Satay Sauce without Peanuts

It took me years to create a version of satay sauce that I was happy with. And finally, it happened. This peanut-free satay sauce is creamy, sticky, rich, and the perfect accompaniment to lectin-free chicken satay. But feel free to pair it with other dishes. It works well with stir-fries, cabbage, and beef and makes a perfect creamy dressing for a chicken salad.

The ingredients for this lectin-free satay sauce

Traditionally, chicken satay sauce is made with peanut butter and soy sauce. I used toasted tahini (sesame paste made of lightly toasted sesame seeds) and a little bit of hazelnut butter, spices, and aromatics to bring in the umami flavor given by the soy sauce.

The aromatics I used are (they were sauteed in olive oil):

• shallots
• garlic

The spices I used are:

• turmeric
• cumin
• ground black pepper
• ginger powder (fresh can also be used)
• sea salt / Himalayan pink salt
• red Tabasco (another compliant hot sauce can be used, such as Sriracha)

The creamy/liquid ingredients are:

• toasted tahini (if you don’t find toasted tahini, you can use tahini made with raw sesame seeds, and maybe add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil to the mix, or toast some seeds and add them to the blender)
• hazelnut butter
• extra virgin olive oil
• coconut milk
• water
• raw, local honey (can be replaced with Yacon syrup or another compliant sweetener)
• lemon juice

Other ingredients for more depth of flavor:

• capers
• lemon zest

Coconut aminos can be used, but that’s not an ingredient readily available worldwide. It will not hurt to add a little bit to your sauce if it’s something you have in your pantry.

How to prepare this lectin-free satay sauce without peanuts

Usually, this sauce is cooked on the stove while making the chicken and served warm. I wanted to simplify things and make it a condiment that can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge.

I cooked the shallot and garlic in a small saucepan, added all the ingredients to my Nutribullet, and blended until creamy.

I stored the sauce in the fridge until dinner time. After making the chicken, I added the sauce to an oven-proof serving dish and warmed it a little bit in the oven before adding the chicken skewers on top.

You can double the quantity and use leftovers as a creamy dressing for a chicken salad or a stir-fry sauce the next day.

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