I love peanut sauce and I firmly believe that anything slathered in peanut sauce automatically goes from good to great.
Including simple rice noodles and whatever vegetables are lingering in the crisper drawer.
Now that school has started and dinners need to happen quickly and easily, I’m all about five minute dinners.
Yes, this is a five minute meal. It’s also vegan, gluten-free, and soy-free if you’re keeping track.
Step one is to make the peanut sauce.
I’ve never understood why people find peanut sauce to be such an elusive condiment and am always taken aback when I see people obsess over how to make it because it’s one of the easiest and fastest sauce to make and it’s extremely customizable.
The four must-have ingredients I include are: peanut butter, sesame oil, agave (or honey) and a splash of something acidic like apple cider vinegar or the juice from half of an orange or lemon. I believe that telltale and unmistakeable peanut sauce taste comes from sesame oil and cannot be skipped.
After that, whether you add a ground ginger, a pinch of cayenne or chili flakes, salt and pepper, a dash of soy sauce, or anything else that strikes your fancy, is up to you.
For this sauce, I combined peanut butter, sesame oil, agave, apple cider vinegar, a pinch of ground ginger, and a couple twists of black pepper in a small bowl and stirred.
Step two is to cook the thin rice noodles, found in most major grocery stores in the Asian or Ethnic Foods aisles. Place the noodles in a microwave-safe bowl with one-quarter cup of water, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow the noodles steam for about two minutes on high power.
To the cooked noodles, add any vegetables you enjoy or need to be used. I had carrots, red peppers, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and a couple handfuls of peanuts on hand, and that’s what I used.
You could steam the veggies before adding them to the mix, but I like the texture of them raw. Plus, the residual heat from the warm noodles has a little bit of carryover-cooking effect on the vegetables, softening them just a smidge; and the peanut sauce also softens and tenderizes them a touch. I always prefer raw or al dente to limp and prefer not cooking the vegetables.
Feel free to add additional protein such as tofu, tempeh, chicken, shrimp, pork, or beef.
Then just add the peanut sauce, toss, and serve.
This felt like a Thai restaurant meal without the pricetag, hassle, or added sodium, which I loathe.
Soft warm noodles contrasted with crunchy peanuts and crunchy fresh vegetables, all drenched in a savory-yet-sweet-and-tangy peanut sauce, made for lots of noodle-slurping up and members of the Clean Plate Club.
Scott and Skylar requested this every night for the rest of the month. You won’t hear me complaining if this is all l I had to do for dinner for the rest of the month since it’s so easy and fast.
I’ve since made more batches with other combinations of vegetables, and have served the leftovers as a cold salad straight from the refrigerator, up to three days later. The veggies are a little softer by day 3 but they hang on remarkably well.
Peanut sauce on noodles is like frosting on cake. Sometimes I make cake just so that I’m not just eating frosting by the spoonful.
Same idea with these noodles. I like to have a little food with my vat of peanut sauce every now and then.
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Peanut Noodles with Mixed Vegetables and Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
Peanut Noodles with Mixed Vegetables
- 2 ½ to 3 cups thin rice noodles
- ½ cup carrots, roughly sliced
- ½ cup red bell peppers, roughly sliced
- ½ cup broccoli florets
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- ⅓ cup peanuts
- ½ cup+ other vegetables, optional (baby corn, corn, water chestnuts, peas, sugar snap peas, peapods, scallions, green beans, asparagus)
- 1 cup diced protein, optional (tofu, tempeh, chicken, shrimp, pork, beef)
Peanut Sauce
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter or homemade peanut butter
- ¼ cup sesame oil
- ¼ cup agave nectar or honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar, (apple cider or rice wine preferred, regular vinegar, orange juice, or lemon juice may be substituted)
- dash soy sauce, optional and to taste (I do not use it)
- ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
- salt and pepper, optional and to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper or chili powder, optional and to taste
Instructions
- Peanut Noodles with Mixed Vegetables – Place rice noodles in a large microwave-safe bowl, add about 1/4 cup water, and cook on high powder until tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until soft; or cook according to package directions.
- Add the carrots, red peppers, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, peanuts, optional vegetables and protein; set bowl aside.
- Peanut Sauce – In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the peanut sauce and stir or whisk until smooth. Taste sauce and make flavor adjustments if desired.
- Pour sauce over noodles and vegetables and toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately; or cover the bowl, refrigerate, and serve chilled. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and serve chilled or reheat gently in the microwave before serving.
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Related Recipes
Fresh Vegan Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce (raw, vegan, GF) – The rolls are so easy to make at home and cost pennies to make rather than $7 bucks for a pair at the grocery store or a restaurant
Spiralized Zucchini Pasta with Peanut Sauce (raw, vegan, GF) – Similar concept but uses spiralized zucchini for the noodles rather than rice noodles. Zucchini noodles are surprisingly filling; much more so than rice noodles
Pan Seared Caribbean Citrus Mahi Mahi with Brown Rice Noodles – Scott loved this meal and the noodles
Caramelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea “Peanuts” (vegan, GF) – This is how to make ‘peanuts’ without using peanuts; or how to turn chickpeas into candy. A can of chickpeas disappears faster than ever before as you eat half the tray standing in front of the oven, just don’t burn your mouth
Homemade Peanut Butter – Peanut sauce made with homemade peanut butter is a special delicacy
Raw Pasta Salad with Creamy Lemon & Herb Dressing (raw, vegan, GF) – Using spiralized zucchini as the noodles and the dressing is bright, creamy, and really makes this salad pop
Peanut Sauce Baked Tofu (vegan, GF) – Peanut sauce makes a wonderful marinade for tofu, tempeh, or just about anything
Do you like peanut sauce?
If you have any favorite recipes for it or recipes incorporating it, link them up since I can’t get enough of the stuff.
Oh, yum. You’re right, peanut sauce makes anything amazing. My heart seriously fluttered a little when I saw that pic of peanut butter in the bowl with the other ingredients to make the sauce, lol.
I’m glad I gave you some heart palpitations :)
What a remarkably easy weeknight meal. And fresh. And delicious looking. I’m sold. Peanut sauce is so divine, and I hate that I’m never sure if restaurant versions have fish sauce in it … but if you make it yourself, bingo!
the fish sauce situation in restaurants & not only is it not vegan but it’s LOADED with sodium, which is a no-go for me!
Beautiful & full of flavor! Can’t wait to try this and I love your photos :)
And thank you for the Pins!
Mama saaaaaaaaid knock you out.
Yum! I am making this asap! Looks amazing. My little girl will eat tons of veggies when I make your peanut sauce for her to use as a dip :)
Well LMK how the lil one (and you!) like it!
This is so colorful (and served in a gorgeous bowl!). I love peanut sauce and totally agree with you about the addition of sesame oil–I have really developed a taste for it and always have it around. I use peanut sauce as salad dressing and veggie dip too. My husband likes it with soba noodles and chicken and I like it on my zucchini noodles.
I never even knew I had a taste for it til maybe 5-6 years ago when I realized THAT’S what peanut sauce IS…that tell-tale sesame taste just speaks to me! Bowl is from Anthro and they still have them!
This looks amazing! I think you probably know I like peanut sauces for my stir fry dishes. I just always forget the peanuts LOL. Love the addition of the tomatoes too. MMMMM
The tomatoes happened to be in the veggie drawer and so in they went!
I love love love peanut sauce! I usually make mine with a dash of liquid aminos, too. I love serving it with spring rolls, but I have to try these rice noodles!
Spring rolls, yes! Forgot about linking up that recipe but am going to insert that recipe from my archives right now!
Peanut sauce is by far one of my favorite things. I used to make peanut sauce noodles once a week and just add in different vegetables or proteins each time!
I love peanut sauce, too. It really is super easy–it was one of the first things I learned to make when I graduated college.
It’s a 15-second ‘recipe’ which is why I always am baffled when I see people pay tons of money for small jars of it!
This is beautiful!
I LOVE peanut sauces! Here’s one I posted about recently using peanut flour ( or butter): https://eatmovebalance.com/thai-inspired-red-cabbage-and-zucchini/
I havent used peanut flour in years – oh wow, the memories of that stuff when it was all the rage a few years back on blogs!
Now this is the kind of meal I could have every day and never get tired of.
Oh and your Turquoise plate is gorgeous! I’d eat in it every day. :)
Thank you – it’s from Anthro and they still have them in stock!
OMG I love love looooovvveee peanut sauce!! Your statement about liking a bit of food with your vat of peanut sauce speaks to me deeply. :op
Funnily, as Often as I make peanut sauce, I don’t have a single recipe for it up on my blog because I end up eating what I make before I can take pics. Haha
I like to add tamarind for the dash of tang in my sauce. Also a teeny tiny bit of jaggery to add a little more sweetness.
Averie, just lovely. I too, am a fan of super quick dinners, especially this time of year when things start getting hectic. Who has an hour to prepare dinner?
Lovely & simple.
Exactly – and even if I did, I don’t have the desire to do it at 6 or 7 or 9 pm!