Sauce vierge is fresh tomato and basil sauce made with olive oil, lemon juice, and capers.
Although it originated in France; it’s bright flavours and fresh flavours are very different to many other French sauces which are often rich and creamy. This sauce vierge is more like a vinaigrette than a sauce.
It is very quick to prepare – a little chopping, a little stir, and you are done. With just 5 ingredients, and no cooking; it is a recipe I love to have on hand for days when energy and time are scarce!
A light, tasty and good for you sauce! Purists may well say this recipe isn’t for a traditional sauce vierge, as many other recipes use shallots or other onions. I am not a fan of onions so I have left them out. But what it is, is delicious, and a great recipe to have up your sleeve to put on pasta or toasted bread for a quick and easy vegan dinner or lunch!
Can you make Sauce Vierge ahead?
You can make it up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Allow to come to room temperature before serving to allow the flavours to come out.
Uses for Sauce Vierge:
Our favourite (as you can see from the photos) is to use it as a bruschetta topping, but other ways we use it:
Spoon it on top of pasta
Use it as a salad dressing or drizzle over roasted vegetables
As a dip for fresh bread
Serve over fresh seafood
As a dressing for potato salad
Make it Your Sauce Vierge:
Love onions: finely chop a spring onion and stir through the sauce
No cherry tomatoes: use ripe plum tomatoes
No basil: use parsley or chives
If you are looking for more summer recipe ideas, why not have a look at my vegan Puttanesca Pasta Salad and Spiced Chickpeas Salad, simple & fresh Watermelon & Mozzarella Salad, or vibrant Carrot & Orange Salad with Feta
Sauce Vierge
Ingredients
- 5-7 cherry tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 tsp capers in vinegar roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- No need to peel the tomatoes, finely chop them leaving the seeds in.
- Mix the tomatoes with the roughly chopped capers , lemon juice, olive oil and basil leaves then leave for 1-2 hours at room temperature to let the flavours develop.
- That’s it!
HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?
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Or just leave a comment below!
Katerina says
I’m always looking for new dressings and sauces and I love this list of ingredients, so fresh! I am making this soon. Thanks so much for sharing!
Robyn says
This has so many uses as a dressing – hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Sylvie says
I love how many ways you can use this sauce – so versatile! I’m sure all of these ingredients make a super tasty sauce too – yum!!
Robyn says
It really is a very versatile sauce!
Gavin says
Simple and maximum flavour – off to the shops I go for some ingredients!!
Robyn says
Thanks Gavin – it is so simple, but so good! Hope you enjoy it too!