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    Home » Collections

    25 Easy Sauce Recipes

    Published: Feb 19, 2023 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    If you looking for sauce recipes to level up salads, vegetable side dishes, and pasta, you've come to the right place!

    These delicious and easy sauces and dressings are easy to make, healthy, fresh, and vibrant. We've listed 25 of our best condiments and dips that can help you dress your next meal, such as pesto, vinaigrette, mayonnaise, sour cream, and creamy dressing.

    Easy sauce recipes for pasta, salads and vegetables

    Browse through this list, and take your pick: these healthy sauces will make those greens pop and add extra nutrition to your meal.

    25 Easy Sauce Recipes

    1

    Honey mustard Dressing

    The first recipe on our list is this basic mustard and lemon vinaigrette, perfect for salads and vegetable side dishes. It makes simple veggies pop, try it on steamed asparagus and roasted bell pepper and taste the difference.

    2

    Italian Dressing

    Homemade Italian dressing is a simple vinaigrette recipe to add flavor, freshness, and aroma to many salads. A classic dressing that levels up green salads and pasta salads immediately.

    3

    Vegan Sour Cream

    Sour cream is perfect on potatoes, with soups, and as a dip with nachos. Try this velvety creamy version with your next baked potato, nachos, or Taco Tuesday, or as an easy appetizer.

    4

    Marinara Sauce

    This Italian marinara sauce is easy, versatile, and perfect with pizza, pasta, and mains. It's a simple base recipe that is a lifesaver if you're short on time and need a quick and tasty dinner on the table.

    5

    Vegan Mayo

    This guide for vegan mayo will teach you the tips and tricks of mayonnaise. It's tasty, versatile, and so easy to make that you can do it in literally 1 minute with 6 simple ingredients. Serve it with fries, in a BLT sandwich, or as a spread in your next burger!

    6

    Eggplant Dip - Baba Ganoush

    A scrumptious dip with a velvety and creamy texture, this eggplant dip is perfect with crostini, pita bread, and fresh veggies.

    7

    Vegan Basil Pesto

    We'll show you how to make the best vegan pesto with basil. Then we demonstrate how easy it is to change the flavoring ingredient and make pesto with your favorite herbs and veggies.

    8

    Olive Tapenade

    Technically not a sauce, but this olive tapenade spread deserves a spot on this list. It's perfect with crostini as an easy appetizer and great in sandwiches too!

    9

    Tahini Sauce

    Ready in 5 mins with just 5 ingredients! Rich, creamy, nutty, and nutritious, tahini sauce is a favorite drizzle-on everything sauce. We love it with this crispy tofu salad.

    10

    Carrot Ginger Dressing

    Refreshing, healthy, and bright, this carrot ginger dressing is perfect for salads and ready in 5 mins in a blender. It pairs well with Asian-inspired dishes, noodle bowls, and grilled vegetables.

    11

    Italian Salsa Verde

    Refreshing, tangy, and aromatic, this Italian salsa verde is wonderful with roasted, steamed, and fresh veggies. It takes 5 minutes to prepare and stores in the fridge for about 3 days.

    12

    White Bean Dip

    Our aromatic and mega-easy bean dip is perfect for game night and an appetizer platter. Serve with crackers or toasted bread and a sprinkle of parsley on top.

    13

    Guacamole

    Simple, easy, and endlessly creamy. This is an amazing guacamole recipe that takes only minutes to make, and pairs well with nachos, burritos, baked potatoes, and on toast. Made with avocado, lime juice, red onion and salt.

    14

    Chimichurri Recipe

    Another tex mex favorite on our list is this herby chimichurri sauce. It's wonderful on roasted, baked, and steamed veggies and as a bold marinade for legumes too!

    15

    Vegan Tzatziki

    Perfect for the summer: BBQs, grilling, and hot evenings. Vegan Tzatziki sauce is easy! All you need is non-dairy yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and dill, and just over 15 minutes to make this irresistible recipe.

    16

    Green Goddess Dressing

    Green goddess dressing is a creamy salad dressing made with plenty of fresh herbs. Brighten up your healthy meals with this green sauce favorite!

    17

    Easy White Sauce (Béchamel)

    Perfect with pasta bakes, lasagna, and as a sauce on baked veggies. In our white sauce, we use olive oil and plant milk to make a sauce that is as delicious and versatile as the original béchamel.

    18

    Quick Chipotle Sauce

    This easy chipotle sauce takes 5 minutes to make and it's literally good on anything. From french fries to baked vegetables, nachos, fajitas, and flatbread pizza.

    19

    Cilantro Lime Dressing

    Make this dressing in 5 minutes with 7 ingredients in a blender. This recipe is healthy, dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and perfect to brighten up your favorite meal.

    20

    Romesco Sauce

    The perfect condiment for everything grilled. You can make a quick romesco in 5 minutes with pantry staples, or a more authentic one in about 45. We'll show you 2 versions.

    21

    Parsley Pesto

    This Parsley Pesto is a simple recipe that’s made in 5 minutes in a food processor. It’s so fast and easy to make, and it tastes really delicious on almost anything!

    22

    Red Pepper Pesto

    Red pepper pesto is possibly one of the most flavorful pestos you'll ever try. Made with jarred roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes, this red pesto packs a punch, and is great on sourdough bread and in sandwiches.

    23

    Arugula Pesto

    Refreshing and bright green! This light and healthy recipe for arugula pesto tastes wonderful over pasta and can also be used in other ways. We keep the recipe dairy-free so that anyone can enjoy it.

    24

    Muhammara

    Middle-Eastern cuisine has abundant options for dips, and dressing for a mezze platter. This muhammara is a tomato and bell pepper condiment that works well as a dip, or as a pairing with grilled vegetables.

    25

    Chili Oil

    It's a quick and simple recipe that allows you to make spicy chili oil from scratch in just over 10 minutes. A perfectly spiced Italian version of the original chili oil, perfect with roasted and steamed veggies.

    How to serve your sauce and dressings

    Drizzle your choice of sauce, dressing, or dip with a vegetable side dish or salad:

    • Grilled zucchini, roasted bell peppers, and eggplant (green goddess dressing).
    • Smashed potatoes (chimichurri sauce and tomato salsa).
    • Roasted carrots (salsa verde and tahini sauce).
    • Microwave sweet potatoes (cilantro lime dressing, guacamole, tahini sauce).
    • Grilled Zucchini on a platter
      Grilled Zucchini
    • Smashed potatoes garnished
      Smashed Potatoes
    • easy roasted carrots
      Roasted Carrots
    • microwave sweet potato
      Microwave Sweet Potato

    Combine your favorite sauces and load your roasted veggies with a symphony of condiments:

    • Whole roasted cauliflower with tahini dressing, chimichurri sauce, and shaved almonds
    • Air fryer sweet potatoes with avocado spread, cilantro lime dressing, and tomato salsa.
    • 10-minute air fryer zucchini with chipotle dressing and salsa verde.
    Whole roasted cauliflower with tahini dressing and almonds
    Whole roasted cauliflower with tahini sauce and chimichurri.

    How to store homemade sauces

    Store these sauces and dressings in an air-tight container in the fridge. Eat within 2-3 days of making them, but they are best and freshest on the day of preparing them.

    For pesto sauces, use them straight away or refrigerate them immediately to prevent them from turning brown due to oxidation. If you want to keep it for longer, then freeze it. Pesto freezes well for up to 6 months. Put it in a small jar or in ice cube trays to have smaller portions at hand.

    If you made any of these vegan rice recipes, leave us a star rating and a comment below. Feedback really helps us improve our content and help other people too.

    For more condiment ideas, check out our dressing and sauces category page.

    Easy sauce recipes for salads, veggies, and grain bowls

    25 Easy Sauces

    Author: Nico
    Creamy, nutty, rich, or sweet, tangy and herby, these 25 sauces are the perfect favorite drizzle-on everything condiments. Take your pick from these dressings, pesto and dips that brighten up your salads, side dishes, and grain bowls.
    This recipe is for an authentic tahini sauce, one that is not bitter, with just 5 simple ingredients.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Dressing & Sauces
    Cuisine Middle-Eastern
    Servings 11 tablespoons
    Calories 44 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ⅓ cup tahini made with 100% hulled sesame seeds, light-colored
    • ⅓ cup water
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 clove garlic crushed
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions
     

    • Take the jar of tahini and stir the content with a spoon. It's possible that if you haven't used it in a while the sesame oils and the sesame paste separate, so giving it a quick stir before using it helps.
      Pour tahini into a medium bowl, then add fresh lemon juice, water, a peeled and crushed garlic clove, and salt.
      ingredients for tahini sauce in a bowl
    • Whisk for about a minute or two, until ingredients are combined and the tahini changes color and goes from light brown to beige.
      tahini sauce in a bowl
    • Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice. Tahini sauce should be creamy but quite runny.
      Keep in mind that as it sits, the sauce thickens up slightly. You might need to add a little more water until you reach your desired consistency.
      tahini sauce with roasted potatoes

    Video Recipe

    Tahini Sauce | a favorite drizzle-on-everything sauce

    Notes

    Nutrition information is for 1 tablespoon of tahini sauce.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    25 Easy Sauces
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 44 Calories from Fat 36
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4g6%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Trans Fat 0g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Potassium 37mg1%
    Carbohydrates 2g1%
    Dietary Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 1g1%
    Protein 1g2%
    Vitamin A 5IU0%
    Vitamin B6 1mg50%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Vitamin E 1mg7%
    Vitamin K 1µg1%
    Calcium 11mg1%
    Folate 8µg2%
    Iron 1mg6%
    Manganese 1mg50%
    Magnesium 7mg2%
    Zinc 1mg7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked these easy sauces, you might also like:

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      40 Easy Pasta Recipes
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      30 Lazy Sunday Dinner Ideas
    • 45 best salad recipes including green beans
      45 Best Salad Recipes
    • Easy vegetable recipes with eggplant and zucchini
      25 Easy Vegetable Recipes
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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

    Hi, we are Nico and Louise, and we love cooking! Welcome to our blog.

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