Vegan Pea-Not! Sauce: Raw Almond Sauce
If you generally like vegan peanut sauce, you're sure to love this almond sauce! It's zippy and flavorful, and spectacular tossed through brown rice or soba noodles... or served as a dip.
Servings 1 cup of sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw almond butter see note
- ½-1 tbsp peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional; omit if needed for kiddos
- 1 medium-large clove garlic use smaller if needed for kiddos
- 3 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2-3 tbsp water plus another 1–3 tablespoons, if desired, to thin (see note)
- 1 1/2-2 tsp fresh lime zest zest limes first, then collect juices
- Extra lime wedges for servingExtra lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Using a handheld blender and a deep cup, puree the almond butter, ginger, red pepper, garlic, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, and 2–3 tablespoons water. Add more water to thin as desired. The sauce will also thicken with refrigeration, or if it’s heated with noodles. So, thin either while blending, or simply add a little extra hot/boiled water as you work the sauce into a dish. Note that with thinning, you may want to season with a touch of salt. After pureeing, stir in the lime zest. Serve with extra lime wedges to squeeze a pop of extra lime juice on individual servings (see suggestions)!
Notes
- Nut Butter Note: If you don’t have raw almond butter, roasted almond butter can be substituted. Choose an unsalted nut butter; otherwise, you may need to reduce the tamari slightly. You can also substitute a natural peanut butter, or for a nut-free version use a good quality tahini.
- Water Note: If making this for a dip, start with just 1–2 tablespoons of water. You can also substitute coconut water or light coconut milk.
- Serving Suggestions: We love this tossed into pad Thai noodles (I use Annie Chun’s brand)—the noodles cook in just minutes! Try adding lightly cooked sliced/chopped veggies, such as sliced red bell peppers, raw ribboned carrots or zucchini (use a vegetable peeler), and/or blanched snow peas, green beans, or broccoli. Another way to enjoy this sauce is as a dip for veggies or rice paper vegetable rolls use less water and adjust to desired consistency.