This has been one of my go to meals for the past 2 years. I first had it camping (not backpacking, but on a volunteer trip with a cook), so that’s a testament to how easy it is.
I’ve made this for friends a few times and others seem not to love it as much as I do. Apparently all they can taste is peanut butter, but I find it to be a rich and satisfying dish.
Pictures aren’t the best quality, but better than nothing:
The great (sometimes frustrating) thing about this recipe is that it’s a lot of eyeballing, tasting, and modifying. For me, it turns out a little different in taste and consistency every time. Sometimes the sauce is runny, sometimes too thick and there’s not enough. It’s never bad, just sometimes better than others.
Ingredients:
Sauce:
Oil
onion
garlic
Peanut butter- crunchy is preferred
Apple cider vinegar
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
Lime (lime and brown sugar are for balancing taste)
Ginger (optional)
Hot sauce (recommended/optional)
Soba noodles, udon noodles, whatever you like
Veggies (broccoli, bell pepper, mushroom, carrot, whatever you like)
Bean sprouts (optional)
Cilantro (optional)
Heat some canola and/or sesame oil in a pan with minced garlic, sliced green onions (any onion), crushed red pepper and fresh ginger on medium heat.
Add a few big dollops of peanut butter (2 tbs+), stir it around and as it turns brownish.
Add a a couple of pinches of brown sugar, tablespoon+ of rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar and soy sauce and stir it all around.
If you like it spicy throw in some siracha hot sauce.
You can keep it in paste form, let it cool and put in a plastic bag, it will stay good for maybe a week without refrigeration, just add it to rice or noodles and thin it out with water.
If youre at home, this is a good time to add a can of coconut milk and let it simmer for a while. taste it and adjust. Thin the sauce with water if you’re looking to keep this lower in fat and calories (I have always used water and it turns out fine). It almost always needs more soy sauce–remember that usually the peanut sauce has to carry over to lots of food (rice or soba + veggies) so make it a little too salty or rich and it will balance out. Add in chopped veggies of choice (peppers, mushrooms, kale or other greens, broccoli and tofu or tempeh). I like to cook my veggies in the sauce, boiling my noodles on the side in the meantime and then stirring them in when they’re ready.
Add limes and cilantro to the final product.
Top with sesame seeds and hot sauce if you desire.
If you try this recipe, please post some feedback 🙂 Happy umami.
ECOrinne 