This Spiralized Vegetable Stir Fry is made in one pan in under 20 minutes! Complete with a satay-style cashew sauce, it’s the perfect, gluten-free and vegetarian dinner. Make it ahead of time for delicious meals all week!
We Love Stir Fry
Made with fresh spiralized vegetables and a mouthwatering cashew stir fry sauce, this vegetable stir fry both tasty and good for you. Plus, it only takes one pan to make and is ready in less than 20 minutes! Really, does it get any better than that?
Even better, this recipe can easily be prepped ahead of time and stored to eat later making it perfect for meal prep. Personally, I love being able to make one big dish and serving leftovers for lunch or dinner throughout the week, and stir frys are the easiest way to do just that!
Spiralized Zucchini Noodles
If you’ve never made them before, vegetable noodles can be intimidating, but don’t worry! They’re actually pretty simple. For this stir fry, we’re using zucchini, but carrots, cucumbers, rhubarb, and more can all be spiralized for a fun way to eat your veggies.
My favorite method to create zoodles (zucchini noodles) is with either a regular or handheld spiralizer. I use this spiralizer, but they can be found online or at most grocery stores. You could also use a julienne peeler or a mandolin if you happen to have either on hand. Whichever tool you choose, the spiralizing process is pretty easy!
Just be sure to wash and dry your zucchini or squash, cut on the ends, and twist, grate or slice your spirals depending on the device you use. Check out this post for an even more in-depth look at how to spiralize and cook fruit and veggies of all kinds.
How to Prevent Soggy Zucchini Noodles
Using veggies in place of pasta is a great way to lighten up any dish while also adding tons of nutrients. No matter what veggie noodle you choose, the trick comes to managing the water content.
Pro Tip: To prevent vegetable “noodles” from becoming soggy you can either bake them first or let them sit in a colander with a pinch of sea salt added for 10-15 minutes.
Either of these methods will help extract the extra water found in veggies that causes them to become soggy while cooking. If using the colander method, be sure to set the colander in the sink or on a sheet pan as the liquid will drain and we don’t need a big mess on the countertop.
If you choose to bake your veggies, start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, arrange the veggie noodles on a large baking dish making sure to space them out and avoid clumps. Add a sprinkle of salt, and bake for 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, place the noodles on a paper towel, and press out any remaining moisture. Now you’re ready to start this stir fry!
How To Make Veggie Stir Fry
Traditional satay sauces are made with a mixture of lime juice, honey, soy sauce, curry powder, and peanut butter. Of course, these sauces taste incredible, but they aren’t always the most allergy-friendly. Those allergic to peanuts and gluten cannot enjoy many Asian dishes such as satay.
- I swapped out the peanut butter for cashew butter, and swapped the soy sauce for coconut aminos (paleo) or tamari sauce.
Nutrition Note: Cashews are rich in fiber, folate, and magnesium. And homemade cashew butter makes for one heck of a satay sauce. It’s buttery and very versatile. Don’t worry, if you don’t have cashews or cashew butter, you can use almond butter. Still tasty and nutritious.
- Heat a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the cashew butter, sesame oil, tamari, garlic, and chili flakes.
- Reduce the heat to a medium-low setting. Then, let the ingredients melt together, and stir until they are well combined.
Optional Add-Ins
This vegetable stir fry is a super filling, nutrient-dense meal all on its own, but you should absolutely feel free to experiment and add any ingredients you want to include! Truth be told, there’s not much that doesn’t pair well with this dish. So, it’s the perfect opportunity to clear out your fridge and use up any leftover protein or veggies you have on hand.
- Bell peppers, mushrooms, baby corn carrots, and sugar snap peas all add great flavor and tons of health benefits.
- If you’re looking to bulk up the protein content of this meal then chicken, shrimp, and even tempeh make a great addition to this satay!
- For more texture and a sprinkle of healthy fats, you could even include crushed almonds, sesame seeds, or extra cabbage.
Store & Reheat Zucchini Noodles
Contrary to popular opinion, zucchini noodles can be stored in the fridge without immediately going bad or turning soggy! For this vegetable stir fry recipe, I recommend keeping the noodles separate from the cashew sauce. Then, when you’re ready to eat, all you have to do is heat up a skillet, add your zoodles and sauce, and let them reheat.
However, if you need something a bit quicker, this recipe can be prepped completely and stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Then, toss the stir fry in the skillet or pop it in the microwave for a healthy meal in minutes. Check out this article from the spiralizing queen herself for more information on meal prepping with spiralized vegetables.
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Stir Fry Recipes
Spiralized Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 2 -3 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Spice things up with this spiralized vegetable stir fry recipe! The stir fry is cooked in a cashew satay sauce for a simple, delicious, one pan dinner that takes just 20 minutes to make. Paleo and vegan options. For a Whole 30 recipe option, see the notes.
Ingredients
- 3 zucchini and/or yellow squash (spiralized into noodles)
- 1 cup chopped Napa cabbage (more if you want more veggies)
- ¼ cup chopped red or green onion
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 to 4 Tablespoons creamy nut or seed butter (Cashew butter or almond butter. Adjust according to how much zucchini you use).
- ½ – 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 Tablespoon tamari (GF soy sauce) or coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon five spice Asian seasoning
- dash of sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- optional topping – Asian chili sauce (gluten free)
Instructions
-
Spiralize the zucchini and squash. Clean and press excess water from zucchini with paper towel. See notes for presenting watery spiralized vegetables and zoodles!
-
Next, chop the cabbage and red onion. Set aside.
-
Heat a wok or skillet to medium high-high heat and add in your creamy nut butter (Make sure it’s smooth or slightly creamy beforehand), sesame oil, tamari, garlic, and chili flakes.
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Mix all together and let it melt in pan on medium-medium low heat, until combined.
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Add in the onion and cabbage and cook on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
-
Add in the zucchini noodles and remaining seasoning and spices.
-
Stir fry all together for a few minutes until veggies are cooked and coated but not soggy. Remove and garnish with more chili flakes, cilantro, green onion, Thai pepper, splash of lime juice if desired. Drizzle with optional Asian chili sauce for a nice kick!
-
Great with cooked chicken, beef, or shrimp! Or by itself! Keeps well in fridge in airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- For whole 30 option- omit agave or honey, and use coconut aminos in place of gluten-free soy sauce.
How to stir fry spiralized veggies without them becoming too watery or soggy
- Bake the zoodles first. Or let them sit in a colander with a pinch of sea salt. This will extract a lot of the water and then you can press them dry.
- If baking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the veggies noodles on a very large baking sheet or casserole dish. Space them out so they are not clumped. Toss with a bit of kosher salt.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes and then place on a towel and press dry. They are ready for noodle stir fry!
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: dinner
- Method: stir fry
- Cuisine: asian american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Cheers!
LC
I love cashews and a good recipe that is a memory of life! A lot of my recipes are tied to some experience or life event! You are always full of surprises!
I completely agree with you, Qurani. Some of my favorite recipes are ones that spark joy!
I have been looking for this information for quite some times. Will look around your website.
This looks incredibly tasty. Would this work if I used peanuts instead of cashews?
I think that should work!
Great recipes you have wounder full dishes i love it .
Nice Post
It’s one of my favorite foods in your blog .Great tip! thanks for sharing.
Wow delicious recipes, I love it.
Thanks for giving this information its a very helpful article for me
So glad it’s helpful to you!
Thank You So Much Lindsay Cotter
Just made this for dinner tonight—it turned out great, with a unique blend of flavors that I would never have thought of on my own. A little spicy and a little sweet. I also added baked tofu cubes for veg protein and a leftover handful of cashews for some extra crunch. Perfect!
thank you
Old post I see but I just ran across it and made it tonight. I actually used the brand Justin’s peanut butter because we like peanut butter and I had it already.
My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe. He told me to PLEASE make it again.
It’s a keeper. Thank you!
Love justins! Good choice! Thanks Nancy for the feedback.
Delicious recipe! I modified a little bit and added enoki mushrooms (sautéed in coconut and sesame oil) and red peppers for added texture and nutrition. I also loved the tip on using the salad spinner to dry the salted zucchini. I made enough to have leftovers the next day, but instead we just gobbled it all up. Winner!
Oh i love the addition of mushrooms! So trying this. Thanks for the feedback Eri!!
Looks like a dream dish! Nothing beats a huge medley of vegetables with the most amazing sauce in the world. This looks like the perfectly healthy and grain free Pad Thai actually–definitely have to whip it up in my own kitchen!
Oh you’d love this one Cassie! you know the secret is in the sauce. haha. 🙂
I’m loving the “squoodles,” haha.
haha right? Totally love saying that now.
This was easy to make. I used extra zucchini and no cabbage and added shrimp. The sauce was really good!
I loved it! Such a flavorful meal for weeknights!
I’m so glad!? thank ya
Who knew spiralized veggies could taste so incredible!
I always love a reason to use my spiralizer, and this stir fry is delicious!
It’s one of my favorites!?
Perfect for during Lent!
Yes, agreed!?
Love to use vegetables this way! Super delicious.
Thanks Suzy! Same here?
This is one of our favorite spiralizer recipes and the sauce is amazing!!
I tend to have meatless lunches and this was a winner! I added some diced red bell pepper, too!
Love that idea-and that addition? Delicious ?
I LOVE sauces like this 🙂
Agreed!? The sauce definitely makes or breaks a dish
Yes! I too love one-pot dishes (and stir-fry meals, of course). Great mix of flavors, ingredients and nutrients.
Yes and yes! Less dishes to do?
Would you say a serving is about a cup? Also, will coconut nectar or Date Nectar work well with this recipe if I can’t find Agave nectar?
Ya, 1-1.5 cups will work! And are you wanting to keep the sweetener vegan? I think honey or coconut nectar would be great!
awesome recepie , going to try
My husband and I just finished this for dinner. It was so yummy!! Wish it had made more b/c it was so delicious!. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂
Oh wonderful! so glad. Thanks for telling me Tuli!
amazin Wonderful! Did you use zucchini?
Wonderful! Did you use zucchini?
Yes! And summer squash.
Nice post
this browser
spiralized vegetabl
This cashew satay spiralized vegetable stir is so Instagrammable and adorable! fry I found your post from Pinterest! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thanks for sharing!
We just made this dish, and I’m very impressed with how well it turned out. Everyone at the table loved it!
Wonderful! Did you use zucchini?
Hi, I like your all publish. You have done awesome perform. Thank you for everything you can offer, it decreased the issue a lot. I want many more details or so from you.
Super tasty! Thanks for sharing! One question… All my noodles clumped together. Did this happen to anyone else? Any suggestions? I’ll admit I used frozen noodles, thawed them out and then tried to remove as much excess water as possible… Not sure if the moisture had something to do with it! Thanks!
Hi there! Did you use frozen noodles or frozen veggie noodles? Did you let them that first?
I made this for my vegan daughter and her hubby and it was AMAZING!! Full of wonderful flavor and crunch-we all had seconds! This will be a regular for us….cant wait to try it with shrimp. I had left overs today with sautéed portobello mushrooms and it was so good! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Oh I am so glad! This is one of our favorites too Laura.
Lindsay this sounds like our new go to recipe. Loving the flavors and textures in this dish. what brand of spiralizer are you currently using and do you like it?
Thanks friend! I have the spiralizer I use listed in my shop page. I forget the actual brand but I’ve had it for YEARS and LOVE IT!!
Ha, I eat EVERYTHING in bowls! My dinner, my breakfast, lunch, snacks, ALL in bowls. This stir-fry looks delicious! I bet the flavors are amazing!
OMG you would love this.
This was amazing. The only recipe of this type I’ve found that includes both cashew (or any nut) butter and five spice powder and the combo is amazing! I have recently been on a cashew butter kick (or obsession) and this is by far the best recipe of all those I’ve tried.
woohoo! so glad!
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Wow Yummy and testy food I like this test food so nice, i like this post.
This is very interesting and impressive your blog post. I like this blog. so thank for sharing post with us.
I like this very much cashew satay spiralized vegetable stir fry recipe paleo
Such a great idea. This sounds so zesty and delicious! I cannot wait to try it out!
keep me posted! thanks Shilpa
Wow, really, I can’t get over that delicious taste! So simple and yet – sooo great. Thank you for this recipe – it’s a real keeper : )
it truly is a keeper! let me know if you try it!
Just had this for dinner.. gosh it’s so yum! I’ve run out of zucchini now but once I get some more, I’m making it again! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Woohoo!! So glad. You can use just yellow squash too if you want
I’ve only spiralized zucchini…need to broaden my horizons!! Love that you made the sauce from cashews 🙂
Oh my goodness this looks fabulous!!
I dig the New Zealand/Indo influence, yummers!!
This looks amazing.
Thanks friend! Come visit
THIS. LOOKS.RIDICULOUSLY.GOOD.OMG!!!!
Pinning!
Thanks Rachel!! I’m loving it
This looks so good! Love the cashews in it! My favorite restaurant(ish) food memory – when John and I were in Paris a few years ago, there was one crepe stand that we went to almost every day. I don’t know why we decided it was the best one, but we would go out of our way to eat there.
OMG i love that! I’ve been twice to paris and i love love love crepes there. So magical, right?
I’ve got my new spiralizer now and my spiralizer recipes will start next week.
This is a beautiful recipe Lindsay. My mouth is watering here! Adding this to my new Pinterest Spiralizer board! 🙂
yes!! time to bust out the spiralizer! i knew you’d approve! thanks Neil
I’ve never cooked satay. I think it’s time to change that with your recipe and my love of spiralizing.
Love me some cashew sauce!
I’m all over anything spiralized these days 🙂
oh well send me more recipes! <3 or come visit, k?
This looks amazing. I love satay sauces and so happy you used cashews instead! I love food dating memories. When Johnny and I were first dating at University we used to go to this tiny falafel restaurant that did the most incredible and cheap falafel wraps with this to die for tahini sauce. Those were the days indeed 😉
OMG yes! those are the best! <3 it!
I try to recreate recipes from favorite meals out as well!! 🙂 I love your explanation about switching up foods and adding variety for different nutrients. I may be the only blogger left on the planet who does not own a spiralizer…
no, you are not the only one. Spiralizers are hard. You have to find one you like. i finally found one! and love it. <3 I'll share it with you, ok?
Girl your pictures always look so delicious. Come take mine.
Mmmmm…cashew butter! I need your spiralizing MoJo — I rarely remember that i even own one, much less USE it! 🙂 This recipe sounds like the perfect excuse to pull it out. I’m pretty sure I could drink the sauce on its own. Hah!
Bowls ARE so 2016, aren’t they? And I’ve heard spiralizing eggplant is quite an adventure, which is why I have yet to try it. ….and probably won’t, honestly. This looks awesome and that sauce! MMMMMMM. Honey, garlic, soy sauce twinning today like always 😀
always twins! yay!
You never fail to surprise me with your stories. Dating in Hawaii, a coffee farm… sounds like the beginning of a movie!
I’ve been spiralizing everything lately too. Did you know you can spiralize beets?! I recommend golden beets though. Blood baths are never fun to clean up.
haha good to know! that would be a blood bath for sure. Or fun to trick someone? LOL!
Totally making this for tonight , i’m not big on Tahini- the cashew butter is a fantastic substitute- thanks you.
Beth
Wonderful! keep me posted Beth!
I just started experimenting with cashew sauces and creams and they sure are amazing! Can’t wait to give this one a shot too!
yes! i think you’d love hilary! cashew goodness!
Favorite food memory is spaghetti and meatballs at the best Italian place ever that sadly is gone now! I still remember the sauce but can’t recreate it and haven’t tasted anything the same since. I love that this gorgeous bowl of food is paleo and I’ll have to try it! I was just in an Asian market yesterday and telling my kids that I need to make more Asian inspired meals. Since you know how I feel about cashew this one is a done deal 🙂
OMG i need that sauce!! You gotta try to make. haha, please?
I got this from a friend (now passed), Hilda Wiley. It’s great
☺☺♥♥♥♥♥ Southern Spaghetti Sauce – Hilda Wiley
Very, very good sauce! And, it makes a LOT. I got this recipe from my wife’s friend Hilda Wiley while they were taking classes on knitting with knitting machines from Jo Carly. Hilda was born and raised in North Carolina. It is very versatile. ALL herbs and spices are dried. If using fresh herbs and/or spices, double the quantity. This sauce can be frozen for up to 1 year in Ziploc freezer bags as long as the air has been pushed out before they are sealed.
Cook Time: 5 to 8 hours Prep Time: ~1 hour Total Time: ~6 to 9 hours
Yield: about 12 quarts
Ingredients
Meat:
2 lbs. ground beef
2 lbs. ground Italian sausage
6 pork chops
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sauce:
2 whole green bell peppers (cut into large dice – ½ to ¾ inch squares)
3 large white onions, coarsely diced
1/3 cup parsley flakes
4 to 6 whole cloves of garlic, sliced or minced
2 cups sliced celery
4 large cans whole peeled tomatoes
4 small cans tomato paste
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp sweet basil
2 tsp oregano
½ tsp ground clove
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp anise seed
1 large can of tomato juice
4 to 8 cups of water
3 Bay leaves
Optional: 1 whole red bell pepper (cut into large dice – ½ to ¾ inch squares)
Optional: 1 to 2 lbs sliced fresh mushrooms
Optional: 2 cups of wine
Method
1. For the meat: In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, sausage and drain. Sear the pork chops.
2. For the sauce: Combine the sauce ingredients and the meats, including the pork chops and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally
3. Remove the pork chops (and eat them – the cook’s treat)
4. Simmer the remaining sauce for 3 to 5 hours more, stirring occasionally and adding water or chicken stock as required, maintaining the desired consistency.
5. Serve the sauce with spaghetti, or make lasagna or pizza
6. Freezing: You may freeze the rest in quart or gallon Ziploc freezer bags for future use. Make sure to remove the air from the bags before sealing, and stack them flat on a shelf so that they freeze as “sheets” about 1/2 to 3/4″ thick. This makes them store easily in one place. Thaw, remove from the bag and then reheat to use.
Comments:
• PatW: I split the recipe (make two halves) using two oven safe 6 quart Dutch ovens – one with 1 lb of sliced fresh mushrooms (for me) and one without (for my wife). I preheat the oven to 250º F. I then bring both Dutch ovens to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly and then reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Then I place both Dutch ovens in the oven for 3 hours. Then I remove the pork shops and return the Dutch ovens to the oven for an additional 5 to 6 hours.
This is so good! I made it for my family tonight and it’s a winner. Will be making it often.
Oh I’m so glad! It’s a favorite of ours here too
Love how food can create so many amazing memories! And recreating foods (in a semi healthier version) is one of my favorite things to do! I can’t believe how much flavor and how beautiful this dish is!! So simple, love that you used cashew butter. I usually make a cashew almond butter mixture because I’m even cheaper but I’ll happily make just cashew butter for this recipe. Putting cashews on the grocery list 🙂
Cashews, thai, my life! This is a bowl that should be eaten weekly! YUM!
Those hole in the wall restaurants are often the best ones. I’ve got one here we always go to for Mexican flavor. It’s dingy, dark and fabulous.
Thank you for leaving out the eggplant! I’ve made leaps and bounds since my picky childhood days, but eggplant is still one of the things that I won’t touch. And I feel like I’m so late on the spiralizing bandwagon. Add that to my list of things to buy for my kitchen, right after a slow cooker 😯
Picturing someone spiralizing eggplant made me laugh! Love meals like this- I’m wondering if there is a homemade combination of spices I could substitute for the five spice
5 spice is not a necessity. But it does give it a nice flavor. You could easily just add more chili pepper and a little bit of ginger. Or even some. Just to spice it up. Let me know if you end up trying it friend.
For homemade Asian 5-Spice, try:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
1 teaspoon ground cloves.
1 teaspoon fennel seed, toasted and ground.
1 teaspoon ground star anise.
1 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns, toasted and ground.
Great tip, thanks for sharing! That will be nice to have on hand if I ever run out?
Gah, I want to make this now! I love everything in it, especially the cashews!! And yes, I love my spiralizer – sweet potato noodles are my current favorite!
So many things that I love in one bowl.
I miss food.
this is sooo drool worthy!!!! i do not own a spiralizer but i could see me eating this several times a week!!!
Oh i think you need one! i can foresee many many noodles (zoodle) recipes in your future! haha
I love cashews and a good recipe that is a memory of life! A lot of my recipes are tied to some experience or life event! You are always full of surprises!
I feel this recipe was meant for me as I bought a huge bag is cashews instead of peanuts and I just blitzed them last night to make butter. Gotta try it with these zoodles!
yea! keep me posted