Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Name: Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers (drained); 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2 tbsp minced shallot; 2 cloves garlic (minced); 2 tbsp packed chopped fresh basil ((10 leaves)); 1 tbsp capers (drained); Zest of 1 lemon; Juice of 1/2 lemon ((3/4 oz, liquid measurement)); 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper

by Joanne October 25, 2017 (updated July 22, 2021)

This fantastically easy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce takes 5 minutes to make, and adds instant flavor to a ton of foods. I drizzle it on Crispy Smashed Potatoes, spoon it onto Spice Rubbed Chicken, toss it with pasta and vegetables, and more. It’s made without cream, and is friendly to all styles of eating (Whole30 compliant, vegan, gluten-free, etc).

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - in Short Glass Jar with Crispy Smashed Potatoes, Shallots, and Garlic in Background on Wooden Cutting Board

Much like the Basil Vinaigrette I shared last week, this is a sauce that can go on sooooooooo many things.

It’s basically flavor sauce.

Drizzle it on chicken, fish, vegetables, and so on, and boom! Flavor.

This is another recipe that I came to love during my Whole30, and I really have to thank the Whole30 for forcing me to rediscover the awesomeness of blender sauces.

Because of the restrictions of the program, you’re forced to get creative with simple and flavorful recipes, and having this sauce on hand was key to many satisfying dinners.

Red Pepper Sauce - in Glass Jar With Garlic Cloves, Shallots, Lemon, And Metal Spoon On A Wooden Cutting Board

It’s quite a simple preparation, which goes as follows:

Put stuff in a blender, and blend.

Done.

See why I love it so much? And just wait until you taste it (seriously).

For the prep, you’ll need roasted red peppers, shallot, garlic, capers, and basil:

Divina Roasted Red Peppers, Minced Shallots, Minced Garlic, Trader Joe's Capers, And Fresh Basil On An OXO Cutting Board

Quick note on the peppers: make sure to use a good quality jarred roasted red pepper.

I’ve seen brands where it’s a bunch of pepper scraps crammed into a jar, and in my taste tests, it wasn’t as good.

I usually use Divina brand, which I get from Whole Foods. The peppers are huge (about 3 to a jar), have those charred fire roasted bits, and are really delicious.

Moving on: throw those ingredients into a blender, and also add some lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper:

Roasted Red Peppers, Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped Shallot, Minced Garlic, Lemon Zest, Capers, Salt, And Pepper In A Blendtec Wildside Jar

Blend on high for about 30-60 seconds, until completely smooth:

Blended Roasted Red Pepper Sauce In Blendtec Wildside Jar

The sauce can now be stored in the refrigerator for one week, ready to be drizzled on whatever you’d like.

I LOVE this sauce on those Crispy Smashed Potatoes I posted the other day:

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Drizzled On Crispy Smashed Baby Potatoes for Whole30 Recipe

I also dunk roasted broccoli florets into this sauce, serve it with Crispy Spice Rubbed Chicken Thighs, or even plain Slow Cooker Chicken Breast when I’m in a pinch.

If you try this recipe, I’d love to know! Leave a comment, rate it, and share your photo on social media with a tag to @fifteenspatulas so I can check out your creation. Enjoy!