Peanut Noodles

An incredibly flavorful use of pantry staple ingredients, peanut noodles are a lifesaving 30 minute meal that everybody needs! Faster, fresher, and tastier than takeout, these noodles can easily be served as a hearty dinner with roasted shrimp. Creamy peanut butter, the key ingredient, goes way beyond sandwiches, pies, and cookies; just look at Ree Drummond’s peanut chicken recipe! Paired with soy sauce, honey, and vinegar, it gives the noodles a mouthwatering, savory-salty-sweet punch.

How do you make peanut noodles?

The beauty of this easy dish is the entirely no-cook sauce. While the pasta is boiling, simply whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, lime juice, garlic, hot sauce and sesame oil. These are pantry staples that you may already have or will have the opportunity to use in many meals to come (hello, chicken teriyaki!). After whisking in some of that starchy pasta water, this sauce is ready to be tossed with the al dente noodles. Tossing in some shredded coleslaw mix, thawed edamame, and sliced green onion gives this dish a burst of color, freshness, and texture with very minimal chopping! After a quick sprinkle of salted chopped peanuts and more green onions, this meal is ready.

Can I make peanut noodles without peanuts?

For those who want to experience this creamy, savory noodle dish without the peanuts, there are a few options. Tahini, or ground sesame seeds, is a wonderful option. Already popular in Middle Eastern cooking, this paste is great for people that are also avoiding tree nuts. Almond butter and sunflower seed butter are other good alternatives, though none of these will have quite the same savory notes as peanut butter. Adjust the amounts of soy sauce, honey, and vinegar according to taste preferences.