Two weeks ago I shared all the details on my process for preparing healthy stir fry dinners to enjoy all week long, and I also promised you some healthy homemade sauces. Today is sauce day, and as the title of this post suggests, get ready to truly crave your veggies!
There aren’t a ton of condiments and sauces in my kitchen, and this is because I really enjoy making my own using a few whole food ingredients that I’d consider staple pantry/fridge items. As I mentioned in part 1 of this series, I typically have most of these on hand:
- garlic and ginger – fresh is always better than dried in my opinion, and I find the taste completely different
- miso – check for organic and non-GMO – I like this one and this one. You can read more about why miso is great for gut health here.
- low sodium tamari, liquid aminos or coconut aminos – or use soy sauce if you’re ok with gluten. All of these have a salty flavour profile, but only coconut aminos are Whole30 compliant.
- citrus juice – lemon, lime, orange
- Thai curry paste
- spices – chili powder, chili flakes, cumin, paprika, salt-free all-purpose seasoning, curry powder, turmeric
- nut + seed butters
- fresh herbs – basil, cilantro, mint and parsley
- tahini
- apple cider vinegar
- rice vinegar
- avocado
- veggies like zucchini and cauliflower (both fairly neutral in taste), spring onion and shallots, roasted beets, sweet potato and carrots for increased volume
You definitely don’t need all these things for the recipes below, so don’t worry about having to add them all to your shopping list.
I’ve included 6 sauces below, many of which lend themselves well to the stir fry dinners I described here. Others are included because I think they’re delicious as marinades, dips and dressings, and they’ll give you more ways to use the same ingredients. You’ll see the recommended uses for each under the recipe titles.
Thai Red Curry Peanut (or Almond Butter) Sauce
- Total Time: 5 mins
Description
Nutty with a subtle flavours of Thai curry, this recipe works as a stir fry sauce, dip for summer rolls or raw veggies, and salad dressing.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup each natural organic peanut butter (or almond butter, if doing Whole30), rice vinegar and water
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos (if on Whole30) or low sodium tamari (both are gluten-free)
- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and whirl them around until completely smooth.
- Add a little more water or lime juice to thin if needed, and adjust spice level with chili powder if you like.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: condiment
- Method: food processor
- Cuisine: Asian
Cilantro Ginger Jalapeno Sauce
- Total Time: 5 mins
Description
Bright green and super creamy with a touch of heat, this Cilantro Ginger Jalapeno Sauce is a great choice as a dip, a spread in wraps or sandwiches, or a coating for spiralized veggie noodles.
Ingredients
- 1 jalapeño pepper (scrape out some of the seeds to make it less spicy if you prefer)
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped zucchini
- 1/2 avocado, pitted
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice (plus more to thin if needed)
- 1 big handful of cilantro leaves
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and whirl them around until completely smooth.
- Add a little more water or lime juice to thin as needed. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: condiment
- Method: food processor
- Cuisine: Asian
Creamy Coconut, Turmeric and Ginger Sauce
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: about 3/4 cup 1x
Description
Loaded with anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric and ginger, this Creamy Coconut, Turmeric and Ginger Sauce makes a great dip or sauce for drizzling over Indian-inspired buddha bowls.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
- 1/3 cup coconut milk, plus more to thin as needed
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- sea salt + black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Toss all ingredients in a food processor and whirl until completely smooth.
- If you want to use this as a dressing, add a bit more coconut milk and continue processing until the consistency is even.
- Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: condiment
- Method: food processor
- Cuisine: Indian
Sweet Teriyaki Sauce
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: about 1.5 cups 1x
Description
Just as great as store-bought, this Sweet Teriyaki Sauce is perfect on stir fried veggies and also works as a flavourful marinade for meats, tofu and tempeh.
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 cup gluten-free tamari (or coconut aminos, if on Whole30)
- 3 tbsp coconut palm sugar (note: to keep this entirely Sugar Detox-friendly, swap for a pinch of stevia or monkfruit. For Whole30, omit entirely.)
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp cornstarch, to thicken
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the mixture straight into a small saucepan over medium-low heat, and stir constantly for 5 minutes. (Stirring is CRUCIAL – the corn starch will sink to the bottom and start to get clumpy if you don’t!)
- After 5 minutes of cooking the sauce will have reduced in volume. Transfer to a small jar and keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: condiment
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Vegan Green Goddess Sauce
- Total Time: 5 mins
Description
This ultra creamy vegan Green Goddess Sauce is a great pairing with freshly chopped veggies as a snack, and also makes a delicious sauce for adding to wraps and sandwiches. This one’s all about the fresh herbs, so don’t be tempted to use the dried kind – the flavour won’t be the same.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 small spring onions, white and light green parts only
- 3/4 cup diced zucchini
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup each fresh dill, basil, parsley and mint
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to thin if needed
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and whirl them around until completely smooth.
- Add a little more lemon juice to thin as needed. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: condiment
- Method: food processor
Tahini Turmeric Sauce
- Total Time: 5 mins
Description
Using veggies as a swap for chickpeas, this hummus-like Tahini Turmeric Sauce is great as a dip or topping for your favourite grain/veggie bowls.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peeled chopped zucchini or cauliflower rice (both are fairly neutral in taste and add thickness)
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp tahini
- juice of 1 lemon, + 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- pinch of sea salt, chili powder and black pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and whirl them around until completely smooth.
- Add a more lemon juice if needed to thin. Season to taste with sea salt and chili powder.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: condiment
- Method: food processor
- Cuisine: Indian
Hungry for more? Check these out too:
Pineapple Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry
4 Better-Than-Hummus Veggie Dips
So tell me… What’s your go-to dip or sauce for everything? Are there any you’ve tried in restaurants and want to re-create?
Can’t wait to try these — yummy!! Could I ask what brand of red curry paste you use? I often see recipes calling for a tablespoon (or 2-3) … I have a pretty good spice tolerance, but if I put a Tbsp. of my brand in anything (even in a HUGE pot of soup), I’d blow myself through the roof. 🙂 I’ve done it before … lesson learned! So I’m curious about your brand so that I can keep some of it on hand for the various “heavy-on-the-paste” recipes I see. Thanks!!
Hi Samantha! Great question – and you are so right, as I’ve seen several recipes calling for curry paste in the realm of 1/4-1/2 cups worth! I use the Thai Kitchen one, and most often go for the Thai red curry paste. It’s my favourite for dips and dressings, as well as adding to curries with other ingredients (like coconut milk) to make a higher-volume sauce. It’s not super spicy – in my opinion anyway – but has so much amazing flavour that brightens up pretty much any dish. Unlike other curry pastes, the jars are quite small. I’d recommend starting with a couple of teaspoons and tasting the dip/sauce as you blend. (Testing is always the best part!)