Garlic & Herb Sunflower Sauce

Garlic & Herb Sunflower Sauce by Jessie May

Hi friends, happy late spring to you.

I can’t think of anything more energizing and invigorating than spring and summer produce. The mixture of lightly cooked and raw foods make our bodies feel lighter and their beautiful colors are instant mood boosters :).

It is always a joy to search for a new sauce to accompany our veggies each season—and this is my spring 2020 sauce superstar. It is based on the sunflower aioli I shared in my feed earlier, thinned out and boosted in flavor with additional lemon juice and a few dried herbs.

You can choose any whole grain, legume, and raw or steamed spring veggies to pour this over. Let’s see if you flip for it as much as we do!


GARLIC & HERB SUNFLOWER SAUCE
Makes about 2 cups.

1/2 cup raw, hulled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup filtered water
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano

  1. Place the sunflower seeds and cashews in a bowl and cover with water.

  2. Let soak for 4 hours or overnight on the counter.

  3. Rinse and drain well and place them in a high speed blender.

  4. Add the filtered water, lemon juice, garlic powder, and sea salt.

  5. Blend on low, increasing to high slowly, until at full speed. Stop when smooth and creamy.

  6. Add the dried herbs and pulse the blender a few times to incorporate throughout the sauce.

  7. Taste and adjust any seasonings if you need to.

  8. Serve right away and store leftover sauce in an airtight jar in the fridge.

  9. Enjoy within one week.


THE SPRING PLATE
I served this sauce above with some quinoa, freshly cooked Christmas lima beans, steamed asparagus, radishes, and fresh greens. This goes well over any steamed spring veg with a whole grain and bean of choice. It would also serve as a delicious salad dressing too.