Adopting a vegan diet doesn’t only have to be healthy.
Vegan sauces, for instance, can supply you with the necessary plant-based proteins, while also adding a dash of exquisite flavor to your meals.
The ingredients to prepare these delicious and easy to make sauces aren’t a secret and can be easily found in your fridge to meet all of your culinary needs.
Check out our list of the five best vegan sauce recipes that can make any dish taste amazing!
Cashew Dipping Sauce
You can pair this cashew-based sauce with delicious tofu salad rolls or use it as a dip for having raw vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup salted cashew butter (if you have the unsalted variety, you may some tamari to it)
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tamari (you can also use soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Hot water (for thinning the sauce)
Method
- After mincing the garlic, combine it with cashew butter, tamari, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, and lime juice in a small mixing bowl.
- Continue whisking all the ingredients until properly combined.
- Once done, add hot water until you reach a semi-thick sauce consistency.
Three-Ingredient Tahini Sauce
We aren’t exaggerating when we say this three-ingredient tahini sauce is one of the most versatile recipes to ever exist. Creamy with a savory twist, you can use it when preparing falafels, veg burgers, salads, or really anything you like.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini. This should come from raw or roasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Method
- Take a small mixing bowl, and add tahini, garlic powder, and sea salt. Whisk the ingredients until combined.
- Keep adding warm water – little at a time – while you whisk. The idea is to get a pourable, creamy consistency.
- Once this is done, you can adjust the seedings as per your taste. Remember, tahini is supposed to be the prominent flavor of the sauce, but you can always play with sea salt and garlic powder in case you want a more salty or garlicky flavor, respectively.
- This sauce can also be stored in the refrigerator for about 1 to 2 weeks.
Jalapeño Cilantro Dipping Sauce
Jalapeño cilantro sauce can be a delight for people who don’t mind a bit of spice. In fact, you can add an extra jalapeño (or two!) to amp up the heat factor. It’s a great sauce that can be worked with salads, tacos, or burritos.
Ingredients
- 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1-2 jalapeños to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 lime, juiced
- A bunch of cilantro (washed and dried)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Salt as per taste
Method
- Add all the ingredients to a food processor. We would recommend starting with 1/4 cup of olive oil for greater ease, but you can always add more if required. Blend the ingredients on high setting.
- Scrape down the sides of the food processor basket, and then blend again.
- You can adjust the salt as per your taste.
Easy One-Pot Marinara Sauce
You can use this delightful and flavourful marinara sauce when preparing eggplant lasagna rolls, vegan pizzas, vegan meatballs, spaghetti, or ricotta. Basically, it’s a delight for every Italian recipe suitable for vegans.
Ingredients
- 2 cans of 28-ounce peeled, crushed, or diced tomatoes (without salt)
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh basil – more for serving
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4-1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake. You can reduce or increase this as per your taste
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried or fresh
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar. If you aren’t avoiding sugar, you can use maple syrup instead
- 2 tablespoon olive oil. In case you want to avoid using oil, you can always use water
- 1-3 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 3-4 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
Method
- Heat a large pot over a medium-low flame, and once done, add oil (or water) and garlic. Sauté the garlic for about one minute, stirring frequently, until you get a light golden brown color.
- Add tomatoes, oregano, coconut sugar, pepper flakes, and salt to the pot.
- Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium heat, and then reduce the heat to low. Let the ingredients simmer – uncovered – for around half an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Add basil and then stir again for five minutes.
- You have plenty of flexibility when it comes to adjusting the flavor and depth of the sauce. You can add more salt for saltiness, pepper flakes for heat, basil or oregano for a more herbed flavor, or coconut sugar for sweetness.
If you want to add more depth to the sauce, add more tomato paste or/and nutritional yeast.
- In case the sauce gets too thick, you can add a little water for thinning it.
- This marinara sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, and in a freezer for about a month.
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
This honey mustard dipping sauce is equal parts tangy and delicious. It uses both yellow and Dijon mustard, which gives it a classic flavor loved by all. More so, when served with vegan chicken strips and burgers.
Don’t be fooled by the name! This sauce doesn’t use any honey, and instead, it’s the agave that does the trick.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1.5 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1.5 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons of agave
- Salt and pepper as per your taste
Method
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well until combined.
