil chicken recipe.
Prepare the tempeh and veggies.
Steam the tempeh if you’d like. If not, then go ahead and cut the tempeh into 1/2-inch cubes and toss with a little soy sauce and corn starch.
As for the veggies, you can use anything you want, but definitely use some mushrooms! You can also add bell pepper, broccoli, bok choy, or anything you see fit.
Mix the sauce.
The sauce is where the magic lies (after the cashews of course). I made this with soy sauce, sambal oelek, sesame seeds, and rice vinegar. Sambal oelek is an Indonesian chili paste, but for the purposes of this recipe, you could also use chili garlic sauce.
Mix in basil and cashews.
When you’re done cooking, mix in some fresh basil and the toasted cashews! Serve with coconut rice, rice noodles, or another type of short-grain rice. You’re gonna love this.
Thai Basil Cashew Tempeh
Ingredients
- 8 oz. tempeh
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce *for the sauce
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek *sub chili garlic sauce½
- ½ tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or neutral oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- ½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 large bella mushrooms
- ½ cup fresh basil
Chili Lime Cashews
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- lime zest from ½ lime
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- For the cashews: Add ½ tbsp sesame oil to a small pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add cashews, maple syrup, and chili powder. Let it toast for about 5 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then. Add lime zest and sea salt at the end.
- Optional: steam tempeh for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Cut tempeh into ½-inch cubes and toss with 1 tsp tamari and 1 tsp cornstarch. Set aside while you make the sauce.
- Stir all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl: 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sambal oelek, 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds, and 2 tsp rice vinegar.
- Add 1 tbsp neutral oil to a pan on medium heat. Add garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, and tempeh. Cook until the tempeh is mostly cooked, so about 5-7 minutes. Add sauce and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in cashews and fresh basil.
- If you want to make the coconut rice, you can find the recipe here!
Notes
- Add another 1/2 tbsp sambal oelek for extra spice.
- Add any vegetables you want. Some ideas: bell peppers, bok choy, snap peas, broccoli.
- If you want to make the coconut rice, you can find the recipe here!
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