These two sauces are fantastic for spring rolls, cold noodles, or to drizzle on top of a salad, and I think they’re more interesting than what I’ve had in some restaurants. The lime in the nuoc cham sauce gives it a brightness that feels new and fresh, and the peanut sauce is slightly spicy because I added extra red pepper flakes (as is the nuoc cham sauce with the chopped chile), but neither is blow-your-head-off spicy. They’re both nicely balanced by the other ingredients, which is why I love Asian food.
Plus both take about 30 seconds to whisk together. Gotta love that.
I made both of these sauces to go with a batch of homemade spring rolls, which were eaten before they could be photographed (and honestly, they were not terribly pretty), but I plan to make them again soon, and when I do, you’ll see them right here.
Road trip to Plano to go to 99 Ranch! Who’s in?
Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet, December 2004
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- ½ cup of warm water
- 3 tablespoons of Asian fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ¼ of a Thai chile, finely chopped, or a jalapeño (I used a jalapeño, because this is what I had on hand)
This is a recipe that you need to taste as you go. It’s a wonderful, bright sauce punctuated by lime. Just whisk everything together and serve.
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
Adapted from a recipe found on the kitchn website
- 2 heaping tablespoons of creamy or chunky peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- a few tablespoons (2 to 3) of water, to thin out the sauce
Whisk everything together in a small bowl. Serve right away. Easy!