Transport yourself to coastal Spain with this Authentic Romesco Sauce! It’s made entirely from scratch with a few simple ingredients and just minutes of your time. Use it as a flavorful dip, sandwich spread, or delicious drizzle for your favorite roasted veggies!
Learning how to make your own vegan sauces and dips from scratch is the best way to transform your meals from bland to flavorful in minutes. We love meal-prepping 1 or 2 vegan sauces each week to add a dollop and burst of flavor to all of our meals all week long. Give this homemade romesco sauce a try this week, along with another of our most popular sauces: Fresh Chimichurri Sauce, Vegan Garlic Aioli, Classic Vegan Pesto, and Homemade Hummus!
The Origin of Romesco Sauce
Romesco sauce is a rich, smoky, flavorful Spanish sauce from Catalonia, Spain. It is said to have been developed by local fishermen during the early 20th century as a tasty addition to seafood dishes. Today, the sauce has evolved into a flavorful dip or sauce to be served with an array of foods—roasted vegetables, baked potatoes, protein, crusty bread, and eggy breakfasts.
While many use it to add flavor to meat-based dishes, we’ve found several ways to enjoy it with a vegan diet. Traditional romesco is naturally vegan and is the perfect way to add zing to any meal with a flavor-packed sauce.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Roasted red peppers: Roasted peppers are the base of romesco sauce and infuse the creamy sauce with a sweet and smoky flavor. We opted for jarred roasted red bell peppers to make this recipe quick and easy, but if you have the time, Roast Red Peppers from Scratch!
Fire-roasted tomatoes: Enhances the rich flavor of the sauce with additional smokiness and sweet tomato flavor.
Blanched almonds: Adds a rich, creamy flavor and subtle nutty flavor to the sauce. You can use store-bought blanched almonds or blanch the almonds at home.
Parsley: Freshly chopped parsley balances the rich, sweet, smoky flavors with bright, peppery notes.
Bread: The thickening agent that gives romesco sauce its signature hearty texture. Any hearty, cubed bread of choice will work well. Our No Knead Bread or cubed Fluffy Sandwich Bread would be great!
Garlic: For the best garlicky flavor, use fresh cloves of garlic, but 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder will work in a pinch!
Red wine vinegar: Adds acidity and brightness to the sauce, balancing the richness and enhancing the overall flavor.
Smoked paprika: Deepens the smoky flavor of red peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes.
Olive oil: 1/3 cup of good-quality olive oil adds a rich, luscious mouthfeel to the sauce and perfect body and consistency.
Equipment Needed
How to Make Spanish Romesco Sauce
Blend until smooth. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until the romesco sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Salt to taste. Add more salt as necessary.
Enjoy. Serve as desired or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Serving Suggestions
A fresh romesco sauce can be enjoyed in several ways. We love it spread over a toasted slice of crusty bread, but it’s also delicious as:
Storage Instructions
Leftover sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Romesco sauce also freezes beautifully. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or an ice cube tray and freeze, tightly covered, for up to 3 months.
If frozen, allow to thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator. Give it a good stir or re-blend until thick and creamy again, then enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this romesco sauce nut-free?
We have not tested a nut-free version of this romesco sauce, but if you’d like to experiment, soaked, drained raw sunflower seeds may work as a good alternative. The flavor will be slightly different, but the raw sunflower seeds will add a similar creaminess and subtle nutty flavor.
Is the romesco sauce served warm or cold?
Romesco can be served warm or cold, depending on your preference. Try both ways to find out how you enjoy it best!
More Homemade Sauce Recipes You MAy Enjoy:
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
Transport yourself to coastal Spain with this Authentic Romesco Sauce! It’s made entirely from scratch with a few simple ingredients and just minutes of your time. Use it as a flavorful dip, sandwich spread, or delicious drizzle for your favorite roasted veggies!
1 jar (16 oz) roasted red peppers, drained
1 can (14 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup blanched almonds
½ cup cubed bread
⅓ cup olive oil
¼ cup parsley
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
Equipment
Blend until smooth. Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until the romesco sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Salt to taste. Add more salt as necessary.
Enjoy. Serve as desired or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Almonds: You can substitute ¼ cup-½ cup of the almonds for hazelnuts or pine nuts.We have not tested a nut-free version of this romesco sauce, but if you’d like to experiment, soaked, drained raw sunflower seeds may work as a good alternative. The flavor will be slightly different, but the raw sunflower seeds will add a similar creaminess and subtle nutty flavor.
Serve warm or cold, depending on your preference.
Storage: Leftover sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freezing: Romesco sauce freezes beautifully. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or an ice cube tray and freeze, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. If frozen, allow to thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator. Give it a good stir or re-blend until thick and creamy again, then enjoy!
