Shrimp with green peas and cashews is the ideal weeknight meal! It’s ready in minutes with few ingredients and offers a powerful taste punch. Serve with steamed rice or noodles!
Table Of Contents
- What you’ll need
- Velveting
- How to serve and store
- More shrimp recipes
Shrimp with Green Peas and Cashew
Looking for a quick and easy dinner idea? This shrimp with green peas and cashews is a must-have for your meal rotation, especially on nights when you’re too tired or too busy to cook a complicated recipe.
It’s a 30-minute dish that takes an eternity to prepare. The flavorful combination of succulent shrimp, sweet green peas, crunchy roasted cashews, and savory sauce over fluffy steamed rice is sure to satisfy!
It’s quick and simple to prepare and uses simple ingredients that don’t require a trip to the store.
What you’ll need
Shrimp– I prefer to use shell-on shrimp and peel them myself for better taste and texture
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- Onions and garlic
- Celery and carrots– for added color and texture
- Green peas– use frozen sweet peas; I don’t recommend canned peas as they’re overly salty and not very appetizing.
- Cashews– choose unsalted and roast them to bring out aroma and flavor
- Cornstarch– to thicken the sauce and velvet the shrimp
- Soy sauce– use low sodium variety such as Kikkoman
- Shaoxing wine– Chinese cooking wine; if unavailable, you can substitute dry sherry or cooking sake.
- Oyster sauce– adds umami flavor.
Brown sugar– for a good balance of sweet and savory
Velveting
Velveting is a common Chinese cooking technique used in stir-frying. The shrimp in this recipe are marinated in an egg white and cornstarch mixture before briefly blanching in hot oil and finishing with the other ingredients.
This step creates a protective coat that seals moisture and prevents overcooking, resulting in a soft and tender texture.
How to serve and store
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- Serve this easy shrimp and veggie stir-fry as a main dish for lunch or dinner with steamed rice or egg noodles.
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Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. When meal planning, hold the cashews and top the dish when ready to serve for maximum freshness and crunch.
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
- 2 stalks celery, sliced thinly on a bias
- 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews, unsalted
- salt and pepper to taste
For The Stir-Fry Sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch.
Instructions
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In a bowl, combine egg white and cornstarch. Whisk until frothy. well.
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Add shrimp and coat evenly. Marinate for about 10 to 15 minutes and drain well.
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In a bowl, combine stir-fry sauce ingredients: water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, brown sugar, and the 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
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In a wok or wide pan over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add shrimp and cook until the color changes to pink. Remove from pan and keep warm.
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Remove excess oil except for about 1 tablespoon. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
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Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring regularly, for about 30 to 40 seconds or until half done.
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Add stir fry sauce (make sure to stir first to disperse cornstarch) and bring to a simmer until slightly thickened.
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Add green peas and shrimp. Continue to cook, stirring to combine, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until green peas and shrimps are heated through and vegetables are tender yet crisp.
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Add roasted cashews and gently toss to combine.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.