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Healthy Sweet and Sour Shrimp

This 30-minute Healthy Sweet and Sour Shrimp is tossed with crunchy bell peppers, carrots, sweet pineapples, scallions, and toasted cashews for a wholesome weeknight meal.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Dana Sandonato

Ingredients

Shrimp.

  • 10 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Sweet and Sour Sauce.

  • 1/4 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup plain tomato sauce or ketchup (preferably homemade ketchup to cut down on the sugar)
  • 1 TBSP chili sauce (sambal oelek)
  • 3 TBSP honey can use unrefined sugar instead, if preferred
  • 1 TBSP tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup cold water + 2 TBSP corn starch if you want to thicken the sauce

Vegetables.

  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced into thin wedges you can also cube the peppers, it's all in your own preference.
  • 1 large carrot thinly sliced
  • 4 scallions, green parts cut into large pieces; thinly slice the white ends and set aside for garnish
  • 1 heaping cup cubed fresh pineapple

Garnishes.

  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped cashews, toasted
  • sesame seeds
  • Thinly sliced scallions (reserved white parts)

Serve with…

  • Rice or quinoa

Instructions

  • Start preparing your rice or quinoa as per the package's directions. If making quinoa, I suggest to cook it in vegetable broth for extra flavor <3

Shrimp.

  • Pat your shrimp, then dry and season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Sweet and Sour Sauce.

  • Whisk all of the ingredients for the sauce together until well blended; set aside.

Vegetables.

  • Heat oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and simmer until aromatic—about 1-2 minutes. Don't brown the garlic.
  • Add the bell pepper, carrots, and scallions. Sauté until tender—about 2-3 minutes. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes as the sauce thickens a bit. If you want a thicker sauce (I always do), mix 1/4 cup of cold water with 1 TBSP of corn starch in a small bowl. Mix until corn starch is completely dissolved, and slowly add it to the simmering liquid, stirring constantly, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
  • Bring the heat to medium-low. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Shrimp cooks quickly, so you'll only need to let it simmer for about 2 minutes until it's cooked through. Once the shrimp is opaque, it's ready. Don't overcook, or the shrimp will be rubbery.
  • Remove from heat and toss in the toasted cashews (see notes for toasting instructions). 
  • Serve over rice or quinoa, and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Notes

To toast cashews, heat a dry saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cashews to the pan and give it a shake. Standby to ensure the cashews don't burn. Shake and stir them every 15-20 seconds. Once they're golden brown, remove from heat. This should only take a few minutes. Never leave them unattended.
Please note: If you end up using shrimp you have to peel and clean yourself, prep time may be longer.