Make Ahead

Cilantro Peanut Sauce and Noodles

March 28, 2013
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

Slippery, peanutty, spicy, ginger-y...have fun slurping them up with chopsticks! The peanuts on top add a crunch to contrast the chewy noodles and boost the peanut flavor, don't skimp! —gabsimonelouise

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Ingredients
  • 6 ounces slippery asian noodles (any wheat-based asian-style noodles work great here)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
  • 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 3 tablespoons chicken broth or water, more if necessary
  • Handful of roasted peanuts for garnish
Directions
  1. Cook noodles in large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a bowl and add a splash of peanut oil if they are sticking together. Set aside.
  2. To make the sauce, drop ginger, jalapeño, and cilantro into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter, peanut oil, and chicken broth and process until mixture is almost smooth (it'll look like pesto, but will be thinner and more liquid-like). Add sauce to noodles, toss, and garnish with peanuts. Divide into two bowls and serve!
  3. This recipe is great doubled or tripled to serve a crowd! Sauce will keep in refrigerator up to three days, but it is best eaten fresh.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

4 Reviews

acookswords June 24, 2013
This sounds quite interesting, but what would you consider a "slippery Asian noodle?" Mai fun? Buckwheat noodles? Thai woonsen? All noodles connote a slippery quality, so a hint as to which you suggest as the best would be welcome. Too, most Asian noodle dishes balance equal parts vegetable and noodle amounts; to attain that balance, would you suggest raising the quantity of cilantro, your principal vegetable, or is there another that you might suggest including? Thank you.
gabsimonelouise June 24, 2013
Udon noodles are great! The ones pictured above were a shiny-looking wheat noodle my brother sent me from his trip to Taiwan...wish I could remember the name but I have never found anything quite like them, so I usually use udon. I find the sauce to be adequate for 2 servings if you truly use a PACKED cup of cilantro, and I always pack that cup tight!
AntoniaJames March 31, 2013
This looks simply delicious. Thinking this will be on the menu this week, probably with soba, and tofu + snow peas + carrot slivers thrown in, to turn into dinner. Thank you for posting it! ;o) P.S. And I'll probably add a teaspoon or two of doenjang (similar to red miso, but more interesting, to my mind).
gabsimonelouise April 1, 2013
Thanks! Never heard of doenjang, but just wiki'd it...sounds like a fun ingredient to try, learned something new today!