Every cook should have a good vegan peanut sauce recipe in their arsenal, or in this case a pea-NOT sauce!
Vegan Peanut Sauce
My first introduction to a vegan peanut sauce was from a restaurant menu many years ago. It was fabulous, and I needed to create my own version at home.
After creating a recipe, I realized I preferred using nut butters, such as almond butter and cashew butter.
In Plant-Powered Families, I developed this Zesty Raw Almond Sauce as an alternative to a vegan peanut sauce.
Readers really love it. Really. Love.
There’s something so moreish about a bowl of noodles coated in a zippy nutty sauce, with crisp-tender vegetables. It’s kicked-up comfort food!
The fact that this sauce is raw doesn’t mean you can’t heat it or otherwise cook it. Just gives you the flexibility to serve as “raw” as a dipping sauce if you like.
Also, feel free to transform this into a more traditional vegan peanut sauce simply by substituting a natural peanut butter.
OR, for a nut-free version, use tahini!
Try this sauce tossed into soba noodles, rice noodles, or spooned over cooked grains – or as a dipping sauce with veggies or rice paper veggie rolls. On to the recipe…
Enjoy, guys! x Dreena
Vegan Pea-Not! Sauce: Raw Almond Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw almond butter see note
- ½-1 tbsp peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional; omit if needed for kiddos
- 1 medium-large clove garlic use smaller if needed for kiddos
- 3 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2-3 tbsp water plus another 1–3 tablespoons, if desired, to thin (see note)
- 1 1/2-2 tsp fresh lime zest zest limes first, then collect juices
- Extra lime wedges for servingExtra lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Using a handheld blender and a deep cup, puree the almond butter, ginger, red pepper, garlic, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, and 2–3 tablespoons water. Add more water to thin as desired. The sauce will also thicken with refrigeration, or if it’s heated with noodles. So, thin either while blending, or simply add a little extra hot/boiled water as you work the sauce into a dish. Note that with thinning, you may want to season with a touch of salt. After pureeing, stir in the lime zest. Serve with extra lime wedges to squeeze a pop of extra lime juice on individual servings (see suggestions)!
Notes
- Nut Butter Note: If you don’t have raw almond butter, roasted almond butter can be substituted. Choose an unsalted nut butter; otherwise, you may need to reduce the tamari slightly. You can also substitute a natural peanut butter, or for a nut-free version use a good quality tahini.
- Water Note: If making this for a dip, start with just 1–2 tablespoons of water. You can also substitute coconut water or light coconut milk.
- Serving Suggestions: We love this tossed into pad Thai noodles (I use Annie Chun’s brand)—the noodles cook in just minutes! Try adding lightly cooked sliced/chopped veggies, such as sliced red bell peppers, raw ribboned carrots or zucchini (use a vegetable peeler), and/or blanched snow peas, green beans, or broccoli. Another way to enjoy this sauce is as a dip for veggies or rice paper vegetable rolls use less water and adjust to desired consistency.
food photo credit: Nicole Axworthy
Tracey says
Hello! Could I use soaked raw almonds and blend them instead of almond butter? Thank you! Recipe looks great.
Dreena says
Hi Tracey, yes, you can – you’ll have to adjust the measure as it takes quite a bit of nuts to make a nut butter.
Lynette says
Is it okay to use ground ginger?
Dreena says
Yes, though fresh has a much better flavor here. Use about 1 – 1 1/2 tsp, see how that works for heat and flavor.
Lynette says
Thank you! I used ground but will try fresh next time. This dish is outstanding; thank you so much!
Monica says
I am making this tonight. The kids are DONE with pasta and tomato sauce so this will be a nice change. Time to peruse more delicious recipes to add to my dinner lineup!