Red Pepper Sauce Recipe Card
To make this tasty and easy-to-make Red Pepper Sauce, just roast some red peppers, add some garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. You can use it as a dip, with pasta, cooked meats, vegetables, or in other ways. The sauce is naturally spicy, sour, and sweet, which makes it great for a lot of different foods.
Ingredients
- 4 large red bell peppers fresh or roasted
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika optional, for added smokiness
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice optional, for brightness
Instructions
- Do this to the red peppers: Warm your oven up to 200°C (400°F). Place the red bell peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway, until the skin is blistered and charred. Once done, remove from the oven, place in a bowl, and cover with a kitchen towel. Let them steam for 10 minutes. Take the peppers’ skins off, take out the seeds, and chop them up.
- Prepare the Sauce Base: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook for one to two minutes, until the garlic smells good. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Blend the Sauce: Add the roasted red peppers and sautéed garlic to a blender or food processor. Add balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Blend until smooth. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a little water or extra olive oil until it reaches your desired thickness.
- Taste and Make Changes: Give your sauce a taste and make any needed spice changes. Add more salt, pepper, or smoked paprika for a bolder flavor, or a splash of lemon juice for extra brightness.
- Serve and Enjoy: This rich and flavorful Red Pepper Sauce can be used in countless ways! Toss it with pasta for a quick meal, drizzle it over grilled chicken, or use it as a dip for roasted veggies or bread. The possibilities are endless!
Notes
- Roasting the Peppers: To enhance the smoky flavor, consider charring the peppers over an open flame before roasting them in the oven. This step adds an extra depth of flavor to your sauce.
- Creamier Sauce: If you prefer a creamier consistency, add a splash of heavy cream or a couple of tablespoons of tahini for a nutty twist.
- Adjust the Texture: For a chunkier sauce, pulse the ingredients in a food processor instead of blending them completely.
- Refrigeration: The sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to four to five days in a sealed container. To avoid humidity, always let it cool all the way down before putting it in a container.
- If you have extra sauce, you can freeze it for up to three months. Put the sauce into containers that can go in the freezer or ice cube trays to make it easy to portion. After the cubes are frozen, put them in a zip-top bag to keep them for a long time.
- Thawing: To thaw frozen red pepper sauce, just put it in the fridge overnight or heat it up on low heat in the stove, adding water or olive oil as needed to make it the right consistency.
- Cross-Contamination: When serving the sauce, always use a clean spoon to keep from adding germs that could shorten its shelf life.
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