My easy Romesco sauce recipe is made with roasted, pickled red peppers and toasted almonds, with a touch of garlic. Blended with olive oil and tangy lime or lemon juice, it turns into creamy, heavenly sauce full of flavor and texture. This Romesco sauce is made without bread, so it’s gluten-free, Whole30 and is also vegan-friendly. Find out how to make it and what to do with it.
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What Is Romesco sauce?
I fell in love with Romesco sauce in Spain and have been making it at home ever since. This red pepper sauce originated in Tarragona, Catalunya and was used by the local fishermen to serve with freshly cooked fish. Today, you can find different brands of this sauce in supermarkets but I still love a homemade version.
Classic Romesco sauce is made with roasted tomatoes, almonds or other nuts, garlic and olive oil. Sometimes the bread is added. There are also variations with roasted red peppers (my version here), fennel, additions of different vinegars and so on. It’s actually very similar other sauces such as salsa de calçots (served over grilled green onions) and Turkish Muhammara sauce.
My Romesco sauce is bright, zesty, creamy and goes with many foods.
👩🍳 You might also like yoghurt ranch dressing with garlic & herbs, miso butter, paleo satay sauce, homemade harissa, beet dip (with walnuts & prunes), bang bang sauce, tartar sauce, and tzatziki sauce.
What You Will Need
Here is what you need to make this Romesco sauce recipe with some tips and swaps. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
Roasted pickled red peppers – Alternatively, you can roast or bake a whole red pepper or two in the oven ahead of time. I used a little lime juice, but you can also use lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or any other vinegar.
- Fire-roasted or roasted red peppers: The ones you can get in a jar from the conserves and pickles section of the supermarket. These provide a smoky, tangy base for the sauce. If unavailable, you can roast fresh red bell peppers until charred, peel off the skins, and slice them. Check out my roasted red pepper recipe.
- Almonds: You can will need blanched almond (raw almonds that have had their skins remove) and you can use whole almonds, flakes or slivers. Almonds add a rich, nutty flavor and creamy texture. Toasting enhances their taste, which you can do yourself or buy pre-toasted almonds. I think toasted almonds are WAY tastier and I simply spread the flakes on a baking tray and popped them in the 200 C/400 F oven for 4-5 minutes. You can substitute with other nuts like hazelnuts or walnuts if preferred.
- Garlic: Adds a pungent kick and depth of flavor. Adjust the amount based on your garlic preference.
- For Acidity: lemon juice or mild vinegar will add acidity to balance the richness.
- Olive oil: Provides smoothness and helps emulsify the sauce. Use good-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. Use extra water to adjust the sauce’s consistency. You can add more or less based on your desired thickness.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavors. Adjust to taste.
How To Make Romesco Sauce (VIDEO)
Here is a little video showing you how to make this red pepper sauce. You can use a high-speed food processor or a blender to puree everything into semi-smooth sauce.
What To Serve With Romesco Sauce?
Ever wondered what to do with Romesco sauce? If you make your own or buy it ready-made, here are a few ways to use it up.
- On top of roasted or grilled vegetables, especially asparagus, leeks or spring onions, eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower. Or drizzle over sliced potato bake or crispy smashed potatoes for a festive twist.
- As a sauce or condiment with any type of fish (try it with simple lemon garlic cod or baked rainbow trout, as a dipping sauce for shrimp or prawns, with grilled chicken or on top of lamb burgers (or any meat for that matter). Use it as an alternative to miso butter in this steak and baked potato recipe.
- Use it in a salad dressing, as a spread in a wrap or a sandwich. It would go wonderfully with my vegetarian mushroom sandwich or in my turkey avocado sandwich.
- Stir through zucchini noodles, other paleo noodles, or regular pasta, if you wish.
- With scrambled eggs or as a topping on deviled eggs or boiled eggs.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup pickled or fire roasted red peppers sliced, something similar to this
- ½ cup almond flakes without skin and toasted, whole or slivered almonds will work as well
- 2 cloves garlic diced
- Juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- For this sauce recipe, I used a food processor. Add all ingredients and whiz together to process.
- Stop and open the lid a couple of times to scrape the bits off the sides and to stir the sauce slightly, then whiz again to make sure everything is incorporated and blended.
- The Romesco sauce doesn’t have to be completely smooth, it should have a little texture. Store leftover sauce in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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