Ginger Miso Lime Peanut Sauce
Look, I get it. No one wants to scroll through paragraphs of a personal story just to get to a recipe. So I’m going to jump right to it. However, I feel the need to start off my first recipe blog post with the disclaimer that I cannot for the life of me follow a recipe. Like it’s just physically not possible haha. “How much garlic did you put in?” I certainly couldn’t tell ya! “How long did you cook that for?” Until I liked the texture. “Did you add…?” It’s different every time. I came up with this “recipe” when I was trying a different recipe and I thought it needed some extra pizazz. To be clear I did not make up the flavor profile of this recipe. That honor goes to a blend of Japanese, Thai, and Chinese traditional cuisines.
All this to say, please note the measurements listed below are approximate. Feel free to experiment. Season to taste. Be creative. That’s what makes cooking fun!
This recipe may sound fancy but it’s not complicated to make. My favorite way to enjoy this sauce is to put it over stir-fried veggies and udon noodles with air-fried chicken but it is also great on sandwiches, over rice or soba noodles, with tofu, etc.
Let’s get cookin’
Ingredients
~1 tablespoon of ginger
~1 tablespoon of garlic
~1.5 tablespoons of miso paste (miso provides the salt in this recipe)
1.5 cups of water
3 rounded tablespoons of peanut butter
1-2 limes
Oil (enough to coat the bottom of your saucepan)
Optional: chili flakes
Optional: 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot powder, etc.) mixed with another 1 cup of water to thicken sauce
Step 1: Mince the Ginger and Garlic
Pre-mince ginger and garlic very finely. You can use powdered ginger if you don’t have fresh or don’t want as strong of a ginger taste. Same goes for the garlic.
Photo snapped mid-chop. I recommend mincing the ginger into smaller pieces for less of a pop of ginger spice.
Step 2: Make Miso
Make miso broth from miso paste. Avoid using boiling water as it will kill the probiotics in miso. I usually place approximately 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of miso paste in a bowl, pour about 1.5 cups of water in the bowl, and then mix together to dissolve the miso paste. You can also follow the instructions on your miso container for what ratio to use between miso paste and warm water.
Step 3: Sautee the Spices
Generously cover the bottom of your saucepan with the oil (or other cooking fat) of your choosing. My favorites are olive oil or avocado oil for this recipe but use what you like! Add in the diced (or powdered) garlic and ginger.
Cook on medium for a couple minutes.
Step 4: Add Miso
Add the miso to the saucepan. Simmer on low for a couple minutes.
Step 5: Add Peanut Butter
Add about 3 rounded tablespoons of peanut butter. (Tip: look for peanut butter with “peanuts” and “salt” being the only ingredients.) Add more or less depending on how peanutty you want it.
Step 6: Add Lime
Add 1-2 limes to taste. I often go back and forth between adding peanut butter and lime, adding small amounts at a time of each until I like the ratio. If you’re like me at this point you’re adding a couple dashes of powdered garlic because I’m strongly on team “there is no such thing as too much garlic” haha. I also add extra powdered ginger if I have it. But I recommend tasting as you go to avoid over-seasoning the sauce.
Step 7: Thicken the Sauce (optional)
If you like a thinner sauce consistency skip this step but if you like a thicker sauce make a mixture of about 1 tablespoon of a thickening powder of your choice (cornstarch, arrowroot powder, tapioca flour, etc.) and 1 cup of water. Add this to the saucepan and turn up the heat for a minute or two. This will thicken the sauce.
I never claimed this sauce would look pretty!
Step 8: Make it spicy (optional)
Add in crushed red pepper to desired spice level!
You’re done! Turn off the heat and add the sauce to your veggies, noodles, rice, chicken, tofu or whatever other goodness you’ve made. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and/or green onions on top if you want to be extra fancy.
If you’ve made it this far and want to learn more about the flavors and benefits of the main ingredients in this recipe, keep reading.
Miso is a Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans. Though the exact timeline is unknown, miso is thought to have originated in China and eventually spread to Japan by around the 7th century. The fermentation feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut and a protein in miso is thought to neutralize inflammatory components of harmful bacteria. Miso also contains vitamin B12 and K, manganese, zinc, and antioxidants. Research suggests miso may be anticarcinogenic and may lower blood pressure and heart disease risk due to its isoflavones, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. In this recipe miso adds a savory, salty, umami flavor.
Ginger is native to southern China and has been consumed for thousands of years. Gingerol, a bioactive compound in ginger, is anti-inflammatory and has antioxidant properties. Emerging research indicates ginger may decrease blood sugar and improve cardiovascular health markers. Perhaps the most well-known benefit of ginger is it’s ability to improve digestion and reduce nausea. Ginger contributes an invigorating and earthy spice to this recipe.
Peanut butter, which contains many vitamins and minerals including vitamin E, magnesium, copper, manganese, folate, and Vitamin B3, adds a creaminess to this recipe that is balanced by the acidic zing of the lime.
Fresh lime juice is a source of antioxidants and vitamin C which are associated with many health benefits including improving the immune system, increasing collagen production, decreasing kidney stone risk, and increasing iron absorption.
With a burst of flavor, this versatile and easy-to-make recipe brings together a delicious mix of Japanese, Thai, and Chinese influences. Remember: cooking is an art. Whether you’re a new or seasoned chef, feel empowered to experiment, taste, and adjust as you create your masterpiece that is inspired by these rich culinary traditions.
Did you make this recipe? Did you experiment with it? How did it taste? I want to hear about it!
Happy Cooking!
Sources:
Arya, S. S., Salve, A. R., & Chauhan, S. (2016). Peanuts as functional food: a review. Journal of food science and technology, 53(1), 31–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-015-2007-9
Cleveland Clinic. (2022, December 12). Is lime water good for you. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/is-lime-water-good-for-you/
Petre, A. (2017, June 17). Why miso is incredibly healthy. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-miso-is-healthy
Richter, A. & Leech, J. (2023, May 16). 11 proven health benefits of ginger. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-ginger
Saeed, F., Afzaal, M., Shah, Y. A., Khan, M. H., Hussain, M., Ikram, A., Ateeq, H., Noman, M., Saewan, S. A., & Khashroum, A. O. (2022). Miso: A traditional nutritious & health-endorsing fermented product. Food science & nutrition, 10(12), 4103–4111. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3029
