This Gluten-Free Vegan Creamy Red Pepper Basil Sauce is an easy, healthy recipe made with only 7 clean, real food ingredients. It's a versatile raw plant-based sauce that's perfect for pasta, as a salad dressing, as a dip for veggies and is ready in 5 minutes!
Here's Why This Recipe Works
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- Versatile Plant-Based Sauce
- Ready In Under 5 Minutes - No Cooking!
- Made With Only 7 Clean, Real Food Ingredients
You can feel good about making my healthy, plant-based recipe because it's raw, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, no-cook, keto/low-carb, paleo-friendly, and Medical Medium compliant!
How To Make This Recipe: Step-by-Step Instructions
Here is how to make this recipe and I'll show you how easy it is with step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Prep the Veggies
Firstly, wash the red bell pepper then cut it into smaller pieces which will make it easier to blend.
Step 2: Add All Ingredients To A Vitamix
Secondly, add all ingredients to a Vitamix and blend until it's creamy and smooth.
Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Step 3: Serving Options
Thirdly, there are several serving options for your plant-based sauce:
It can be used as a dip for your favorite veggies or with grain-free crackers or chips.
Use it as a sauce over gluten-free pasta or even raw spiralized veggie pasta.
It can even be used as a dressing for your favorite salad.
Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Pine Nuts. You can substitute the pine nuts with either raw sunflower seeds or even raw cashews.
Basil. Fresh basil will give you the best flavor. Make sure to use ½ packed basil so you get the maximum flavor for the recipe.
Avocado Oil. Can be substituted with organic extra-virgin olive oil in the same amount.
Garlic. Try to use fresh garlic if possible because it will give the best flavor, but you could substitute with organic garlic powder if you prefer.
Cayenne Pepper. This can be reduced or omitted if you don't like spicy food or will be serving this dish to children.
Himalayan Pink Salt. This is my salt of preference, however, it can always be substituted with sea salt.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can I Use This Sauce For?
This is a versatile plant-based sauce with so many ways you can use it, such as:
- Pasta Sauce - use it as a topping for your favorite gluten-free pasta or spiralized veggie pasta
- Salad Dressing - drizzle over your favorite salad
- Veggie Dip - use it as a healthy dip for your favorite veggies or grain-free chips
It's made with just a handful of fresh ingredients and is ready in less than 5 minutes!
Is This Recipe Keto and Low-Carb?
Yes!
A ¼ cup serving only contains (3) net carbs making it perfect for a keto and low-carb diet.
What Can I Substitute For Pine Nuts?
In this recipe, you can substitute the pine nuts with either:
- Raw Cashews (soaked for about 30 minutes, then drained + rinsed)
- Raw Sunflower Seeds
You may need to add a touch of water (filtered/purified) or even veggie broth if the mixture is too thick.
Start with (1) tablespoon and add as much as needed to get the sauce to your preferred consistency.
Want More Healthy Plant-Based Sauce Recipes?
Check out these:
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Creamy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce
- Clean Eating Spinach Pesto
- or my CLEAN EATING Cookbook with 75+ plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Did You Make This Recipe?
I'd love to hear about it! Please give it a rating and leave a comment below...it would make my day! : )
Gluten-Free Vegan Creamy Red Pepper Basil Sauce
{ Plant-Based | Raw | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Soy-Free | No-Cook | Keto/Low-Carb | Paleo-Friendly | Medical Medium }
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium organic red bell pepper (cored and cut into quarters)
- ½ cup organic pine nuts
- ½ cup organic fresh basil leaves (packed)
- ¼ cup 100% pure avocado oil
- 1 organic garlic clove
- ⅛ teaspoon organic cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- Add ingredients into a Vitamix and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Serve over freshly prepared gluten-free pasta, over a salad or even as a veggie dip.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The notes, instructions, and photographs for this recipe are copyrighted material and are protected under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). They cannot be used legally without my written permission.
dawn says
for the basil, should it be a packed 1/2 cup?
Karielyn Tillman says
Hi there Dawn! Yes, the basil should be 1/2 cup packed so you can get as much fresh basil flavor as possible - I will update the recipe to reflect this information.
Thank you for the question and I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Susan says
I made this tonight and just wow! It was so easy and very flavorful. My husband is not vegan and he raved about how good it was so that's definitely saying something! Tonight I served it over regular pasta since we are not gluten-free but next time I think will serve it over spiralized zucchini, YUM!!
Thank you so much Karielyn!
Karielyn says
Hi there Susan! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it...and especially your husband!
Thanks so much for trying out my recipe and for letting me know how much you liked it, I sincerely appreciate it 🙂
Emma says
Such a nice sauce, it was so creamy and rich! I especially loved the pine nuts which gives it a really nice flavor. Thank you!
Karielyn says
Hi there Susan! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the pine nuts in the recipe. I love them too in this recipe because it's a nice change from cashews which I normally use to make vegan sauces.
Thank you for trying out my recipe and for letting me know you liked it! 🙂
Madeline says
OMG...I made this today and it was delicioso!!!! So much so that I think I over ate. : ) Thank You for such a fabulous recipe!
Karielyn says
Hi there Madeline! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback to let me know 😉
BRITTANY says
WOW! This sauce is right up my ally! I have recently been blending all sorts of fresh veggies and making different kinds of pesto. This is my new favorite because it reminds me of a red pepper pesto - LOVE this and it's so easy to make!!
Karielyn says
Hi Brittany! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I'm a big fan of making homemade pestos too, so I'm glad you will be adding this to your collection!
Thank you for trying out my recipe and for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂
Adriana says
I am so glad I decided to try this pesto! The photos are amazing, just can't believe all those ingredients combined turned into this gorgeous colour. Wow! I can eat kale in any cooked/steamed food, but raw, I just haven't got used to the taste, but this creamy pesto was just perfect for a kale salad. And I love hemp seeds:)
Karielyn says
Hi Adriana! I'm so glad to hear that my sauce/dressing was a success with your raw kale salad - yay!
Thank you for trying out my recipe and for letting me know you liked it 🙂
Evelyn says
Hi Karielyn, Your photos look amazing! I wanted to reach through the screen and eat so I did the next best thing, I made the sauce! I absolutely loved it and added a pinch of smoked paprika to it and served it over spaghetti squash. This was the easiest recipe I've made this week.
Take care,
Evelyn
Karielyn says
Hi Evelyn! Thanks so much! I wish I had some more red peppers because I would make another batch today and would even add the pinch of smoked paprika which sounds really good!
Thank you for trying out my recipe and for letting me know how much you enjoyed it! 🙂
Kelly says
Wow, this was fabulous and such a creative way to use red peppers! Loved this idea, especially using the pine nuts, and it was sooooo delicious:)
Karielyn says
Hi Kelly! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed my recipe!
Thank you for trying it out and for taking the time to let me know how much you liked it 🙂