Having a handful of really amazing sauce recipes in your arsenal is key for elevating your cooking game. This cilantro jalapeño sauce without dairy can be used in a variety of different ways, from salads and grain bowls to wraps and on fish. Since it’s vegan, dairy free, nut free and vegan free, you can be sure that no matter who you serve it to, its bound to please everyone!
Once you try this creamy cilantro jalapeno sauce, you’ll find yourself making it time and time again, adjusting the heat to your liking, and slathering it on everything. Here’s a few reasons to love this powerhouse sauce:
- Vegan
- Nut-free
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Just the right amount of spice
- Incredibly versatile
- Great for meal prep
- Lasts up to a week in the fridge
- No cooking necessary! Blends up in 5 min flat
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
ingredients
Now that you’re ready to tackle this recipe, it’s time to gather the ingredients you’ll need:
- 1 can Garbanzo beans
- 1.5 cups of fresh spinach
- 1 cup of fresh cilantro
- 1/2 jalapeno
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- kosher salt
- cumin
- water
substitutions
- Garbanzo beans-You could swap these out for white beans and you’ll notice a creamier consistency so you may need to add a little more water.
- Spinach-You don’t want to use frozen spinach for this recipe, it’s essential that it’s fresh. If you don’t have any, you can always add more cilantro. You may need to use less water if you leave out the spinach.
- Lemon-If you don’t have a lemon, you could certainly use a lime for delicious results!
- Jalapeño-Any spicy pepper would work well in this recipe, such as a poblano or hatch chile. Or if you’re not a fan of the spice, just omit it all together and add a small pinch of red pepper flakes to get the complexity of flavor without too much heat.
- Tahini-The tahini is optional but I like the slight nuttiness it adds to the flavor profile. If you’re not a fan or just don’t have any on hand, you can certainly leave it out all together.
Step by step instructions to make this recipe
Lucky for you, this vegan cilantro jalapeno sauce recipe requires no actual cooking!
- You’ll start by rinsing the garbanzo beans well and removing any loose skins from the beans. Then simply add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender, except for the water.
- Start the blending process. Once all the ingredients have combined together into a thick, pasty consistency, you can start slowly streaming in the water. You may not need to use the entire 1 cup of water to get your desired consistency.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
meal prepping & storing this cilantro jalapeno sauce
The beauty of this sauce is that since it’s dairy free, it will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week! It has a tendency to firm up a little once it’s cold, so when that happens I add a splash of water and shake it back up until it’s liquid again. Personally, I find that a mason jar with a lid works perfectly for keeping the sauce nice and fresh.
One of the reasons I love this sauce for meal prep and batch cooking is that it works so well on a variety of different foods. I make a big batch at the beginning of the week and use it on practically everything without getting tired of it. Here’s a few ways I like to use this delicious sauce:
- drizzled over chicken or fish
- with scrambled eggs in a breakfast burrito or scramble
- tossed with greens for a salad
- drizzled over buddha bowls
- tossed with romaine and veggies and wrapped in a tortilla
Other fantastic sauce recipes
If you’re looking for more awesome and versatile sauce recipes then you should check these out too!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
It will last up to a week in an airtight container.
No, frozen spinach will not work in this recipe.
Either one works great! A blender will actually do a better job of incorporating all the ingredients together but may need more water to blend properly. A food processor does the job just fine though!
Nope! I find that it has just the right amount of kick if you scrape the seeds and ribs out first. If you like it really hot, you can leave the seeds in or even use the entire jalapeno. Just keep adding more little by little until you get the desired heat level.
Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce Without Dairy
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 can garbanzo beans
- 1.5 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/2 jalapeno, seeded
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Open the can of garbanzo beans. Drain and rinse well, discarding any loose skins
- In a food processor or blender, combine the garbanzo beans, spinach, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and cumin. Blend until the incredients combine into a pasty consistency.
- With the motor running start to drizzle in the water. Blend until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
Notes
- This sauce is dairy free, gluten free, vegan and nut free.
- You can use either a food processor OR a blender for this recipe.
- You may want to use more or less water depending on your desired consistency.
- If you’d like a spicier sauce, you can leave the seeds and ribs in, or use an entire jalapeno.
- If you don’t have a fresh lemon, you can substitute a fresh lime.
Cilantro isn’t my favourite herb (It’s like for most people – you either love it or hate it. I do not hate it completely, but you need to have the right mood for using it haha). Combining cilantro with beans, spinach, and tahini sounds like an awesome idea – these components must balance out the strong cilantro flavour, I believe. Nice idea!
This is like lick the bowl delicious !! Thanks for such a great recipe!