Ok so here is a five minute doohickey that you can make today and eat all week. PROMISE.
We're starting our week with a sauce! An epic sauce. A wonderful sauce. A spicy peanut sauce that we make in the blender in five minutes and slather all over our lives, not sorry at all about that.
I think most people have categories of food that they eat almost weekly, and sometimes find it a struggle to eat foods that they know/like/can cook but with different flavors. We might always do a veg/chicken/rice meal, a pasta meal, a main dish salad, etc. But those meals can be totally different each week, which I like because I have a list of about ten thousand favorite foods, and I want to eat them all all the time.
This spicy peanut sauce is PERFECT for what I think of as a "regular" meal. We use it for all sorts of things, hot and cold, which is one reason I love it so much. This recipe comes directly from another Lindsay at Pinch of Yum, and we make a tofu/zoodle bowl almost identical to this one using this sauce.
Other Ways To Use Spicy Peanut Sauce:
- Brushed over grilled/baked/broiled chicken right at the end
- Veggie dip
- Tossed with soba/any other noodles with quick sauteed veggies and shrimp
- Dipper for summer rolls, my favorite ever this time of year
- Cold, tossed with shaved brussels, leftover rice, and crispy tofu - best ever salad!
This is just a tiny list, and I promise that once you taste this dip you'll agree with the YEP, GOES ON EVERYTHING stance that I hold so dear.
I simplified this recipe a bit in that I chop and peel NOTHING. Everything goes into the blender, we whiz it up, we are done. Peanut butter, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste (sambal oelek or similar), sugar, garlic, and ginger. Gang's all here!
Blend. Taste. Adjust. Done! I almost never change the measurements below, but sometimes the salty/tangy of the soy and vinegar have been a little overpowering for me. When that happens, I add about a tablespoon more EACH of peanut butter and sesame oil. That's it!
Here's your new best friend. I love making a batch of this every other week or so and using it once or twice for dinner. Not having to get out the blender on a weeknight is a huge timesaver, and bonus points if you've already prepped some veggies for dipping!
Coming soon: My favorite whole-meal prep to do for this dressing.
Enjoy this! Start with the tofu and zoodles, they're to die for.
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Perfect Spicy Peanut Sauce
Description
One minute in the blender make this spicy, creamy sauce ready for dipping, tossing with noodles, or to glaze tofu. You'll adore this!
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup sesame oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chili pasta (I use the Rooster brand chili garlic sauce)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 piece fresh ginger, about ¼ inch long (roughly the size of the tip of your index finger)
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend on HIGH to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Use any way you like! I love this cooked with tofu, it gets crispy and dark at the edges and is SO good.
Made this sauce for one dinner and we've ended up using it for a different meal every day. My favorite has been in a tofu/rice bowl with fresh veggies (cucumbers and carrots) and as a fun veggie dip for snacking on veggies 🙂
Yessss those are some of our favorites too!