A fridge without tomato sauce, mayonnaise (or veganaise), garlic veganaise, chipotle veganaise, Sriracha and a trio of mustards is simply not a fridge in my book. As a self-confessed sauce-a-holic, condiments play a huge role in my daily diet and there’s nothing I love more than a little drizzle of summin’ summin’ to jazz up the plate of food in front of me.
But in case ya missed it, store-bought sauces and condiments are often laden with sugar, dodgy oils and chemicals. Which I prefer to forgo, if I can.
Here are 5 healthy condiment recipes that will make anything and everything taste like the best thing since sliced bread:
1) Paleo mayonnaise
Easy as pie! Best made in a wide-mouth jar with an immersion blender. Chuck in all the ingredients and be slathering a healthy dollop of mayo on your burger within 5 minutes.
- 1 cup avocado oil
- 1 large or 2 small eggs
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp of mustard
- Salt to taste
2) Vegan garlic aioli
The slogan T-shirt of the condiment world, this delicious aioli literally goes with anything. And it’s garlicky AF, which instantly makes it a hit. Simply soak the cashew nuts for up to four hours, then throw everything in a blender apart from the olive oil. Blend until it’s creamy, then slowly incorporate the oil and mustard with the blender running. If you’re in the market for something a bit runnier, add more water and use it as a salad dressing.
- 1 cup soaked cashew nuts
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 1/2 cup of water
- 5 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
3) Healthy pesto sauce
A fridge staple, pesto is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Usually laden with unfriendly oils and cheeses however, this version packs the same flavourful punch, without all the unnecessary frills.
Add all ingredients to a blender apart from the water and start to blend, incorporating water as you go until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves
- Juice and zest of a lemon
- 1/2 cup pine nuts or almonds
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Water to blend
4) Bomb BBQ sauce
For when you’re after summin’ a little spicier than your standard tomato sauce. This BBQ sauce is great as a marinade or for dippity-dipping and is easy enough to make with your eyes closed (although we probably wouldn’t recommend it. Theres a lot of whisking involved.) Chuck all the ingreds in a bowl and get that wrist a-whisking.
- 1 tin tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- A few drops of Sriracha chilli sauce (OPTIONAL)
5) Peanut satay sauce
You’ll be satay-ing everything from your tofu to your toast once you taste this beauty. Another ‘chuck it all in and blend’ situation, this delicious sauce is perfect for marinading or drizzling as a sauce over Asian-inspired salads.
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1.5 tsp ginger
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup of water to blend
Looking for other ways to spruce up your diet without a sh*t-tonne of effort? Check out 7 clever ways to trick yourself into eating more veggies, and 5 portion control tips that are surprisingly doable.
