Crispy Asian Peanut Slaw

I think the best recipes are always born of 30% desperation, 20% an unswerving desire for a particular dish, and 50% whatever you have in the fridge. The other day, I was stressed about finding a dinner that would please everyone in my family (meat-eaters and veggies alike), had a crazy craving for cold peanut noodles, and had no noodles but a ton of vegetables in the crisper. So Crispy Asian Peanut Slaw was born! It is delicious topped with sauteed gingery garlic tofu or sauteed/grilled chicken, or by itself as a side dish. It comes together really quickly, so if you're looking for a simple delicious salad for a  BBQ today, I think you've found it. Happy Fourth of July!

This is a pretend mise-en-place for the sauce. I'll be honest, I had no idea what I was doing here. It's hard to find a good peanut sauce: some call for lime, some coconut milk, some fish sauce...it's all pretty confusing. This is the first peanut sauce I've ever made that I was happy with. In the picture above, ignore the tahini and garlic and visualize sesame oil in their place. Much obliged.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix. Because I used the all-natural peanut butter that you grind in the store, it was too thick to mix by hand. If you don't mind washing your blender, it's really helpful in ensuring that you have a smooth, consistent sauce.

In a bowl, combine your veggies. I had carrot, jicama, cucumber, sugar snap peas, and cabbage on hand, which made for a nice, crunchy slaw. Any other crunchy vegetable would not be amiss, such as red or green pepper, celery, or water chestnuts.

Add about half of the peanut sauce to the vegetables and mix. Give it a taste, and see how much more of the sauce you need. Leftovers can be added to the slaw later if the veggies absorb some of the sauce, poured over hot noodles and then chilled, or used as a marinade for grilled chicken. 

Mix it on up! 

Serve topped with roasted chopped peanuts for extra crunch if you have them, or with tofu or chicken for a main meal. When it's too hot to cook, let your desperation, cravings, and whatever you have in the house be your guide to epic deliciousness.

Crispy Asian Peanut Slaw

• 6 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp white vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 Tbsp mild hot sauce (i.e. Frank's RedHot)
• 2 dashes fish sauce, optional
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, cut in half widthwise
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, quartered, and sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced carrot
• 1 1/2 cups chopped jicama
• 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage, about 1/4 of a head
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

1. Combine soy sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, and hot sauce in a bowl until smooth. If using chunky or natural peanut butter (or are having trouble stirring by hand), throw it in the blender until smooth. Use hot water to thin out consistency if desired, adding 1 Tbsp at a time.
2. Combine vegetables in a large bowl. Add half of the peanut sauce and stir. Add your desired amount of the peanut sauce: I liked using half and then serving the remainder in a small bowl so people could add more if they wanted.
3. Top with peanuts just before serving if desired.