Name: Thai Basil Cashew Tempeh
Cook time: 30 min
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; 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

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.

This Thai basil cashew tempeh is a simple stir fry with tempeh, a chili sauce, mushrooms, 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.

Really really addictive chili lime cashews. Toasted over the stove.

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.