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.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Comfort Food, East and Southeast Asian Influence, Pescetarian
Servings: 4
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)
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.
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.