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This spicy-sweet Asian-inspired, Easy Peanut Sauce is super simple. Just throw everything (including the secret ingredient) in the blender, that's it!
I love having a jar of this delicious Easy Peanut Sauce in the fridge as it has so many uses. Hmmm... where should I start? First of all, if you enjoy serving a decently healthy appetizer to family and/or guests before dinner, this sauce makes a fabulous dipping sauce for veggies. I served this Easy Peanut Sauce recently with the array of vegetables below. A family member remarked that it made the veggies seem like candy!
Because the flavor of this amazingly easy peanut sauce is deliciously complex and a bit exotic, I like to look for fresh, interesting veggies in an array of colors and shapes (in lieu of the traditional carrot and celery sticks).
A few Asian veggies thrown in the mix are really fun with this delicious far east-inspired sauce. I use daikon radishes, sugar snap peas and baby bok choy, along with baby tomatoes, green onions, yellow squash, cucumbers and cauliflower.
One of my tricks to make a pretty veggie platter is to choose vegetables in two predominant colors, then add a variety of other hues.
Check out the picture above. Green and yellow are the predominant colors with red, white and purple thrown in for fun. When I'm arranging the produce assortment, I like to display matching colors opposite each other for pretty eye appeal.
Lots of other ways to use this Easy Peanut Sauce
How else to use this delicious condiment?
- Besides a wonderful dipping sauce for veggies, this Easy Peanut Sauce is fabulous with grilled chicken, pork, beef or seafood. Serve it in small individual bowls, or pass a larger bowl at the table.
- Just make sure to have plenty, as it will go fast! I know, because I've been serving it all summer with these Lemongrass Beef Skewers.
Here are a few more ideas:
- Use the sauce as a base for pizza. Spread a generous scoop over an unbaked crust. Top with shredded cheese, rotisserie chicken and red onion. Add chopped peanuts and cilantro just before serving. Delish!
- Tired 0f the same-old, same-old sandwiches? Try this Easy Peanut Sauce as a tasty spread.
- It also makes an incredible salad dressing - just whisk together ½ cup sauce with ¼ cup oil (any neutral flavored oil), 3 tablespoons rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons honey.
See why I love having a jar all set to go in the fridge?
If you've got 10 minutes, you can throw together a batch too. Just add all the ingredients to a blender container and give it a good whirl. That's it. Super easy peasy.
The secret ingredient
There's one ingredient you might not expect in an Asian peanut sauce. In combination with the other ingredients, it adds a touch of delicious complex flavor and beautiful caramel color.
What is it? Coffee. Yup, a splash of strong coffee is the secret. Any strong coffee will work, but you could also use a teaspoon of expresso powder and 3 tablespoons of water. Besides coffee, the ingredient list for this Easy Peanut Sauce includes peanut butter, soy sauce, fresh ginger (or ginger paste), brown sugar, garlic and chili garlic sauce (readily available in the Asian section of most grocery stores).
Make it!
Now that you know all the ins and outs of this Easy Peanut Sauce put it on your must-make ASAP list! Once you try it, it will go on your frequently flyer list!
Café Tips for making this Easy Peanut Sauce
- It's simple to keep all the ingredients on hand for this Easy Peanut Sauce. The only thing that you'll want to buy fresh, is the ginger, but I have a solution for that too! I keep a tube of ginger paste in my freezer. Ginger paste is ground up fresh ginger.
- You can find ginger paste in the produce section of most larger grocery stores. I often purchase it at Super Walmart and it works well in any recipe calling for fresh ginger. Just take it out of the freezer about 10 minutes before you want to use it, squeeze out as much as you need, then return it to the freezer.
- The amount of water you'll need will depend on how thick you want your peanut sauce. I would start with ¼ cup and add more as needed.
- Sometimes, after refrigerating, the sauce can thicken a bit. Just whisk in a little extra water (not too much) till you get to the consistency you like.
- I love to add a few fresh herbs to my veggies platters for a pretty presentation.
Thought for the day:
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy any of these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.
Just like the name says, Easy Peanut Sauce, this one's super simple! Throw everything in the blender (including the secret ingredient!) and minutes later, you'll be enjoying this delicious, complex, spicy-sweet Asian sauce.
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
- 5 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 3 medium cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 3 tablespoons strong brewed coffee optional - you can sub water if preferred
- 6-8 tablespoons water maybe a bit more
-
Combine all ingredients except water in a blender or food processor. Blend until creamy and smooth. Add 5 tablespoons water and blend again. Add more water until desired consistency is reached.
Jan says
Deliciouss, easy, a winner! I use it on roasted veggies with rice. Also use the salad dressing daily: spinach, toasted seeds, celery, sliced pear or other fruit, and seitan. Crazy good! Thank you!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Jan!
Julie Fleming says
I'm so looking forward to trying your Asian-inspired dishes for my sons during the Christmas holidays, Chris.
This will make a beautiful table for all of us to enjoy!
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy, Julie!
Ann says
Hello, just wondering if are making this sauce with natural peanut butter or the regular type.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Ann, I use regular peanut butter but I think natural would also probably work. You might have to mix it just a bit longer to get the oil to incorporate.
Diane M Landry says
Hi this sounds so good ! better than the quickie Asian one I use , Do You think this could be pressure canned for longer shelf life?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Diane, I'm honestly not sure if this would be safe for canning but it does freeze well!
Terry says
Hi Chris! I'd love to try this on the rotisserie chicken (suggested word was...child, for heaven's sake 🤯🤔) you described. What type of cheese would you suggest using?
Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
We Canadians celebrated Turkey Day over a month ago, so the mayhem is over, for now .
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Terry, I like to use Gouda cheese for this pizza, either smoked or regular but Fontina, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, or a combination of any of these cheeses.