By Hetty Lui McKinnon
Updated Oct. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- 4(774)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This vegan cashew and celery stir-fry, which is adapted from “Tenderheart” by Hetty Lui McKinnon (Alfred A. Knopf, 2023), offers a lovely jumble of textures that form a dish that is uncomplicated but elegant. Celery is an ingredient that performs well in stir-fries, as it perfumes the entire dish and delivers a gratifying, crisp-tender crunch. You can use any leafy greens in this dish, but if they have thick stems (like gai lan), make sure you cut them in half lengthwise, which will help them cook quickly and evenly. Cashews add a creamy nuttiness, and tofu provides substance — but you could opt for shiitake mushrooms in its stead.
Featured in: 4 Easy Meatless Meals to Celebrate Everyday Vegetables
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼cup vegetable stock or water
- 2½tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
- 4teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
- Neutral oil
- 4 to 6celery stalks (about 8 ounces), trimmed and sliced diagonally
- 1(1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3scallions, trimmed and sliced
- 6ounces dark, leafy greens (such as gai lan, choy sum, kale or spinach), halved lengthwise if they’ve got thick stems, then cut into 2-inch lengths
- 5ounces five-spice-flavored or plain extra-firm tofu, cut into ½-inch-thick strips
- 1cup roasted, unsalted cashews
- Kosher salt
- Toasted white sesame seeds, to serve
- Cooked white or brown rice, to serve
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
299 calories; 21 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 507 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Combine the cornstarch, stock, rice wine and soy sauce in a bowl and whisk until smooth; set aside.
Step
2
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high. Once it’s hot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, along with the celery. Cook, tossing, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the celery is slightly softened; push it to the side. Add the ginger, garlic and three-quarters of the scallions, then toss for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the greens and toss for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly wilted. Toss in the tofu and cashews and stir fry for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the tofu is warmed through.
Step
3
Stir the cornstarch mixture, then swirl it into the wok or skillet and toss until the sauce thickens and coats everything. Taste and season with a little salt, if needed.
Step
4
Top with the remaining scallions and the sesame seeds; serve with rice.
Ratings
4
out of 5
774
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Cooking Notes
Above Average Cook
This was delicious, and the whole family declared it so. I had to make a few mods based on what I had on hand -- leftover Sauvignon Blanc instead of rice wine for the sauce, and a can of drained chickpeas instead of tofu. Wouldn't change a thing!
Kate
Delicious weeknight meal with ingredients we always have available. The cashews and celery play well off one another. Similar to others, I pan fried the tofu first for better texture. I also doubled the sauce as the original seemed a bit skimpy and was happy I did. It is a light flavored sauce and doubling ensured that it coated everything nicely and was substantial enough to add flavor to the rice.
Kate
Excellent! Used peanuts instead of cashews, and used baby bok choy for the greens. Very quick to pull together, and tasty.
AOB
Excellent. Pressed the tofu then ripped it into pieces. Tossed with about 2 TB oil and 5-spice powder. Spread onto sheet pan and roasted it at 425° for about 30 minutes, stirring periodically. Gives tofu such great texture. Increased amount of celery and tripled the sauce. Soooooo good!!!
Kayann
I used sliced and whole snap peas instead of celery and it was wonderful!
Julie
Made it just as directed...except we used dry sherry instead of rice wine because that's what we had. Delicious! Really nice combination of textures and tastes!
Allison
I didn’t measure super carefully and probably added more garlic and ginger then it called for. I also cubed the tofu and lightly fried it by itself before adding it to the final dish. I also added just a Glogau Boyster sauce. It was absolutely delicious.
Lori B
I don't like celery, nor does anyone in my family. I will sub Fennel.
katie
This sounds delicious and exactly like what I’d like for dinner tonight—but I don’t have any wine (rice or white) on hand. What do you guys think about subbing a mix of rice vinegar and mirin? Other ideas?
Sarah
Delicious! Love the celery crunch and creamy cashews. We doubled the sauce and used a 14 oz package of tofu. Our family of four with two teens demolished it with no leftovers. Will always make a generous double recipe in the future.
Leah
here's a tip: cut the celery much smaller than I did or you won't be able to get more than celery on your fork lol
CynthiaH.
Great seasoning, ingredients, easy, fast. I substituted cubed chicken tenders in place of the tofu this time. Will try tofu next time and, personal preference, will cut cashews to 1/2 cu.
Jim
7/19/23Nido gave us a bunch of celerey and this recipeCame in handy. Added carrots and mushrooms and chicken. No tofu and no greens. Subbed peanuts. Turned out better than I thought.
Max
Delish! I coated my tofu in cornstarch and air fried for texture. Didn’t have any leafy greens on me so used the farmer’s market celery leaves. Will be making again
Tim L.
Made as written, and it's delicious. An underrated delight. My favorite kind of weeknight meal, easy to prepare with maximum enjoyment!
Kelly Kristine
Great recipe! I stick to a low sodium diet so I only used 2 teaspoons of tamari and added some 5 spice to the sauce, very flavorful! Not a fan of rice so I served it over bulger wheat.
Jessie Brown
This was simple to make. Far more rich and delicious than I was expecting. I didn't have the right cooking wine so I used mirin with a third part sherry. I added a touch of salt as my soy sauce is low sodium. Used lacinto kale for the greens. Will definitely make this again as it's a great way to use up leftover celery.
NC
Triple the sauce, double the content
JackBIII
Fantastic recipe! I used the cashews as garnish, rather than tossing them into the stir-fry pan, to preserve crunchiness. Only complaint: The published prep time of 15 minutes could only be accomplished if you had a kitchen staff working alongside you. By the time I finished rinsing and chopping the greens and celery, peeling and dicing the garlic and ginger, and completing other prep work, more than 45 minutes had elapsed! That gross time underestimation aside -- a great dish!
Meg
I chose this recipe for vegan guests, and then got nervous when I read some of the lackluster reviews, so I did the following: doubled the garlic and ginger; doubled the sauce; and pressed 1 lb tofu, dusted it with cornstarch and 5-Spice powder, and crisped it up before cooking the veggies. It was a hit! However, I think when I get high quality Asian greens (this time I used lacinato kale) in my CSA later this spring, I’ll make it again as written—well, keeping the doubled garlic and ginger!
Jeanne
This was a nice change from the routine stir fried tofu dishes we eat two or three times a week. The tofu plays second fiddle to the cashews--loved that. I used a medium sherry in the sauce and spinach. Seems fussy but comes together quickly.
UpstateNYObserver
I love celery in stir fries. For really big stalks it helps if you run a vegetable peeler down them to remove the strings before slicing. Make a nice difference in the end product.
GJH
I don’t have 5 Spice tofu but had 5 spice powder. I added some but obviously not enough. Suggestions on how much powder to put in?
meesh
I was looking for a way to use up excess celery and came across this recipe. Delicious as written and perfect for a weeknight. Will be adding this one into my rotation!
Caro
Fantastic recipe that is more than the sum of its parts. I double the sauce and use smoked almond-sesame tofu that I bake in the oven. I will make this again and again!
Barbara
Great but I used the wrong vinegar (apple cider) and it was too sour. Next time I will cut back or try to find the kind recommended.
Kathy
Barbara- the recipe calls for rice wine not rice vinegar which is probably why yours was sour.
Teresa Irizarry
Made a few substitutions - left over roast chicken not tofu, black sesame not white, extra scallions and no garlic. Ate it over brown rice. We thoroughly enjoyed it: great recipe when you have lots of celery!
Jenn
This was fantastic. I followed other commenter's ideas and used bok choy as the greens, swapped peanuts for the cashews (that's what I had), and fried the tofu in a little peanut oil before starting the veggies. Super flavorful and satisfying over jasmine rice!
brandy
I made the recipe as is (except no rice wine, so subbed apple cider vinegar based on a google search) but wanted more flavor. Next time I think I’ll marinate the tofu first and double the sauce. I’m new to cooking with tofu but have heard that is a good tip for getting more flavor.
E
Nice use of celery. I air fried the tofu for crunch and I would season it more next time and cut it much smaller for just a garnish and do more than 5oz. The stir fry itself was pretty good, not amazing I feel like it needs a little more oomph but the cashews were good and good for a Friday meal
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