Okay, so this garlic cilantro sauce is super creamy, luscious, fresh, and fragrant. This is a vegan version of the conventional Pollo Tropical type cilantro garlic sauce, but way fresher and aromatic due to the mint leaves. It tastes creamy and smooth (due to the vegan mayo), tangy and refreshing ( fresh cilantro lime combination and mint leaves), and garlicky with a hint of spice (due to the chili powder).
This one is one of my favorite cilantro sauces. And, you are also gonna love this super versatile, quick, and easy garlic sauce recipe for so many reasons. Allow me to state a few.
Why does this garlic cilantro sauce recipe work?
- This is a vegan sauce recipe but tastes way better than their non-vegan counterparts.
- It is creamy, rich, and delicious!
- Super easy and fail-proof recipe.
- Quick recipe, ready in less than 15 minutes.
- It is a keto-friendly sauce. And can be used in numerous keto recipes.
- It is gluten-free.
- Great for people with egg allergies.
- It is a very versatile garlic sauce, that can be served with numerous things.
What is garlic cilantro sauce made of?
This polo tropical-inspired garlic cilantro sauce recipe has two categories of ingredients like any other sauce. First are the ingredients for making the sauce base and secondly the ingredients for flavoring the sauce.
The base of the sauce in this recipe is vegan mayonnaise and vegan yogurt. If you are not vegan, you can use mayonnaise and a high-fat sour cream as the base. A full-fat yogurt can also be used to make non-vegan cilantro garlic sauce.
1. Vegan mayonnaise:
I have used Thrive Market’s Non-GMO vegan mayonnaise as the base of this cilantro garlic sauce. You can make a vegan mayo at home also. Find details in the FAQ section.
2. Vegan yogurt
Yogurt gives freshness and vibrance to the base of the sauce. You can use whichever you like or have. Just take care to choose something thick and creamy. I like to use So Delicious’s unsweetened coconut milk yogurt. It is thick, luscious, and tastes great. Just perfect for making sauces!
You can even use homemade yogurts for making the cilantro garlic sauce. Please note that you use high-fat, unsweetened yogurt.
Thicker the better!
3. Cilantro leaves
It is important to remove the cilantro leaves from the stems. We only need leaves for making the sauce. A little bit of tender stems towards the top of the cilantro leaves would not harm the texture but if you used all the stems there will be fibrous undertones to the sauce. So, take time to get rid of the stems and wash the cilantro leaves thoroughly to get rid of any dirt and sand particle.
Water left in the leaves can make the sauce runny. So, dry the washed cilantro leaves by pressing between the kitchen towel or use something like a salad spinner to wash and dry cilantro leaves.
4. Mint leaves
I have used a handful of mint leaves to a little more freshness and complexity to the flavor of the sauce. Mint and cilantro go along very well. These two flavors complement each other. If you do not like any one of these herbs, use the one that you like. I make sure to separate the leaves from the stems of the mint. Wash and dry them before using.
5. Lime juice
The acidity will come from the lemon juice. Try to use fresh lime juice or lemon juice only. You should adjust the amount of juice to your taste and preference.
6. Garlic
After cilantro, garlic is the other key flavoring ingredient of this sauce. You can use fresh garlic if you want. To use the fresh garlic, take 2 cloves of fresh garlic and roughly chop them. Put them in lime juice for 5-7 minutes before adding all the ingredients to the blender. This will help to get rid of the raw garlicky undertone. Or you can simply use garlic powder as I did.
7. Spices
I have used the basic spices for making this cilantro garlic sauce. Just salt and freshly crushed black peppers. I have used a little bit of chili powder to add some heat and kick to the recipe. If you are not into heat, just omit it.
How to make garlic cilantro sauce?
Quick preparation
A blender will do most of the job for us. But before that, we need to measure and assemble all the ingredients. Everything else would not require much time to assemble but the greens do need to be washed and dried before using. So, prep by removing the stems from the cilantro leaves. Wash and dry mint and cilantro leaves. If you are using fresh garlic, peel and put it in the lime juice for some time.
Blending everything to perfection
Now dump everything into the jar of your food processor. First add the chopped cilantro and mint leaves followed by the vegan mayo, yogurt spices, and lime juice. Pulse or blend everything until a smooth and creamy cilantro garlic sauce is obtained.
If you are not making this recipe vegan and using dairy yogurt, add it at the end when everything else has already blended to perfection. Sometimes dairy yogurt starts to curdle on churning in a food processor. So, it is advisable to add the yogurt in the last and give it a quick pulse to blend with the rest of the ingredients.
How to serve the vegan garlic cilantro sauce made with mint and cilantro?
Oh! This is a very versatile sauce. You can serve with whatever you like. Let me state a few ideas to get you a starter
- Serve as a dip with chips or fries.
- Works as a great sauce to be served along with veggie platters.
- Goes great along with meat like pulled pork, broiled salmon with chicken wings, etc.
- Serve as a sauce along or in your vegan burgers.
- Perfect spread for building veg sandwiches.
- Spread in your Kathi rolls, veg burritos, etc.
- You can also use it as a salad dressing.
My favorite way is to serve them along with the grilled vegetables and fries. Let me know that's your favorite way to enjoy this delicious and creamy garlic sauce.
How to store the vegan cilantro garlic sauce?
They do not contain any form of dairy so, they have a longer shelf life than their conventional counterparts. This cilantro garlic sauce will last 4-5 days in your refrigerator. Put it in an air-tight container. Close the lid tightly and let it rest in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Some pro tips
- Wash and dry the mint and cilantro leaves before adding them to the food processor. The water in the leaves can make the sauce runny instead of thick.
- Remove the stems of the mint and garlic and retain only leaves. You can chop the leaves before adding them to the blender if you want.
- Use high-fat vegan yogurt that is thick and not those thin runny ones.
- If you are using fresh garlic, let the chopped garlic rest in the lime juice for a few minutes to get rid of the sharp raw garlicky taste.
- Increase or decrease the quantity of lime juice as per your taste and preference.
- You can add more spices and condiments to this vegan cilantro garlic sauce to make it your own.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, I would like to believe that this garlic cilantro sauce is keto. We are not using any carbs or high sugar ingredients in this recipe. All the key ingredients are high-fat ingredients that will certainly help in ketosis.
It is a creamy rich and delicious sauce, perfect for use with other keto-friendly ingredients and creating more keto recipes.
I froze my garlic cilantro sauce for 2 weeks and here is what I observed:
It did lose some of the freshness of cilantro and garlic flavor.
On thawing, the texture become a little lumpy first, but I whisked it for 2 minutes and it looked exactly like it originally did.
But I would still recommend using it fresh, as it does lose its freshness and flavor, plus it is not a good idea to freeze garlic-flavored stuff. They can make your freezer smelly. So, if you are freezing this sauce, please use a container that will not absorb the garlic smell and transfer it to the adjacent foods. I like to use a glass container with an air-tight lid.
It is very easy to make vegan mayonnaise. There are numerous recipes out there. My favorite way to make vegan mayo is using unsweetened soy milk, vegetable oil or olive oil, white vinegar, lime juice, and salt. Process all the ingredients except for the oil. Then gradually add oil and create the emulsion that we call vegan mayonnaise. Refer to this vegan mayonnaise recipe for the complete ingredient and instruction list. It is a great recipe and comes out perfect every single time.
I have made this cilantro garlic sauce with mayo, but there are so many substitutes that you can try. You can use a vegan alternative to Greek yogurt, vegan sour cream, vegan cream cheese, or any type of high-fat thick vegan yogurt for making the base of this sauce. Instead of vegan mayo, you can go with some thick vegan spread. But the problem with that is that it must be already flavored and can change the flavor of the sauce.
Yes, this cilantro garlic sauce recipe is gluten-free. It does not contain any sort of gluten protein and can be consumed safely by people suffering from celiac disease.
Some recipe that might interest you
- Red Pepper Hummus
- A quick Vegan version of the Green Papaya Salad Recipe
- Vegan hamburger buns: The quickest vegan bun recipe
- Dairy free bread: The best whole wheat vegan milk bread
If you found this recipe for garlic cilantro sauce useful, do not forget to share it with your friends. I would highly appreciate a comment and a rating! It helps me create more resources like this.
Till then,
Make it Delicious!!!
Garlic cilantro sauce recipe card
Garlic cilantro sauce
Equipment
- A food processor
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup vegan yogurt
- 1 cup cilantro leaves packed tightly
- ⅓ cup mint leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder optional
Instructions
- Start by removing the stems from the cilantro and mint leaves. Wash and dry them by pressing in between paper towels.
- Into a food processor, add the cilantro and mint leaves followed by the vegan mayo, yogurt spices, and lime juice. Pulse or blend everything until a smooth and creamy cilantro garlic sauce is obtained.
Notes
- Wash and dry the mint and cilantro leaves before adding them to the food processor. The water in the leaves can make the sauce runny instead of thick.
- Remove the stems of the mint and garlic and retain only leaves. You can chop the leaves before adding them to the blender if you want.
- Use high-fat vegan yogurt that is thick and not those thin runny ones.
- If you are using fresh garlic, let the chopped garlic rest in the lime juice for a few minutes to get rid of the sharp raw garlicky taste.
- Increase or decrease the quantity of lime juice as per your taste and preference.
- You can add more spices and condiments to this vegan cilantro garlic sauce to make it your own.
- If you are not making this recipe vegan and using dairy yogurt, add it at the end when everything else has already blended to perfection. Sometimes dairy yogurt starts to curdle on churning in a food processor. So, it is advisable to add the yogurt in the last and give it a quick pulse to blend with the rest of the ingredients.
Nutrition facts
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