THE ‘A-Z’ OF SAUCE RECIPES
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Avocado Sauces
Amazing Avo Sauce |‘Instant’ Guacamole | Broccomole | Avocado Butter | Avo ‘Hummus’ |
Great with: Veggies, eggs, anything Mexican, toast, chicken, fish, tortilla chips.
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Babaganoush
Babaganoush or ‘baba’ is a classic Lebanese sauce made with smoky eggplant, tahini and garlic.
Great with: Veggies, pita bread, lamb, chicken, beef.
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Bearnaise Sauce
Great with: Steak, chicken, roast veg, eggs.
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Beautiful Flavoured Butters
Lime & Miso Butter | Chive Butter | Spiced Butter | Hazelnut Butter | Avocado Butter |
Great with: chicken, fish, steak, lamb, steamed veggies, roast veggies.
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Chimmichurri
The classic Argentinian accompaniment to beef, especially steak. Packed with fresh parsley and oregano it adds beautiful freshness to grilled meat (or grilled veg!).
Chimmichurri | Green Olive Chimmichurri
Great with: steak, chicken, fish, lamb chops, grilled veggies (especially eggplant, zucchini and red bell peppers (capsicum).
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Chunky Salsas
These chunky sauces add both flavour and texture.
Great with: chicken, fish, steak, lamb, steamed veggies, roast veggies.
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Flavoured Oils
Unlike the herb oils (below) these oils need to be cooked and made in advance. But the good news is they last for months if not years in the pantry or on the dining table whenever your meal needs a flavour boost!
Marco’s Chilli Oil | Green Chilli Oil | Turmeric & Ginger Oil |
Great with: everything!
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Ginger Spring Onion Sauce
A Chinese classic! Ginger Spring Onion Sauce is probably my favourite Asian sauce.
Great with: Pork, chicken, noodles.
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Green Tahini
Salted Kale with Green Tahini Basically just pesto and tahini mixed together. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for a fresh AND creamy sauce.
Great with: chicken, fish, kale, lamb, broccoli, nuts, anywhere you’d use pesto.
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Hummus
Hummus | Broccoli Hummus | Roast Cauliflower Hummus | Sweet Potato Hummus | Red Lentil Hummus | Almond ‘Hummus’ | Avo ‘Hummus’ |
Great with: Everything! On salad, with veggies, kebabs, chicken, fish, pita bread. Fab with poached eggs for breakfast.
Related Recipes:
- Hummus Meals
- Hummus with Chorizo & Almonds
- Lebanese Roast Ratatouille with Hummus
- Hummus with Chorizo & Almonds
- Spiced Lentils with Hummus
- Lamb Fillet with Mint and Hummus
- Spiced Beef with Hummus
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Harissa
While I would never be without a tube of Tunisian Harissa in the house, sometimes it’s nice to make Roast Chilli Harissa – a less fiery version with roast capsicum (bell peppers) and chilli.
Great with: Anywhere you’d normally use ketchup. Especially fab with chicken.
Related Recipes:
- Firey Harissa Chicken
- Shakshuka
- Harissa Steaks with Yoghurt Sauce
- Harissa Almonds
- Spicy Roast Eggplant & Harissa Soup
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Herb Oils
A quicker, simpler version of pesto. Just finely chop fresh herbs and stir in some peppery extra virgin olive oil. Try this Parsley Oil or this Herb & Chilli Oil. I also make Basil Oil in the middle of Summer when I have masses of fresh basil in the garden and no time to make pesto.
Great with: Steak, veggies, soups, eggs, chicken, fish. Anywhere you’d use pesto.
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Hot Sauces
I generally leave hot sauces to the experts and am happy to use commercial ones. Occasionally I do make my own though.
Easy Coriander Hot Sauce | Fermented Chilli Hot Sauce |
Great with: Everything!
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Hollandaise Sauce
Try my simple Cheat’s Hollandaise for an easy take on the French classic.
Great with: Eggs, bacon, chicken, fish, beef, veggies, smoked salmon.
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Lemon Sauces
Sometimes a squeeze of lemon is all I have the time (or energy) for. Magic for bringing freshness and zing. For bonus points roast half a lemon or cook cut side down in the BBQ or frying pan to bring a little smoky flavour. Or add some miso paste to make a creamier flavour explosion.
Great with: Fish, chicken, fish, beef, veggies, smoked fish.
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Miso Harissa ‘Ketchup’
I’m not normally a fan of fusing cuisines, but I make an exception for blending Morocco and Japan with this addictive Miso Harissa ‘Ketchup’. Packs a powerful flavour punch without the sugar.
Great with: Anywhere you’d normally use ketchup. Brilliant on burgers.
Related Recipes:
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Mayonnaise
My desert island sauce! Worth making your own so you know the oil is good quality and there’s no sugar. For years I used my food processor to make my Pregnant-Lady Mayonnaise, but recently I’ve move on to the stick blender for this uber simple 2-Minute Stick Blender Mayo. I also keep a bottle of Kewpie Mayo in the pantry for those times when I don’t even have 2 minutes to make a batch.
Stick Blender Mayo | Chipotle Mayo | Miso Mayo | Vegan Mustard Mayo (egg-free) | Pine Nut Mayo | Addictive Artichoke Aioli |
Great with: – everything! Especially eggs and fish. Love it with canned tuna or sardines.
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Nut Sauces
Cashew Nut Sauce | Pine Nut Sauce | Macadamia Ricotta | Almond Sauce | Almond ‘Hummus’ | Lime & Cashew ‘Sour Cream’ | Tomato Almond Pesto | Ginger Almond (or Cashew) Sauce |
Great with: Everything! Especially lamb, fish and chicken. Or anywhere you’d normally use hummus.
Related Recipes:
- Crispy Broccolini & Chickpeas with Cashew ‘Ricotta’
- Chicken with Pine Nut Sauce
- Pan Fried Fish with Cashew Sauce
- Spiced Leg of Lamb with Tarator
- Salt Baked Salmon with Pine Nut Tarator
- Spiced Chicken with Ginger Almond Sauce
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Olive Sauces
Easy Olive Tapenade | Green Olive Chimmichurri | Olive Lemon Salsa |
Great with: Fish, chicken, eggs, veggies, bread.
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Pan Sauces
A brilliant way to maximise all the delicious bits that stick to the bottom of the pan!
Peppercorn Sauce | Lemon Butter Sauce |
Great with: Meat, fish, poultry.
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Pesto
Pesto | Sicilan Nut Pesto (Dairy-Free) | Beet Pesto | Sorrel Pesto | Broccoli Pesto. | Tomato Almond Pesto |
Great with: Eggs, veggies, burgers, chicken, fish, zucchini, broccoli, chickpeas, roast veg, soup, pasta.
Related Recipes:
- Chicken with Green Beans and Pesto
- Tuna Pesto Pasta
- Broccoli & Pesto Bowls
- Pesto Chicken Burgers
- Summer Sausages with Pea & Pesto Mash
- Pea & Pesto Pizza
- Zucchini ‘Noodle’ & Pesto Salad
- Mel & Carlos’ Green Eggs
- Green Shakshuka
- Salted Kale with Green Tahini
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Romesco Sauce
My Irishman’s favourite sauce (after hunger! – or maybe even before hunger. Romesco is a Spanish sauce of grilled red peppers, hazelnuts and almonds. Super addictive!
Great with: Pork, chicken, fish, grilled scallions, broccoli, roast veg.
Related Recipes:
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Sour Cream
Just add salt and pepper and you’re good to go.
Ginger Sour Cream |Lime & Cashew ‘Sour Cream’ |
Great with: Pork, chicken, fish, anything mexican, all veg.
Related Recipes:
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Tahini Sauces
I’ve covered babaganoush and hummus separately. But some of my all time favourite sauces fit into this category. I love tahini and happily eat it from a spoon but it’s even better used in these creamy sauces. Try Tahini Yoghurt | Lemon Tahini Sauce | TMT Sauce (Turmeric Miso Tahini) |Tahini Sauce | Japanese Salad Dressing
Great with: Kebabs, lamb, chicken, fish, roast veggies, anywhere you’d normally use hummus.
Related Recipes:
- Crispy Fish with Tahini Yoghurt & Walnut Herb Salad
- Spiced Roast Chicken & Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Maple Dressing
- Lime Tahini Kale Salad
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Yoghurt
Add lots of salt and pepper to a creamy Greek Yoghurt for an almost instant sauce. Or try
Herby Yoghurt | this dairy-free Cashew Yoghurt.
Great with: chicken, fish, veggies, lentils and lamb.
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Zhoug
A middle eastern herb-based sauce. Zhoug adds freshness and a chilli hit.
Great with: chicken, fish, veggies and lamb.
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Favourite Commercial Sauces
While I love a home made sauce, I’m also a huge huge fan of using commercial sauces. And don’t forget the world of commercial dips – most of these make fantastic instant sauces.
- Mayonnaise – I love the Japanese Kewpie brand.
- Hummus – so many options!
- Pesto – try a few different brands to find your favourite.
- Sriracha – adds heat and a touch of sweetness.
- Eggplant Dip – also called babaganoush.
- Avocado Dips – look for ones that have avocado as the first ingredient.
- Beet Dips
- Greek Yoghurt – add salt and you have an instant creamy sauce
- Taramasalata
- Mexican Salsa – range from mild to hot – I especially like the smoky ones with chipotle chilli.
- BBQ Sauce – adds sweetness and can be hot and smoky as well.
- Tabasco Sauce – adds heat and fresh acidity
- Tomato Ketchup – A must for burger bowls
- Dijon Mustard – for mayo and creamy dressings
- Wholegrain Mustard – for serving with steak or other meat.
Favourite Sauces for Cooking
Apart from using the above as is. Here are my favourites for cooking.
- Fish Sauce – similar to soy but with an extra funky kick. Great for Thai and Vietmanese dishes.
- Soy Sauce – for adding amazing depth of flavour for cooked veg.
- Oyster Sauce – my go-to stir fry sauce.
- Worcestershire Sauce – adds lots of umami and a little sweetness. Fab on eggs!
- White Miso Paste – For Japanese and other experiments. Adds salty complexity. The least strongly flavoured of all the miso pastes.
Why Sauce?
My Irishman is always saying ‘Hunger is a Tasty Sauce’.
And while I agree that food always tastes better when I’m hungry, I always think that life and food just isn’t the same without sauce.
After learning to season, the next biggest game changer in my cooking evolution was hands down developing a repertoire of delicious sauces.
But just in case you need more convincing to get excited about sauce, I have more reasons!
5 Reasons I Love Sauce
1. It makes food delicious.
Ask any 2 year-old if everything tastes better with ketchup and you know what the answer will be. Yes! There’s a reason the French spend so much time and energy on their sauces. Because they can really add so much flavour.
2. Adds variety
Same old chicken. Same old broccoli. + NEW sauce = completely different meal! Enough said.
3. Generally low effort
If you have a stick blender or food processor, making sauce is easy. It’s usually just measuring out the ingredients, blending until everything is smooth. Tasting and adjusting the seasoning / acid as needed.
4. Generally do-ahead
Most sauces will keep for a week or longer in the fridge. I make sure I make at least one sauce on the weekends so I have sauce supplies for my lunches during the week.
5. Hide Mistakes
Keep this one just between you and me 😉 Overcooked the chicken and it’s too dry? Add a creamy cashew nut sauce or a big dollop of mayo and no one will complain.
Hope you have as much fun exploring the world of sauce as I have!
May the ‘sauce’ be with you
(sorry, couldn’t resist)
Jx
ps. If you discover a new favourite sauce OR there’s a sauce recipe on SMP.to I haven’t included, let me know in the comments below. My aim is to add to this as I come up with new sauce recipes so you have them all at your fingertips.
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i am interested in making a curry paste rather than use a commercial one. Do you have any recipes for this?
If you do a search for curry pastes you’ll find them Anna https://smp.to/?s=curry+paste
I’ve stoppped making my own these days – the results you get with commercial ones are so good it’s not worth the extra effort for me
Love this huge amount of sauces ideas!! thanks
Yay for sauce Maria!
Hi Jules, Its not technically a sauce but I use lemon miso for everything even as a salad dressing. (from the Lemon Miso Salmon recipe)
It’s totally a sauce Joan! I need to include the link here.
Hi Jules,
Thanks for that handy list for sauces. I never think to make my own sauces for say, dry chicken or fish and of course, with the stick blender it’s so quick and easy. Thank you again!
Sauces are perfect for dry fish and chicken Kathy!
And so easy with a stick blender.
Enjoy!
What is the “fish sauce” you put in several of your recipes?
Hi Charles & Kris
It’s a Vietnamese sauce made from from fermented fish. It’s commonly available here in Australia in the Asian section of the supermarket. Or Asian grocery stores will have it.
It tastes terrible on it’s own but adds amazing flavour.
The best substitute is soy sauce which acts in a similar way. Or I’ve written more about fish sauce substitutes over here: https://thestonesoup.com/blog/fish-sauce-substitutes/
Jx
Thank you!
This is a great list that I’m definitely going to keep handy! Any suggestions for quick and simple pan sauces?
Great question Laureen… I tend not to make pan sauces.
HOwever this peppercorn sauce is a fave at the moment. https://stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com/2018/05/minute-steaks-peppercorn-sauce/
And for fish or chicken lemon butter is always a classic! :https://stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com/2015/11/simple-fish-with-lemon-butter/
And deglazing the pan with red or white wine and adding butter or cream always works 🙂
Jx