Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce (Vegan/Whole30)

My love for sauces is deep. Like real deep. First, it was honey mustard, then buffalo sauce, and now just about any kind, including this vegan lemon garlic sauce.

I do believe sauces (and spices) are key when cooking. They can easily change up the flavors to any old meal to keep it interesting and exciting.

I love using cashews in sauces as they are super neutral in flavor, meaning they can pair well with so many things. They also blend up into the most creamy texture when they are soaked.

Additionally, the coconut milk with the cashews gives this lemon garlic sauce some healthy fats, helping to fill you up. The coconut milk also adds another creamy element for the most luscious sauce.

Lemon garlic sauce highlights

• super easy to make! The hardest part of this recipe is chopping the garlic to expose the cloves for roasting. Then all you do blended everything together. No flour or making a roux.
• can be made ahead of time and is great for meal prep – roast your garlic ahead of time and store it in the fridge until ready to blend with remaining ingredients. Or just make the whole recipe and store it until you are ready to use it.
• calls for only 5 simple ingredients
• gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and Whole30, but I promise you (or others) won’t even know it

Lemon garlic sauce ingredients

• 2 heads roasted garlic – instructions for how to roast garlic below
• olive oil
• full fat coconut milk
• fresh lemon juice
• cashews, soaked in water and drained – blended for the perfect creamy consistency
• salt and pepper

How to make lemon garlic sauce

1. Roast the garlic. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel the outer layers of the garlic skin off leaving the cloves still attached and chop off the top of the bulb. Place in aluminum foil and drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over the exposed surface of the garlic, letting the oil sink down into the cloves. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes until caramelized. When ready to use, squeeze out the garlic cloves.
2. Blend. Add all ingredients (making sure to drain the cashews) for the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust according to taste and enjoy!

How to soak cashews

Soaked cashews are one of my favorite ways to make thick sauces (and soups). They have a neutral flavor and give the perfect creamy consistency when blended.

To soak cashews, place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak overnight. If you are in a bind (or forgot), place them in a bowl, cover with water, and microwave for 1-2 minutes until soft (check after one minute). When you are ready to use them, drain the water (you can also rinse them) and use them according to your recipe.

How to thicken or thin out the sauce

The thickness of this sauce can depend on a few things – your coconut milk and if you are using whole cashew pieces (what I suggest) vs cashew pieces.

Some coconut milk has cream and water (they naturally separate), while others are all cream. A creamier consistency will be a little thicker. Using cashew pieces will yield a thicker sauce since you are using more cashews.

 You can easily adjust the consistency though! The amount of liquid you use will depend on how thick the sauce is. This sauce is naturally pretty thick on its own, but you can tweak it depending on your desired consistency.

To thin out the sauce, you can add a little water. To make it thicker, reduce the amount of coconut milk (before blending) or add more soaked cashews.

What to use lemon garlic sauce with

The beauty of this sauce is it’s so versatile. Lemon garlic sauce for chicken? Yep! Lemon garlic sauce for salmon? For sure! Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:

• on top of any meat – chicken, steak, or pork
• seafood – would be great with salmon or shrimp
• all over pasta – my favorite way to use it! It’s perfect with any kind of pasta, and I love adding some protein and vegetables mixed in for a complete dish. A nice change-up from your typical red sauce
• as a dressing for a grain or power bowl – I suggest thinning out the sauce a little (you can just use a little water) if using as a dressing
• as a dip – perfect for veggies or even roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes

Storage

• fridge – the sauce should last a week in the fridge.
• freezer –  you can either freeze in a glass jar (leaving a little room a the top for it to expand) or ice cube molds or silicone molds for smaller serving sizes. If using molds, let them freeze and then transfer to a reusable bag for storage. Then just defrost when needed. Once defrosted, you will need to mix up the sauce as freezing might cause some separation. It should last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Substitutions or additions

• full fat coconut milk – I tested this recipe with both full-fat coconut milk and lite coconut milk. The consistency was pretty similar, but I felt the full-fat had more flavor. Lite coconut milk will work to help lighten up the sauce and cut back on the fat.
• lemon juice – lime juice would be the best substitute here as it has a similar taste and acidity level. That being said, it will change the flavor slightly.
• cashews – I love cashews since they are very bland and neutral in flavor. That being said, you would probably use almonds or macadamia nuts instead, but the flavor will change slightly. If allergic to nuts, you could try sunflower seeds.
• fresh herbs – for a pop of brightness, stir in some finely chopped herbs. Fresh parsley, rosemary, or thyme would all be great additions.

More healthy sauce recipes

• 6 whole30 sauces that aren’t mayo
• burger sauce
• red enchilada sauce
• buffalo sauce
• homemade tzatziki sauce
• chipotle mayo

Recipe by Kelly Nardo, Eat the Gains | Photography by The Mindful Hapa

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