Vegan Satay Sauce is a flavorful peanut sauce usually made with meat. It is commonly served alongside BBQ’ed skewers of chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu. It has a tangy, sweet and savory taste that comes together to create an irresistible sauce that everyone loves! Delicious vegan satay sauce that’s perfect for marinating tofu and vegetables.
Vegan Thai Peanut Sauce
Prep:10 mins
Cook:5 mins
Total:15 mins
Servings:4 to 6 servings
Yield:3/4 cup
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 72 | Calories |
| 5g | Fat |
| 4g | Carbs |
| 3g | Protein |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Thai peanut sauce is easy to make and quite versatile; it can be used as a sauce, dressing, or dip. It’s a hit on everything from noodles and rice to stir-fried veggies and tofu, and is a tasty dip for spring rolls and vegan satay. Peanut sauce can even dress salads and coleslaw, and be drizzled inside a veggie wrap or grilled portobello burger.
This basic vegan peanut sauce recipe isn’t too spicy, so kids will especially love the peanut butter taste. It starts with peanut butter instead of peanuts, so it saves the step of grinding the nuts. Make a double or triple portion and stash some in the refrigerator for later.
“I’m definitely adding this recipe for vegan Thai peanut sauce to my collection of favorites. The sauce comes together quickly and effortlessly with very few ingredients. You may need to adjust the level of sugar depending on the peanut butter you use.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, more to taste
Steps to Make It
- Gather the ingredients.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. The mixture will become easy to combine as the peanut butter melts.
- Continue stirring over low heat until the ingredients are combined and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Serve warm or at room temperature. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Tips
- If you need the sauce to be thinner, like for a dressing, add a little more water, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- You can use either creamy or crunchy peanut butter for this recipe, depending on what type of texture you’d like in the finished sauce.
- Vegan Thai peanut sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 1 week. You can also freeze it for longer storage; pour it into an ice cube tray for smaller servings and once frozen, transfer the cubes to a zip-top bag. Defrost as many cubes as needed in the refrigerator or microwave.
Recipe Variations
- Instead of water, you can use coconut milk as the liquid. It will add a slightly different flavor to the sauce but will still be delicious.
- Add a drizzle of sesame oil for a bit of toasted nuttiness.
- Add a drop or two of hot sauce if you would like a little spice.
- Add sambal oelek to taste for a spicy kick.
- If using as a dip, garnish with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro.
VEGAN PEANUT SAUCE (5 MINUTES)
Creamy vegan peanut sauce with a tangy zesty flavor and just the right amount of spiciness. Ready in minutes and perfect as a dip or sauce.
We are just crazy about this vegan peanut sauce!
Ever since we made it we’ve been eating it with everything.
Of course all the vegan summer rolls you see pictured here were gone in minutes, but then we had some leftover sauce and that has been used as a salad dressing, a sauce for noodles, a dip and just stirred into curry.
Jaye even went out and bought some fried spring rolls especially to dip into the leftover sauce.
It’s creamy and tangy and zesty, ever-so-slightly spicy and just wonderful for dipping all the things!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PEANUT SAUCE
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Making it is so simple. As long as you have a jug (or bowl) and a whisk you have everything you need to make the perfect peanut sauce.
- Add peanut butter, coconut milk, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, garlic powder, ground ginger, fresh lime juice and crushed chili flakes to a measuring jug.
- Whisk together until smooth!
- Pour it into a bowl, top with some crushed peanuts and serve!
INGREDIENT NOTES
Peanut butter – we used a smooth salted commercial brand of peanut butter, but I’m sure a natural peanut butter would work too, just make sure it’s well mixed first.
Coconut milk – we used full fat canned coconut milk but if you want to use a different non-dairy milk I don’t see an issue with it, but it will of course have an impact on the resulting flavor. If you use a thinner plant-milk like almond milk then the sauce will have a thinner consistency.
Lime juice – fresh lime juice adds the perfect amount of tang! In a pinch you could use lemon juice instead, but I really love the flavor that the lime juice adds to this.
Dried chili flakes – if you have any trouble finding dried chili flakes (also called red pepper flakes), you can switch this for cayenne pepper. It just gives the sauce a small amount of heat. Of course if you like things spicy you can always increase the amount of chili flakes or cayenne!
STORING AND FREEZING
Keep leftovers stored in the fridge and enjoy within about 5 days. It tends to thicken up in the fridge, so if you want to thin it out you can add a little water to it and whisk it in.
It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and stir up very well before using.
vegan recipe for satay sauce roast aubergine
Aubergines roasted with everyone’s favourite Indonesian savoury-sour sauce of peanuts, shallot and tamarind
For me, a solid basis for friendship is a mutual love of condiments, pickles and sauces. Anyone who has an entire fridge shelf dedicated to these jars of joy will find a chum over here. Of all of them the world over, one of my favourites is the Indonesian satay sauce, because just a spoonful can make a person (me) happy to be alive. Usually, it’s used as an accompaniment for skewers of chargrilled meat, but here I’ve roasted it with aubergines cut into long fronds so that each and every bit gets coated. I hope you’ll believe me when I say it’s the sauce that makes it.
Satay sauce roast aubergine
Prep 15 min
Cook 50 min
Serves
3 large aubergines (1.2kg)
Rapeseed oil – I like Mr Organic
Fine sea salt
4 banana shallots (about 250g), peeled and finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 long red chillies, very finely chopped
2 sticks lemongrass, top-third discarded, the rest very finely chopped
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp tamarind paste
½ tbsp soft brown sugar
250g crunchy peanut butter – I like Manilife
To serve
Fried onions
Fresh herbs – a handful each of mint, coriander and dill, all chopped
Steamed rice and/or salad
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7 and line a tray with a reusable baking mat.
Cut each aubergine into an aubergine “octopus”: keeping the top of the aubergine intact, slice down lengthways through the middle, then turn it 90 degrees and slice down lengthways again, to create four “legs”. Slice down each leg in half, to create eight legs.
Arrange the aubergines head to foot on the tray, drizzle over two tablespoons of oil and rub it into all the nooks and crannies. Do the same with a little salt, both inside and outside, then roast for 30 minutes until soft.
While the aubergines are roasting, make the sauce. Heat four tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and, once it’s hot, add the shallots, garlic, chillies, lemongrass and ginger, and fry, stirring regularly, for 15-20 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the soy, tamarind, sugar, three-quarters of a teaspoon of fine sea salt and peanut butter, and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Slowly pour in 400ml water, mixing it in as you go, to create a thick sauce.
Once the aubergines have had their roasting time, pour the sauce all over the aubergines, making sure some of it goes inside all the cuts, then pop back in the oven for 10 minutes.
To serve, scatter over a handful of fried onions, sprinkle with the herbs and serve with freshly steamed rice, a salad or both.
VEGAN ROJAK (MALAYSIAN SATAY)
SERVES: 10
COOKS IN: 1 HOUR
DIFFICULTY: 5/10
CAN BE GLUTEN FREE
INGREDIENTS
Satay Sauce (serves 10)
1 tbs Vegetable Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
Thumb-sized Piece Ginger, minced
1 Onion, finely chopped
1 Lemon Grass Stem, bashed / 1 tbs Lemon Grass Paste
1 & 1/2 cups/200g Roasted Peanuts, chopped fine
1 tsp Ground Turmeric
1 tsp Mild Chilli Powder
2 cups/500ml Water or Vegetable Stock
2 Nori Sheets, blitzed fine
1 tbs Gochujang (Korean Chilli Paste)
1 tbs Sriracha Paste
1 tbs Tomato Puree
2 tbs Peanut Butter
1 tsp Sea Salt
2 tbs Coconut Sugar
1 tbs Soy Sauce
1/2 cup/125ml Coconut Milk
Carbohydrate
(quantities depend on how many you are serving)
Steamed Potato, pealed & cubed
Or
Whole Wheat Noodles
Salad Ingredients
(quantities depend on how many you are serving)
Fresh Lettuce Leaves, chopped fine
Cucumber, chopped fine
Bean Sprouts, steamed or blanched
Firm Tofu cubes, fried
Garnish
1 Red Chilli, chopped fine
METHOD
Place a medium saucepan over a low heat & add a little oil followed by the garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds before adding the ginger & sauté for another 30 seconds then add the onion. Continue to cook ‘the holy trinity’ for a minute then add the lemon grass stem & cook for a couple of minutes.
When the mix has softened add the turmeric & chilli powder. Cook for another minute or so before adding the chopped peanuts. Mix well & cook for a few minutes stirring often.
Deglaze the pan with the water or vegetable stock & bring to a simmer.
Stir in the gochujang, sriracha, tomato puree, nori flakes & peanut butter.
Season with salt, coconut sugar & soy sauce.
Pop a lid on the pan, then let the sauce simmer away & intensify for 20 minutes, stir every now and then.
When you see a little red oil on the top of the sauce, it is ready to serve.
To serve, lay your potatoes or noodles on your plate topped with lettuce, cucumber, bean spouts, & crispy tofu cubes. Drizzle over plenty of the satay sauce & garnish with red chilli.
The sauce will keep for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge, it can also be added to stir fries & used as a dipping sauce.
Click the link above to see the full tutorial.
Season with salt, coconut sugar & soy sauce.
Pop a lid on the pan, then let the sauce simmer away & intensify for 20 minutes, stir every now and then.
When you see a little red oil on the top of the sauce, it is ready to serve.
To serve, lay your potatoes or noodles on your plate topped with lettuce, cucumber, bean spouts, & crispy tofu cubes. Drizzle over plenty of the satay sauce & garnish with red chilli.
The sauce will keep for up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge, it can also be added to stir fries & used as a dipping sauce.
Click the link above to see the full tutorial.