This Ridiculously Simple Recipe Is What I Make Whenever I'm Short On Time And Money, And I Guarantee It'll Be Your New Go-To

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05-04-2025

After a long afternoon on my feet spent cooking in a kitchen, the last thing I want to do is get home to preheat the oven and get to work chopping vegetables or brining a chicken breast. While my instinct tells me to pull up the first meal-delivery app that comes to mind, I try my best to stop myself and scour through my freezer to see what I can get creative with. This week, I found my favorite brand of soup dumplings hiding behind a quart of chicken stock and a bag of frozen peas — and I decided to whip up Tasty Resident Sarah Banh's (aka @grooviefoodiess) Spicy Peanut Sauce Soup Dumplings.
Instead of the usual shower of soy sauce that typically accompanies my soup dumplings, I opted for Sarah's delicious and versatile spicy peanut sauce instead. Nutty, salty, and umami-rich, it was the perfect step beyond the usual simple soy sauce addition that I opt for (and honestly, just as easy).
I always find this time of year to be one of the most hectic — the holidays are past, and so are the cold weeks of restful hibernation that follow. When my days are too busy to spend a lunch break preparing a thoughtful meal, but I don't want to pay for another $17 salad, sprucing up a classic freezer staple in this way is the perfect middle ground.
Putting Your Pantry Staples To Work
This recipe includes some of my most-used pantry favorites: creamy peanut butter, salty soy sauce, nutty sesame oil, spicy chili crunch, and tart rice vinegar. Freshly grated ginger and garlic and freshly chopped cilantro brighten up the dish, and honestly…I could eat this with a spoon if I had to.
My favorite part of this recipe is that it's entirely what you make it. Add a bit more rice vinegar for some extra zing, or double the amount of chili crunch if you can handle the spice. If you find yourself leaning towards the latter end of the salty/sweet debate, a bit of brown sugar to taste would fit into this sauce quite nicely.
If you're building up your pantry essentials, all of these ingredients can be found at your local Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. However, I highly encourage you to take the time to seek out your local Asian grocery store.
I'm lucky to have an abundant Japanese grocer around the corner from my apartment that stocks imported ingredients, fresh produce, and frozen items like the soup dumplings in this recipe. I never leave without my favorite flavor of Pocky.
No Microwave, No Problem
I lived without a microwave for two years before I found one on the street outside my apartment building in perfect condition (true story). I love that this recipe doesn't instruct you to microwave your soup dumplings before serving but instead calls for quickly browning them in hot oil, then adding water before covering and steaming until cooked through.
This leaves a crunchy exterior that you wouldn't be able to achieve from a quick blitz in the microwave. Alternatively, if you own a steamer basket, this would be a great time to use it!
Tasty / Via tasty.co
The Party Doesn't Stop At Soup Dumplings
For a sauce this versatile, there are countless uses that go far beyond a steamy soup dumpling. The next time I make it, I'm tossing it into a bowl of chewy ramen or udon noodles and finishing it with a fried egg and green onion.
I might even use it as a saucy dip for crispy chicken cutlets breaded with crunchy panko, or thin it out with more water to create a bright and nutty salad dressing perfect for spring, tossing it into napa cabbage and radicchio. Make it the center of a colorful crudité platter for the first backyard cookout of the season.
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