Eating at Home, Santa Fe

Since it is hot out, we sometimes just stay home. That doesn’t mean we don’t eat well. I am a recipe hunter. I don’t cook very well but I know what food I like. I’m lucky in that my much better half loves to cook. I love to eat so it works out. I found this recipe in the Washington Post. The Post has a great food column, Voraciously that I really enjoy reading.

Here is a wonderful recipe from the Washington Post from June 16, 2021. This is my favorite new dish: Spicy Peanut Soba with Green Beans.

“An easy pantry-friendly peanut sauce is the star of this recipe. Chili-garlic sauce adds just enough spice for a pleasant tingle. Soba noodles have a delightful nuttiness that complements the sauce, but you could use any thin noodle in its place (see NOTES). Saute the frozen or canned green beans before mixing with the sauce and noodles for a quick vegan meal.

Total time: 20 mins

Make Ahead: The sauce can be made and refrigerated for up to 1 week. The noodles can be cooked, refreshed with cold water and tossed with a bit of neutral oil, and then refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Storage Notes: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. 

Where to Buy: Soba noodles, chili-garlic sauce and rice vinegar can be found in well-stocked supermarkets, Asian markets or online.

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SERVINGS:   2   4   8   12   

Tested size: 4 servings; about 6 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces soba noodles (see NOTES)
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce (see NOTES)
• 2 tablespoons plain rice vinegar (see NOTES)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 ounces frozen cut green beans, thawed or one (14.5-ounce) can cut green beans, drained
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• Chopped peanuts, for serving

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DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions; do not overcook. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to stop the cooking. Thoroughly drain again.

While the noodles are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, water, chili-garlic sauce, rice vinegar and soy sauce until combined; set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the green beans, season with a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the green beans start to brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes; remove from the heat.

Add the drained soba noodles and peanut sauce to the green beans and toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and/or pepper, if needed. Transfer to a large platter or individual bowls and sprinkle with some chopped peanuts before serving.

NOTES

If you don’t have soba noodles, try another thin noodle, such as vermicelli rice noodles or angel hair pasta.

Sriracha also works well in this recipe, or you could try it with whatever hot sauce you have on hand.

You can use another mild vinegar, such as apple cider or white wine, in place of the rice vinegar.Rate it

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RECIPE SOURCE

From Voraciously staff writer Aaron Hutcherson.

Tested by Aaron Hutcherson and Jim Webster.“

We used Eliot’s Spicy Thai Peanut Butter which was a wonderful addition. We did have a problem with the processing of the order. For some reason our order wasn’t fulfilled quickly. But the nut butter is fabulous.

I like more sauce than the recipe calls for so more peanut butter was added as was more sriracha.

As you can see we didn’t have any green beans on hand but did have some fresh snap peas, Mexican squash, basil, onions, and carrots.

Also there was a noodle substitution with fettuccine noodles instead of Soba noodles.

We garnished this dish with some fresh basil and peanuts. I love this! Each time this dish has been made it has been different due to the availability of vegetables. Maybe next time we will use some frozen Asian vegetables. There are so many options to choose from. What an instant classic! Thank you, Washington Post.