How to make thai noodles with cashews and stir-fried vegetables

Take a wonderfully simple recipe for Thai stir-fry and experiment with store-bought curry paste, sweet cashew nuts and creamy soybeans for a quick, super-healthy meal any day of the week. Soybeans are rich in vitamins and protein, and packed with nutrients that offer antioxidant-boosting and cholesterol-lowering benefits. They are a good source of fibre, vitamin C, iron and B vitamins thiamin and folate, which help to maintain a healthy heart.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 10 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 onion
• 75 g (1/3 c) mushrooms
• 1 red pepper
• 226 g (1/2 lb) bok choy
• 150 g (2/3 c) bean sprouts
• 30 g (2 tbsp) olive oil or canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 75 g (1/3 c) unsalted cashew nuts
• 113 g (1/2 cup) frozen soybeans
• 15 g (1 tbsp) Thai green curry paste
• 396 g (14 oz) fresh egg noodles

1. Finely slice the onion and mushrooms and dice the red pepper. Wash and shred the bok choy and thoroughly wash the bean sprouts. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat. Add the garlic, onion, mushrooms and red pepper.
2. Stir-fry the vegetables for two minutes, then add the cashew nuts and continue to cook for another three minutes. Add the frozen soybeans and Thai green curry paste. Stir in the noodles, breaking them up with a spoon, then add the bok choy.
3. Stir-fry the mixture for two minutes, adding 15 to 30 millilitres (one to two tablespoons) of cold water if it becomes too dry and the bok choy doesn't wilt. Add the bean sprouts and cook for a final minute before serving.

Alternative ingredients

• If time is short, cook the garlic and onion and add 500 millilitres (two cups) mixed stir-fry vegetables in step 3 instead of the mushrooms, pepper, bok choy and bean sprouts.
• Try unsalted peanuts as a change from cashew nuts.
• Stir-fry strips of raw chicken or pork with the onion in step 1 and omit the soybeans. The meat strips should be cooked through and lightly browned before adding the curry paste.

Frozen soybeans are bright green, creamy in flavour and firm. They are a good freezer standby for adding nutrition, great texture and flavour to meat-free meals.

Nutritional information: 649 calories • 28 g fat • 5 g saturated fat • 82 g carbohydrates • 22 g protein • 8 g fibre