Sometimes we have tapas for dinner. Happy hour nibbles. Simple. Nice. Fun. We make an event out of it. Fresh cut fruits & veggies, nuts, dips, spreads, crackers, cheeses. We mix and match flavors. We see if a sweet flavor like raspberry or honey mixes well with a strong cheese and an almond, or maybe a red pepper. We sit outside in the backyard and enjoy the sunset and the weather. We watch the birds and maybe the squirrels. We enjoy the simple things in life. Like the company of a wonderful person!
A few months ago I was planning one of these tapas nights (we often do these on a Friday night). So, on my way home I stopped at Whole Foods Market to pick up some fun veggies and things to have for tapas night. That’s where I first encountered this amazing sauce.
I immediately fell in love with the flavors. Spicy. Creamy. Complex. Smoky. I dipped a cracker into it. Love! I dipped veggies into it. More love! I spread it on things. I licked it off the spoon! yep, I admit it! It was that good. Only problem is, that it comes in a little container. It was gone way too fast.
So, I set about making my own. And, the nice thing about making your own, you can suit the flavors to everything you want them to be. Want it spicier? Add more chipotle. Is it too spicy? Add less chipotle. Mmm, I wonder what a Sriracha Awesome Sauce would taste like? I bet it would be yum!
When I made my first batch of Awesome Sauce and had my husband taste it he loved it, and asked what was in it. I listed off all the ingredients. He asked, “but what gives it that creamy texture, is it sour cream?” Almonds, I said, blended up like that, the almonds become creamy. It’s vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, Paleo, grain-free, and sugar-free. I’m not sure that he really believed me even then that this super creamy, super yummy dip had no dairy in it. But, he continued to eat it.
In fact, the other day he asked if we had any more of that Awesome Sauce, because he was looking for a yummy snack. I told him we were all out, but that I would be happy to make more for him! Yippie!! Success, the husband liked it! That’s a big win!! Especially for a vegan dip!
Some notes about some of the more unusual ingredients for in the recipe…
- Chipotle Paste is one of my favorite ways to use chipotle (it’s super easy!). I always have a jar in my fridge. Take a look here for the instructions on how to make your own.
- Nutritional Yeast Flakes
have a strong flavor that’s often described as savory, nutty, or cheesy. You’ll see it used in vegan cheeses, and it’s a good source of protein and vitamins.
- Bragg Liquid Aminos
are like soy sauce, with a nice salty flavor. It’s also a good source of protein. If you follow a Paleo diet, you may want to use coconut aminos instead, due to the soy in Bragg.
This snack’s a little high in calories, but it’s from all those good for you fats in the almonds and grapeseed oil. “Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease,” ~World’s Healthiest Foods. So, don’t worry, it’s still good for you!
So, here, in all its yumminess, is Awesome Sauce. And, later I’ll have a guide for Awesome Wraps for you so you can enjoy this sauce at lunchtime too.
These are the almonds I use for making the sauce. Don’t worry that they still have skins on them; the skins get ground up, and I think they contribute to the pretty color of the sauce.
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup raw almonds
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, or oil of your choice
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons bragg liquid aminos, or coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon chipotle paste
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Place all ingredients in the order listed in a high-powdered blender (such as a VitaMix) or a food processor. Blend for one minute on Variable speed, turning the speed up as you blend. Turn the dial up to high, and continue to blend for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy.
- Store in the refrigerator in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. If sauce separates, just give it a stir.
- Makes about 2 cups. For the serving size, I figured about 2 tablespoons per serving
Shared at these awesome parties:
http://foodyschmoodyblog.com/week22-wednesday-roundup/
http://mysillylittlegang.com/2014/04/22/tasty-tuesdays-57/
http://www.dizzybusyandhungry.com/wined-down-wednesday-32/#more-5988
http://www.flusterbuster.com/2014/04/flusters-creativemuster-linky-party-68.html
http://sewcraftyangel.blogspot.com/2014/04/wake-up-wednesday-linky-party-13.html
http://www.nibblesbynic.com/2014/04/22/wonderfully-creative-wednesday-17/
http://yesterfood.blogspot.com/
http://katherinescorner.com/2014/04/23/thursday-favorite-things-blog-hop-8/
http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/2014/04/family-fun-friday-week-66-cherishing-childhood.html?utm_source=Family
http://www.jugglingrealfoodandreallife.com/
http://voiceboks.com/food/foodtastic-friday-and-some-sausage-and-peppers/
http://www.aconqueredmess.com/friday-pin-fest-28/
http://mommyondemand.com/weekend-retreat-64/#more-1858
http://vegetarianmamma.com/
http://www.foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/foodie-friends-friday-recipes-linky-party-4/
http://kitchendreaming.com/5/post/2014/04/the-weekend-social-anything-goes-link-party-wk-17.html#
http://www.thesustainablecouple.com/2014/05/mostly-homemade-mondays-week-79.html
http://helloveggy.com/
Looks delicious! So creative Debi!!
This looks simply amazing!! YUM!! Or should I say AWESOME!!
Debi…OMG your sauce has the perfect name because it just has to be absolutely AWESOME! What a nutritional powerhouse you have going in here! I can’t wait to try it!
WOW Debi,this sounds so good.Cant wait to give your Awesome Sauce a try.
Debi, I love being introduced to new #healthful ingredients. Making a list, ’cause this is a “must make” sauce as well as being Awesome! #Almonds, #Yeast flakes, #chipotle paste
I have everything to make this sauce except the liquid aminos. Yum. You said it was awesome and I had to come and see for myself!! I bet making this is a whole lot cheaper than buying some from Whole Foods anyway!
Renee, the liquid aminos are basically soy sauce. I’d bet you could use regular soy sauce and it would be just a little saltier. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it would work well.
Yummy and healthy!
Oh My Gosh! It’s more than ‘Awesome’ Debi. I can’t wait to make it and share it with my family, I bet they’ll love it too, and they will never know it’s vegan. Thanks so much for sharing. Pinning/shared.
This looks so good… I am going to have to try it.. Pinned.
I clicked on this link from Wake Up Wednesdays simply for the title. Awesomesauce! New follower.
2 things: I am OBSESSED with sauce, so I HAVE to try this! Secondly, I had never heard of chipotle paste! What a wonderful idea! Thank you! <3
I had to click on this over at Potluck (oh my veggies) because of the name! I’ve made mayo out of almonds before but this looks absolutely incredible!!! I’m pretty sure almonds are magic. I’m going to try this out for my veggie burgers this weekend. Great recipe!
Just love the colour of this sauce. it sounds delicious too, though I have no idea what liquid aminos is.
Love the name. 😉 And I’m sure it is awesome, because Bragg’s liquid aminos makes everything awesomer. 😉
That does indeed sound “awesome”! Lovely photos too!
Pinning this to try! I have everything but the chipotle paste so I know what I’m picking up after work. can’t wait to taste it. Thanks!
Tapas for dinner? So fun – love it! 😀 Also looooving this sauce! Looks fantastic! And, seriously – with a name like Awesome Sauce, you pretty much can’t go wrong! Yum!
Interesting idea, I have been thinking about investing in a vitamix and this is a perfect idea for which I could use it! Pinned!
Pinned this recipe! I’m going to use it to make my own variation. It looks really good and i love a good cheesy dip.
I am going to try this. It looks super good and healthy!
Looks healthy and good! I am a dipper so this is a good recipe for me!
Hi Debi. I’m stopping in from Let’s Get Real today. As everyone has said, this sauce does look awesome. It does look pretty creamy. It’s hard to believe the skins are in there also. Is there a reason for the grapeseed oil- flavor or texture? I’m more of an olive oil girl. Looking forward to making this with my kids. This sauce will be called magic sauce in our house. We can turn nuts into sauce. That must be magic!
The original used grapeseed oil, so I stuck with that. I think olive oil will work just fine. I use both of these oils and have never really encountered any reason not to use one or the other. I love the name “Magic Sauce”! Great! Yeah, I was a little concerned about the skins as well, and in fact, I bought some slivered almonds just in case, but never needed to use them. Thanks for the comment! Cheers!
My husband and I LOVE tapas for dinner! This looks so good… we’ll have to add it to the mix!
I would never have thought you could use ground up (fine) almonds to make a creamy sauce! Live and Learn! It sound delicious!
That looks so good! I am going to have to try it.
It looks really good! It looks a lot like humus. I’d love to that awesome sauce!
Looks soooo good. I am going to have to try the Chipotle paste. I have been on this weird chipotle kick lately, probably because it’s full of YUMM.
It Really Looks Like AWESOME Sauce I Love Almonds So I Can’t Wait To Make!!
oh yummy, this is so versatile and sounds good with just about anything!
I need to try it! It sounds so good! I love almonds!
This looks healthy and tasty! Thanks for the recipe.
Looks like a delicious and healthy alternative to the much fattier dips around
Your awesome sauce looks…AWESOME! Your ingredients weren’t what I was expecting but I am trying this! I have a feeling I am going to love it. I bet its great on paninis! I can’t wait to try it! Visiting from Tasty Tuesdays!
It definitely looks and sounds like Awesome Sauce. Yum! Can’t wait to try it.
I laughed at the name. My daughter used to say that for ‘cool.’ 🙂 It does look like awesome sauce.
So interesting! I never knew you could do that with almonds.
Great photographs!! The quality is amazing and this recipe looks delicious!
That looks really good. Awesome sauce indeed!
perfect!!! I cant wait to make it. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop. Hugs!
Debi, I have pinned this, and am looking forward to trying it! I can’t believe how healthy it is- good for you for making your own version! Thanks for sharing this with us at Treasure Box Tuesday! 🙂
I can’t believe I actually drooled. This looks like a tasty sauce. We love to dip our cracker or corn chips to salsa but I guess I’m gonna try this one. Oh my! I can’t wait.
it’s always fun to cook something new with different ingredients. Adding to my recipes to try list.
Looks delicious.. never though I could make sauce out of almonds….. Will try this next weekend 🙂
Sounds tasty and packed full of nutrition! I think I’d love this on homemade crackers.
Ha! Love the name! This sauce sounds good – I love creamy and spicy!
Yum… I think I need to make some of that dip right now.
This stuff is amazing. I’ve been using it on bean burritos all week.
This looks gorgeous Debi! Will have to keep my eyes open for chipotle paste, don’t think I’ve seen that anywhere but it sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing over at the new FB group 🙂 pinned and stumbled!
yippie!! Thanks for the comment ! I’m glad you loved it, Amanda. 🙂
I love the name of this sauce and sounds like it is truly fitting! I have a feeling this is the kind of sauce I will make and put on everything I eat! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made this for the first time today. It is delicious! My husband LOVED it. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Try Olo’s chipotle paste on Amazon. Amazing!
I try not to use oil in my cooking, do you think i could substitute some avocado to give it the richness that the oil provides?
Hi Becca! Sorry for the delayed response. Yes, I think it would work, and I think it would be super delish! An Awesome Avocado Sauce! Maybe I’ll have to try that one myself as well! Yum. Thanks for the suggestion.
Is chipotle paste spicy?
Amanda, yes, chipotle can be spicy. It adds a nice smoky flavor as well. So, I don’t recommend leaving it out all together, but instead, add just a small amount if you don’t care for heat.
You were NOT kidding. This is totally awesome sauce!!!
Tried this today. FANTASTIC! Used raw garlic rather than the powder. Made a huge platter of raw tapas for our picnic on this beautiful day. Thanks so much!!
Anita, I’m so glad you liked it! I don’t use raw garlic simply because it gives my husband heart burn. But I do love the flavor! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment back; I’m so happy your picnic was a success. 🙂
Do you think this would be popular to sell at a farmers market?
Megan, I’ve never looked into selling it at a Farmer’s Market.
Is there any way to make this nut free?
Danielle,
The nuts are the main part, so you want something thick if you aren’t going to use them. Maybe avocado would work. I have heard of Sunbutter (which can be found on Amazon http://amzn.to/29D8mu5 my affiliate link), which is made from sunflower seeds. You could try that. Along those lines, tahini might work (but it is sesame seeds so you might still be avoiding that). Any of these changes will change the flavor, but might make a fun spread. If you try any, let me know how they work.