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What is Romesco?
Often referred to as a sauce, Romesco is a condiment typically made with garlic, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, nuts (usually almonds), spices, good olive oil and bread (yes, bread goes into the mix too!) Of course like any classic recipe, there are variations galore. I haven’t been to Spain to taste authentic Romesco, but from what I gather reading about it and reviewing recipe variations online, it can have a wide range of textures and flavors. Some can be as spicy and runny as tomato sauce. Some can be as thick as hummus with a woodsy-smoky flavor.My Version Can Be Used as a Sauce, Dip or Spread
My Romesco recipe below leans towards being thick as hummus. But you can easily thin it out with a little water if you want to make it saucier. You can also just omit the piece of bread. As for the flavor, I wouldn’t necessarily describe my version as being either smoky or hot though. I would simply say it is savory and rich-tasting.
Romesco Recipe is Delicious on (Just About) Everything!
Always trust your foodie friends who travel around the world. Erin was right, Romesco really does seem to add the perfect spark to everything.
Here are just a few ideas for how to use it:
- Top it on your baked potato
- Stir it into vegetable or seafood stew
- Use it as an alternative to marinara sauce for pasta
- Spread it on top of fish
- Serve it as a crudite dip
- Top it on just about any vegetable
- Use it as clean eating alternative to mayo on your sandwiches
- Serve it as a dip for kabobs made with vegetables and either lamb, chicken or beef
- Bring it to the grill—it will be perfect on just about anything you can think of to grill (including corn!)
And best of all, Romesco is incredibly quick and easy to make. Here’s how…
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Romesco Recipe
A classic Spanish condiment, this savory and rich-tasting Romesco Recipe Makes a Delicious (and clean!) Sauce, Spread or Dip.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cup 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
- 8 garlic cloves (crushed)
- Pink Himalayan sea salt (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons slivered raw almonds
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 can (14.5 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers (see notes below)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 slice toasted (sprouted whole grain bread, broken into bite-sized pieces (optional)) (omit for Paleo, Whole30, etc.)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots have softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Add the almonds and cook for 1 minute. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes and paprika; simmer for 15 minutes. Set mixture aside to cool.
- When cooled, add the sauce to a high speed blender or food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the toasted bread and process again. Season with salt to taste. Note: Romesco sauce will keep for up to 1 week if stored in a mason jar in the refrigerator.
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Notes
It’s okay to use jarred roasted red peppers, just be sure to rinse and pat dry with paper towels before adding to the recipe.
LOOKING FOR MORE CLEAN EATING DINNER RECIPES?
If you liked the Romesco Recipe, be sure to check out a full month’s menu of delicious healthy dinner recipes (including weekly shopping lists!) in our Clean Cuisine Dinners digital cookbook.
