Original recipe from Will Cook for Friends

I couldn’t imagine my life without peanut butter and am thankful to my genetics that I am not allergic in any way. It’s a perfect food. It’s a protein, it’s a little sweet, a little savory. It pairs well with fruits and vegetables alike or any variation of bread or cracker, it’s chocolate’s perfect mate. My love affair with peanut butter started at a very early age when I was known to stick a spoon into the jar, pull out a huge gob and walk around the house eating it like a lollipop. Full disclosure, I sometimes still do this. I came across the recipe for this sauce while randomly searching the internet for recipes that included peanut butter. That’s just something I do, don’t you? After a quick peek at the ingredients list, I had a feeling this would become a new regular in my menu rotation… and it has for several reasons.

First of all, this dish is very easy to make, and I usually have most of these ingredients on hand which means it needs very little forethought. Secondly, this sauce is amazing and I’m inclined to put it in everything. If you’ve never tried peanut sauce before and don’t know what to expect, the flavor is obviously peanut buttery without being overpowering: the honey makes it sweet, the soy sauce makes it salty, the rice wine vinegar makes it tangy and the cayenne pepper makes it delightfully spicy. It’s not burn your face off hot, but it is hot enough to make you feel alive. It’s the full umami spectrum of flavor.

You can use any variation of vegetables that you like, anything would work here. I love adding broccoli and red pepper to everything and the peas and onion add just a little sweetness. This meal is high in protein (thanks to the soba noodles, peanut butter and peas) and one serving contains a third of your daily fiber intake. That means you’ll feel full and satisfied long after eating this. This dish is delicious, nutritious and easy to make. What more can you ask for? Most importantly, my other half loves this recipe and doesn’t seem to even notice that there’s no meat in it. It’s perfect really.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1 TB peanut oil

2 garlic cloves minced

1 TB fresh minced ginger

1/4 C Rice wine vinegar

1/4 C low sodium soy sauce

2 TB Liquid aminos

1/3 C honey (or agave if you’re vegan)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 C natural peanut butter (chunky or creamy depending on your preference)

1/4 C cold water

1 TB cornstarch

1/2 of 12.8 oz package soba noodles or one 8 oz package will also work

Vegetables:

1 TB peanut oil

2 stalks of broccoli chopped into florets

1 C sweet peas (frozen will work just fine)

1 red pepper cut into long thin strips (julienne style)

1/8 sweet onion cut into long thin strips (julienne style)

2 green onions diced

Directions:

Use a medium sized sauce pan and bring 1 TB of peanut oil to medium heat. In the meantime, add 6 C of water to a large stock pot and bring to a boil. (Check the instructions on the package of the soba noodles as water requirements may vary.) Combine 1/4 C cold water and cornstarch, stir and set aside. Add garlic and ginger to peanut oil in the sauce pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add rice vinegar, soy sauce and liquid aminos to sauce pan. Bring mixture up to medium heat. Add peanut butter and honey and whisk until fully combined. Once the mixture is smooth, add the water/cornstarch mixture and continue to whisk, lower heat to medium low. Sauce should begin to thicken. Once water in stock pot is boiling, add noddles and cook for 3 minutes. The sauce and the noodles should both be ready around the same time. Drain water from noodles and set aside or add the noodles to the sauce to keep them warm. Lower heat on sauce to simmer. Return large stock pot to stove, add 1 TB of peanut oil and bring to medium heat. Once oil is hot, add broccoli and peas. Cook for 2-4 minutes, then add red peppers and onions. Cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, allowing vegetables to sautée. Once onions are translucent and broccoli is slightly tender add noodles and sauce to the vegetables. Stir to combine, add diced green onions and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes covered. Serve and top with peanuts for garnish and extra crunch. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts per serving (4 servings)

Calories: 598

Fat: 24 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Potassium: 42 mg

Carbs: 81 g

Fiber: 9 g

Sugars: 29 g

Protein: 20 g

Vitamin A: 63%

Vitamin C: 208%

Calcium: 10%

Iron: 16%

[metacook type=”name” display=”none”]Vegetarian Spicy Peanut Sauce Soba Noodles[/metacook][metacook type=”description” display=”none”]Spicy and sweet buckwheat noodles with fresh vegetables and peanut sauce. High in protein and high in iron.[/metacook][metacook type=”prepTime” display=”none”]15 min[/metacook][metacook type=”cookTime” display=”none”]20 min[/metacook][metacook type=”totalTime” display=”none”]35 min[/metacook][metacook type=”yield” display=”none”]3-4 servings[/metacook]