a while back, i was trying to create a raw broccoli slaw with a vaguely mexican-inspired dressing. while the creamy jalapeño cilantro sauce i tried didn’t really accomplish what i was going for, it turned out to be delicious on… every other thing there ever once was.
scrambled eggs. grilled vegetables. bacon burgers(!). those chili lime chicken burgers from trader joe’s that are a summer grilling staple in my house. seriously. everything.
when the jar of what was once leftovers-from-a-recipe-that-didn’t-work-out turned most-delicious-and-versatile-sauce-i’ve-made-in-quite-a-while ran out, i was really glad i had a scrap of paper with my testing notes scrawled on it, so that i could blend up another batch of the sauce to resume pouring it over all the things.
and then i figured, if i liked this accidental new favorite condiment so much, maybe i should share it with y’all, no? so let’s talk about this creamy jalapeño cilantro sauce, shall we?
- it comes together in the blender in about 5 minutes (squeezing a few limes does take a minute, i won’t lie. and it’s so worth it!). if your blender is high powered, you don’t even need to soak the cashews in advance! hooray for positive reinforcement for procrastinating figuring out what to make for dinner and – more importantly – what to pour all over it.
- it tastes like summer! bright lime mixed with spicy (but not crazy fire mouth) jalapeño, plus yummy cilantro (as i suspect is already obvious from the title, if you’re one of those cilantro haters, you’re gonna want to sit this one out. if you’re not, though, it’s the perfect spicy, creamy green sauce, if i may be so bold as to say.).
- creamy jalapeño cilantro sauce keeps well in the fridge for quite a while, so you don’t have to drag out the blender every time you want to add a bit of this sauce to whatever you’re eating… which if you’re me, is basically every day.
are you halfway to the kitchen yet? let’s make use of the cilantro growing in your herb garden, you impressive herb garden grower, you! this creamy jalapeño cilantro sauce is begging to become a fixture of your summer meals.
did you make this recipe? i’d love to know what you think of it! leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #tastyseasons.
creamy jalapeño cilantro sauce
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Ingredients
- 57 g. (1/2 cup / 2 oz.) raw cashews, soaked in water for a few hours (or boiling water for a few minutes) if your blender isn’t high powered
- 1/3 cup (2 3/4 fl. oz. / 80 ml) fresh water (not the water the cashews soaked in)
- ¼ cup (2 fl. oz. / 60 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (from 2 – 3 limes)
- ½ cup cilantro (stems and leaves)
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled
- ½ of a jalapeño, seeded, see notes
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- place everything in the blender; press go. blend until smooth and creamy. taste and adjust as desired. sometimes i find that i want a bit more lime or sometimes even a tablespoon of white wine vinegar, if the sauce isn’t as tangy and bright as i’m wanting that day.
- store the sauce in a jar with an airtight lid in the refrigerator. i haven’t done usda-approved food safety tests, but the sauce has seemed to last a few weeks in my fridge. happy summer!
Notes
adjust the quantity of jalapeño to your taste. half of a seeded jalapeño yields a sauce that is pleasantly spicy, on par with a medium salsa. i’ve heard, and it seems to be true, that the more tan wrinkle lines a jalapeño has, the spicier it is, so you can also use that to help calibrate how spicy your pepper is. and if you’re unsure, err on the side of using less, since you can always taste the sauce and blend more in but diluting fire sauce is more of an ordeal.
Nutrition Facts
creamy jalapeño cilantro sauce
Serves: about 1 cup
|
Amount Per Serving: 1 tablespoon
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 20 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 1 g. | 1.5% | |
| Saturated Fat 0 g. | 0 | |
| Trans Fat 0 g. | ||
| Cholesterol 0 mg. | 0 | |
| Sodium 1 mg. | 0% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 2 g. | 0.7% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0 g. | 0 | |
| Sugars 0 g. | ||
| Protein 1 g. | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
tasty seasons