✕

Rice Wine Vinegar Satay Sauce

The weird-but-really-good one. Rice wine vinegar in satay is a genuine chef move — its sharp, fruity acidity cuts straight through the fat of the peanut butter so the sauce lifts instead of sitting there.

serves 2 3 mins sauce vegan quick
Rice Wine Vinegar Satay Sauce

why it works

Peanut butter brings heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and magnesium, which is genuinely useful after a run. The vinegar means you need less honey to make it taste balanced, so the sugar stays low.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
  • 1–2 tsp honey or maple syrup
  • ½ tsp garlic, minced or grated
  • ½ tsp ginger, freshly grated or a pinch of ground
  • 3–4 tbsp warm water or chicken stock
  • optional: sriracha or chilli flakes

Method

  1. Stir the rice wine vinegar, soy, honey, garlic and ginger into the peanut butter. It will look thick and possibly split at first — that's completely normal, keep going.

  2. Whisk in the warm water or stock one tablespoon at a time. At some point it suddenly transforms into a smooth, glossy, creamy sauce. Keep adding until it reaches a pouring consistency.

  3. Taste it off the spoon. Sharper, add another half teaspoon of vinegar; sweeter, a tiny extra drop of honey.

  4. Toss it over cooked chicken and veg at the very end, letting it bubble for 30 seconds to warm through and coat everything. Turn the heat down first — peanut butter burns fast.

remix

  • A dash of sriracha or a pinch of chilli flakes
  • Coconut milk instead of some of the water for a richer, more traditional version
  • Almond or cashew butter works
  • Brilliant as a marinade for tofu — press it, coat it, bake at 200°C
  • Double it and keep half in the fridge for the week